Chapter 48: Spotted by Reporters

Emerald’s POV

The first knock on my bedroom door came before seven in the morning. I was already awake.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Laura’s face appeared first, followed by Claire.

"Good morning!" They chorused.

Laura walked in with a large bag hanging from her shoulder. Claire followed behind her with two more bags.

"You both came early."

"We said we’d be here early," Claire reminded me. Laura dropped her bag onto one of the chairs and said to me, "We weren’t about to let you go to a Hugo family wedding looking ordinary."

I laughed softly.

Two of the servants came in shortly afterwards, carrying the rest of their things. Once everything was brought into my room, Claire wasted no time.

"Sit," she instructed.

I obeyed immediately. Then, she pulled out her phone and began showing me several pictures.

"I shortlisted these last night." She swiped through them one after another. "This one..."

"Too much." I shook my head. "Next."

Claire continued. "This?"

I stared at it for a few seconds. It was an elegant piled-high updo. I could already imagine Mother’s reaction if she saw it. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"I’m sure my Mum would pick this style."

Laura laughed. "Your mother would absolutely love it."

I nodded. "Exactly." I swiped back to another picture and finally settled for it. "This one."

Claire looked at it. "The loose and low ponytail?"

"Yes."

She smiled. "Good choice." Next, she put her phone away and got to work.

I sat patiently while she carefully styled my hair.

She didn’t rush anything. Every section was handled properly, and she kept checking the reference picture to make sure everything came together the way she wanted.

When she finally finished, I looked at myself in the mirror. The hairstyle was simple and elegant. Nothing about it screamed for attention, yet it still looked polished enough for the occasion.

Happily, I said, "I like it."

"I knew you would," she beamed with a smile.

Laura clapped her hands. "Now, let’s get dressed."

The three of us helped each other with our outfits. By the time I slipped my shoes on and fastened my jewellery, Laura had already dragged a chair into the middle of the room.

"Sit."

I looked at her. "Why?"

"Because I’m doing your makeup."

"I thought Claire—"

"Claire has already done your hair." Laura pointed at the chair. "Sit down."

I laughed and obeyed.

Laura had been around the entertainment industry for most of her life. Her mother had been in the same industry and had introduced her to it when she was still a child.

Years of experience had taught Laura more than enough about makeup.

She worked carefully, occasionally stepping back to examine my face before adding another touch.

"Don’t move."

I almost rolled my eyes, then stopped. "I’m not moving."

"You blinked."

"Jeez! I have to blink." I stared at her.

"Not when I’m holding this."

I forced a smile. "Sorry."

"You two are something else." Claire laughed from behind us. "Do you have to fight over that?"

Laura finished my makeup before moving on to Claire. Then she did her own.

By the time they were done, two servants had already come in with some appetisers and helped them pack away their tools.

I glanced at the time. "We should be leaving soon."

"We’re ready," Claire declared.

I walked over to the full-length mirror to take in my appearance—the dress, the shoes, the jewellery, my hair, my make-up.

Everything had come together better than I expected. I liked the way I looked.

I picked up my purse and phone before turning towards my friends. "Let’s go."

We left my bedroom together. My parents were already waiting in the living room when we came down.

I immediately noticed my Mum’s hairstyle and almost smiled. It was the exact piled-high style I had predicted.

"Good morning, Dad. Mum."

"Good morning." Dad smiled while Mum gave me a quick look. Her eyes paused briefly on my hair before moving away.

I couldn’t tell whether she approved. Not that it mattered to me.

My friends greeted them politely. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Hugo."

Father welcomed them warmly while Mother simply nodded.

As we began walking towards the entrance, Laura leaned closer to me. "Your mum gave us the eye."

I held back a laugh. "Thankfully, that’s all she did."

I was genuinely grateful. Whatever my Mum’s shortcomings were, she had class.

Years of marrying into the Hugo family and living in wealth had taught her how to conduct herself in public.

At least she knew when to restrain herself.

The moment we stepped outside, I noticed the convoy waiting. Five vehicles stood in front of the house.

My parents entered one of them while Claire, Laura and I were directed towards the Mercedes-Benz V-Class.

Two security men opened the doors for us, and we climbed inside. Claire and I sat together while Laura took one of the seats opposite us.

The door closed. And almost immediately, Laura smiled. "Your mother is beautiful."

I shifted my gaze to her, wondering the reason for the sudden compliment.

"She has such an amazing sense of fashion." She made a proud little face. "Sometimes I wish she was my mother."

I shook my head and looked away. Of course Laura would love Mother’s fashion sense. They had similar tastes.

The convoy soon left the estate. The journey took roughly thirty minutes.

By the time we approached the church, the number of expensive vehicles around the area had already given me an idea of how large the wedding was going to be.

Cars filled almost every available space. Some were luxury sedans. Others were large SUVs. A few had familiar faces from the media and entertainment industry inside them.

The moment our vehicle stopped, the security personnel stepped out. One of them opened our door.

Claire climbed out first. Laura followed. I stepped down afterwards