Come Marry Me Now Novel – Clouds hung low and lazily across the sky, brewing a hint of sultriness. The lingering mist left by a just-passed hurricane hid in the light breeze and wafted through the window into the room. Tick, tick, tick. Time ticked away. The clock struck eight. Right at the time, there was a soft knock on the door. Gracie, in a professional attire, was pricking up her ears to listen. She didn’t enter the penthouse suite until she had the permission of Madeleine Laurier. Gracie works for a renowned wedding planning company whose services are only exclusive to high-worth clients.
Surely, their considerate and meticulous services are worth the clients’ expenditure of millions. Two months prior, they received this commission for a wedding planning from a prestigious family. Gracie stood out among internal competitions and successfully secured the position as the chief wedding planner. The decoration in the suite appears understated and elegant. Yet, the opulence is hidden in the details. Even the glassware on the coffee table is customized by Hermès. Gracie’s eyes fell on the bride, Madeleine Laurier. She was standing in contemplative silence by the window. Gracie wore a smile and politely inquired, “Miss Laurier, there’s still time. Would you like to take a rest first?” Madeleine turned around. Her eyes, which were clear and bright like a glittery lake under sunlight, met Gracie’s gaze.
Her chestnut hair was bussed by a soft glow. Her lips were plump and rosy like rose petals adorned with morning dew. She dressed in a loose bathrobe and revealed her slender neck. She exuded an aura of glamour yet somewhat coldness to distance from others. As a woman, Gracie found herself mesmerized and unable to avert her gaze. Madeleine’s gaze fixed on the pendulum swinging inside the antique clock. Then, a gentle smile graced her lips as she softly muttered, “is there still time?” It’s like she’s asking Gracie, but more like she’s muttering to herself. This left Gracie somewhat puzzled. After all, it was just past 8 o’clock, and according to the wedding schedule, Mr. Thorne would not arrive for another two hours. As the chief wedding planner, surely Gracie got to know the information of the bride and groom in advance. Thorne family is a name among the elite. They take a prominent and influential position here in Mises City.
Malcolm Thorne, the groom, is the one who currently holds the reins of power in Thorne family. Malcolm is truly a god’s favored one. He was born rich and excelled academically throughout his schooling. During his overseas studies, he started his own business and successfully took his company public. Later after he took over family business, he facilitated the industry’s largest medical merger. But apart from his status, what people took most interested in Malcolm was his rumored affair. It’s said that he had been flirting with a rising star actress, Jocelyn Baldwin. Gracie, too, couldn’t help but be curious about it. Yet, after these days of interacting with them, Gracie felt that Malcolm’s attentiveness and care for his fiancée,Miss Laurier, seemed genuine. In Gracie’s eyes, Miss Laurier overshadowed Jocelyn whether in look, temperament and wisdom. Miss Laurier earned her access to a top university by her exceptional grades.
Later, she pursued further studies in a prestigious business school. Not to mention she also came from a distinguished family, but she held an amiable attitude toward anyone she met. For all these reasons, Gracie had become a devoted supporter of Madeleine. As for Jocelyn Baldwin, though all her negative news had been erased from the internet, Gracie had heard from a screenwriting friend that she usually behaved arrogant in shooting site. Thus, Gracie believed that as long as Mr. Thorne was not a blind, he surely would choose his angelic fiancée rather than someone hypocritical as Jocelyn. Those rumors between Mr. Thorne and Jocelyn were far-fetched,and she shouldn’t have believed them. Madeleine had no idea what’s on Gracie’s mind. She lowered her head to take a glance at her phone, then closed the window and walked over to the sofa to take a seat. “Gracie, you’re from Nordfar, aren’t you? Do you know how long it takes to travel from Nordfar to Mises?” “Um… less than two hours if you take a plane, but today is an exception.
One of my friend scheduled a trip here, and he originally booked a ticket for today, but he told me this morning that many flights had been canceled due to the weather.” Nordfar and Mises are both coastal cities, and during cyclone season, it’s normal that flight may delay due to bad weather. Just then, Gracie’s two colleagues wheeled in the clothes stand with wedding dresses hanging on. Madeleine lolled back on the sofa and responded with a perfunctory nod. There’s a exclusive dressing room in this suite. Madeleine went to put on the wedding dress. The wedding dress was specially designed for Madeline by her good friend Alison Sharpe. Layers of ivory white lace cascaded down. Hundreds of pearls and scattered diamonds added a silver sheen to it. The off-the-shoulder and princess-style design highlighted her hot collarbones as well as her slender waist. It must be said that this wedding dress and Madeleine were a perfect match.
Everyone present burst into spontaneous praises. Lena, the executive assistant of the wedding team,was helping Madeleine arrange the hem of the dress. Although Laurier family may not be as prominent as Thorne family in recent years, they are still considered a notable clan in Mises. More importantly, Madeline was about to marry Malcolm and become Mrs. Thorne. Thus, Lena appeared anxious to please Madeleine. “Miss Laurier, I’ve witnessed a lot of weddings, but it’s my first time to see a groom handsome as Mr. Thorne. And gosh, you’ve known each other since 16. First love is always the most impressive.” Madeline remained lost in her thoughts. For Lena’s flattery, she only responded with a polite smile. Madeleine’s silence brought Lena somewhat awkwardness. Fortunately, Madeleine’s phone rang in right time. It gave Lena the chance to shift the conversation. Lena peeked at the name on screen, and put on an ingratiating smile, “see, Mr. Thorne can’t wait to call you…” Madeleine frowned. Gracie thought it’s because Lena’s behavior aroused her repulsion, so she raised her voice, “alright, let’s not disturb Miss Laurier. We still need to go over the procedures.”
Lena didn’t dare openly disobey Gracie, the chief planner. She could only reluctantly bite her lip and followed them out the room. The room descended into silence. Madeleine walked to the window and answered the call Soon there came Malcolm’s composed voice, “Maddy, I’m sorry. The flight got canceled, and I can’t make it back in time.” Madeleine gave her forehead a light rub. She had long anticipated this, “I know.” Her voice remained as gentle as ever, making Malcolm breathe a sigh of relief. “There’s still time; we can reschedule the wedding for tomorrow. I’ve already called Derek. He will inform the guests shortly. Don’t worry.” It sounded like he’s not talking about a wedding but a business merger Don’t worry? Last night, when Malcolm rushed to Nordfar overnight on the pretext of business matters, he used this same promising tone to assure her that he would come back before the wedding. “Mal, I know that Jocelyn was sent to hospital last night. Are you in the hospital now?” Malcolm obviously didn’t expect her to already know the reason for his visit to Nordfar. There was a moment of silence. A touch of self-mockery flickered in Madeleine’s eyes,”no? So you’re at her apartment.” “I’m sorry, Maddy.” Malcolm paused, “I didn’t tell you the truth because I’m afraid you’d misunderstand.”
“Afraid I’d misunderstand? Even though you know I would, you still did it.” Her tone remained even, yet Malcolm perceived a trace of sarcasm. There’s a certain coldness in Malcolm’s manner,”Maddy, I know you’ve been harboring some bias against Joce, but she’s your cousin. She got hurt, and neither you nor I should turn a blind eye!” He overtly taking Jocelyn’s side caused Madeleine tighten her fist. She let out a long sigh and lowered her head, “yes, Jocelyn is my cousin.” But at the same time, she was Malcolm’s ex-girlfriend,as well as his first love. Laurier and Thorne families had been friends since last generation. At six, Jocelyn moved to Laurier family with her mom (Madeleine’s aunt). There Jocelyn met Malcolm and they became childhood sweethearts. Earlier, Madeline frowned at Lena’s words because Malcolm’s first love was actually not her. “How is she now?” They had numerous quarrels about Jocelyn before, so Malcolm obviously didn’t wanna detail on this question,”she’s been discharged from the hospital and is fine.” “Oh,” it eased Madeleine’s tensed nerves. She knew Jocelyn was playing her pity card to gain Malcolm’s sympathy. But the problem is that her grandpa has been in poor health over the past two years. Madeleine was afraid that the news of Jocelyn getting hurt would give grandpa a blow.
But based on those photos she received just now,Madeleine was sure that Jocelyn was just putting on a show. Malcolm slowed his tone, “Maddy, it’s my fault, but now we need to properly arrange the wedding. Let’s postpone it to tomorrow okay?” He’s gonna postpone the wedding just because he had to take care of another woman. It’s only till this moment that Madeleine realized Malcolm didn’t value this wedding as she did. She still exuded an air of calm as she gazed out the window. Outside the window was the bustle of city, the sight of towering skyscrapers. The air conditioning kept filling the room with cold air. Madeleine wrapped her arms around herself. She looked down at the surging traffic below, yet felt like in a dream. For a split second, she felt like time traveled back to that year when she was 16. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, “Mal,remember when I first returned to Laurier family? I lost the pendant the dean gave me.
I searched for it for a long time but couldn’t find it. So I hid in the attic, crying alone. You found me hiding there, but didn’t tell anyone. Instead,you secretly helped me find the pendant back.” Her voice was mellow, awakening Malcolm’s memories. He chuckled softly, “yeah, I was thinking, how could someone hide there crying because of such a trifle? But you were so heartbroken at that time, I could only help you find it.” Madeleine grinned. In fact, she knew that Malcolm had never found that pendant. It was because the gentlemanly demeanor ingrained in him was at work, so he couldn’t just stand by and see her crying. He bought a new pendant that looked the same. “Why do you bring this up suddenly?” Malcolm asked. “It’s just, when I look back, I found losing that pendant wasn’t worth being so sad about.” As she blurted out these words, most of the sadness,pain and questions in Madeleine’s heart dissipated. When she lost that pendant, she cried oceans of tears.
For one reason, it’s because the pendant was a precious gift. But actually, the pendant was just an excuse to vent her grievances and sorrow. At that time, Madeleine just returned Laurier family from orphanage, and most of time, she had been receiving others’ probing, disdained or mocking eyes. Later, when she got into the top university, from then on she was enveloped by flattery and praises. Later when she lost the pendant Malcolm bought for her, strangely,she didn’t feel the same sadness as she lost the first one. So you see, time would eventually smooth everything over, there was nothing that couldn’t change. Why did she have to insist on this relationship that brought her only disappointment? She had pondered over this for too long, but whatever, she finally made a decision. “Mal, perhaps it’s better to end the engagement-” “Let’s break up.” Her abrupt decision crashed into the tranquility like a weighty stone disrupting a calm pond.
They both plunged into a deafening silence. The atmosphere thickened with tension. Only gasps could be heard. Malcolm boomed as his voice carried a thinly veiled trace of anger- “Okay, I shouldn’t have missed the wedding. I understand your anger, and I’ll explain when I get back. But Maddy, don’t throw around words like canceling the wedding and breaking up. You’ve crossed the line!” His tone was full of reproach, leaving Madeleine momentarily speechless. They had known each other for eight years and been in a relationship for three years. Malcolm had always behaved gentle and polite. During their time abroad, he treated her well, and back then, Madeleine believed they would surely step into marriage. Even during their arguments after returning to the country, he never lost his composure like this. Reality is cruel.
The fact lay that Malcolm gave up this wedding for the sake of his ex-girlfriend, and was now reproaching her for making a fuss. How absurd! Only Madeleine knew that she wasn’t joking at all. She had given Malcolm enough chances and trust, but every time, he returned her disappointment, lies and biased explanations. Perhaps Malcolm did love her, but he couldn’t fully let go of his feelings for another woman. Madeleine couldn’t maintain her dignity in this relationship. It was just too exhausting. She decided to let him go, and in doing so, she would free herself, too. But it’s reasonable that Malcolm didn’t believe her decision to break up. After all, she had liked him for eight years. Even during the two years of Malcolm’s most difficult time when he broke with his family, Madeleine had been by his side. Anyone could see how much she liked Malcolm.
So break up just when they were gonna hold the wedding? Never in the cards! Just when Madeleine parted her lips, a flirting voice abruptly interrupted. “Mal, could you pass me a glass of water?” The woman’s voice was familiar, and it carried an unmistakable intimacy to Malcolm. Despite her decision to let go, Madeleine still felt a short pang of hurt. In the next second, she hung up the phone with a sneer. Jocelyn was surely deliberate to make Madeleine hear her voice, but Madeleine didn’t want to prolong this endless argument. She even felt an unprecedented sense of relax. Then, a knock on the door dragged her out of her thoughts. It’s Gracie. She walked in with a hesitated look. “Miss Laurier, Mr. Thorne’s assistant called me. He said that the wedding will be postponed until tomorrow?” Malcolm was occupied with work most of time. During these days, Gracie had been coordinating wedding details with his assistant, Derek. Her words had just fallen when a tall woman suddenly appeared behind her.
Her high heels clicked loudly as she strode into the room, bypassing Gracie in a rage. “Maddy, what does Malcolm mean?!” Alison Sharpe stood with hands on hip. Her brows furrowed tightly and her cheeks flushed with anger. Then she showed the phone screen to Madeleine. The headline on the screen was sensational-[Actress Jocelyn Baldwin Survived Attempted Suicide. Rumored Boyfriend Accompanies by Her Side] The man in photo was none other than Malcolm. He was smartly dressed in suit and tie. He revealed only his side face and chiseled jaw. You could see his straight nose and furrowed brows. But the camera flash glinted on his gold-rimmed glasses and hid his eyes. He was wrapping his arms around a petite woman and shielding her in his embrace who rested her head on his broad shoulder. Slightly tilting his head, he seemed to be gently soothing her. Meanwhile, there’s a mix of shyness, timidity and slight pallor on Jocelyn’s face. It was really a scene that stung Madeleine’s eyes-Yet, she bet Jocelyn must have applied too-light foundation on her face.
For fear of Thorne family, the media dared not post the photos revealing Malcolm’s full face. Nevertheless,anyone acquainted with him had no difficulty identifying him What’s more, the watch on his wrist was a birthday gift from Madeleine last year. Madeleine still vividly remembered Malcolm’s reaction when she received her gift. His eyes sparkled with delight and tenderness as he enveloped her in his arms. He told her it’s the best gift he had ever received. He directed her to help him take off his old watch, which was a coming-of-age gift from his mother. He then replaced it with the one she had gifted, and never took it off. That warm and loving moment still lingered in Madeleine’s memory. But now, his tenderness never belonged to her alone. Even though she had resolved to let go, she still felt a twinge spreading from her chest. When love and pain become habitual, it means it will take time to forget and move on. Madeleine tightly clenched her fingers and tried to suppress that sour bitterness. It’s not the first time Jocelyn Baldwin used this trick. Jocelyn chose to become an entertainer after graduating. She’s now a sought-after female actress.
Coincidentally, Thorne owned an entertainment company, and it’s managed by Malcolm’s childhood friend,Jensen Watt. Jensen had a good relationship with Jocelyn. Earlier in the year, Jocelyn terminated her contract with her previous company and directly signed to be an entertainer under Thorne’s company. It seemed quite reasonable for Jocelyn to do so, at least in the eyes of Malcolm and his friends. After all,they are good friends. But the problem lay in that, Jocelyn frequently bypassed her boss, Jensen and called Malcolm for help. She would use various excuses, for example, harassment from the director, vulgar words from investors and obstructive colleagues when shooting. Anyway, she had countless reasons to have Malcolm intervene. Soon, she ascended to stardom because Malcolm provided her with good resources and even erased all her negative news. Their intimacy became an open “secret” in this circle.
And now, they were once again caught together under the limelight. Most likely, it’s plotted by Jocelyn. There had been a great rift between Jocelyn and Madeleine. Yes, they were cousins, but born in the same family meant conflicts of interest. It’s a war about company shares, family property and legacy. How would Jocelyn just watch Madeleine marry into Thorne family and do nothing? The best way is to ruin this wedding. Now, on the wedding day, the groom abandoned the bride for his ex-girlfriend. Even if he postponed the wedding, in the eyes of outsiders, it would merely be perceived as a concession under pressure. Madeleine could imagine what storms of rumors her family would have to endure after today. She couldn’t bear to see her family’s name be tarnished, nor could she allow her grandpa to withstand such a blow. Madeleine turned to Gracie and instructed, “the wedding will not be postponed. I would like you to follow the original plan and go on preparations.” Most people tagged Madeleine as good-natured because she rarely got angry in recent years. But now Baldwins were playing these mean tricks disregard for her grandpa’s poor health! They truly pissed her off.
Gracie received Madeleine’s instructions, quickly nodded and left. Behind her, Lena had a disdainful look in her eyes which was a complete opposite of her earlier attempt to please. It’s like she was waiting to see how pitiful Madeleine would be in the wedding. “Last night, Jocelyn was sent to the hospital, and Malcolm rushed to Nordfar overnight. I just received these photos… It’s Jocelyn, I bet.” Only now did Madeleine explain the situation to her good friend. Alison was so exasperated that she clutched her chest, “what a madwoman she is! She has broken up with Malcolm ages ago. What’s the meaning of ruining your wedding?” “Firstly, her father, Byron Baldwin will never wanna see me marry into Thorne family. Secondly, ever since Grandpa gave shares to me, Jocelyn has nursed a grudge against me. What she’s doing now might be at her father’s words or perhaps, she just wanna humiliate me, make me a laughingstock.” In Jocelyn’s heart, Madeleine was an intruder in her life, a menace to her position in Laurier family. In Madeleine’s eyes, those evil deeds done by Byron and Jocelyn had predetermined their differences. Madeline couldn’t bring herself to repay animosity with kindness, and Baldwins didn’t deserve her forgiveness. Alison stared directly at Madeleine. “You’re not mad at him?”
“Mad at him?” Madeleine had a moment of silence,then chuckled. “Just before you came in, I had just told Malcolm that I chose to break up.” Alison was instantly dumbfounded, astonishment written on her face. She had witnessed Madeleine’s love for Malcolm. But she understood more that when Madeleine made up her mind, it was nearly impossible to change. After a while, Alison sighed and shook her head. “This time, Malcolm dug his own grave.” Still, Alison couldn’t help but feel sorry for Madeleine. She knew well how much Madeleine had paid for this relationship. Back then, Jocelyn was Malcolm’s girlfriend, but they broke up shortly afterward; Jocelyn dumped Malcolm. Later, the heartbroken Malcolm went abroad, and coincidentally, he went to the school where Madeleine had applied. In the second year of Madeleine’s overseas studies, she accepted Malcolm’s pursuit. Even when Malcolm broke with his family during this period, Madeleine never wavered and accompanied him.
From founding to going public, Malcolm’s overseas company had Madeleine’s painstaking efforts behind it. She rejected her mentor’s recommendation to study further, and instead, dedicated all her savings to Malcolm to help him get through the toughest days. Malcolm encountered countless cold-shoulders in his initial quest for investors. His pride didn’t allow him to bow his head, and it was Madeleine who tirelessly helpedd him negotiate with them. As his company faced setbacks and plummeted into a nadir, everyone believed Malcolm was meant to lose in the bet with his family. Only Madeleine continued to be his supporter. Even Alison thought they would never break up. She vividly remembered how happy Madeleine was when she told her- “Alison, Mal proposed to me. He said we’ll hold the wedding as soon as we returned.”
What pleased Madeline most was that, Malcolm’s proposal had nothing to do with their families, but because he genuinely loved and cared for her. However, fate took an unexpected turn. Since their return, Jocelyn had been meddling in their relationship. And Malcolm’s favouritism to Jocelyn even infuriated Alison. Maybe Madeleine was considerate and tolerant, but it’s literally this kind of people who actually had the most determined heart. They would never go back if somebody let them down to the core. “Ali, my feelings for him didn’t wither away overnight. I foresaw this day long ago. You don’t need to worry about me.
Well, I did still feel sad and pain, but I’m truly not as heartbroken as you might think.” She harbored no regrets to make this decision. Madeleine consoled Alison with a serene smile. Though there’s still a sense of loss, she felt a great relief. Alison ventured, “then why did you say…” She didn’t doubt Madeleine’s decision to break up, but why did she say the wedding wouldn’t be postponed? “The wedding cannot be postponed. Grandpa can’t take this blow. Now that Jocelyn is waiting to humiliate me-” Madeleine paused, and her eyelashes fluttered. “I can only change a new groom.”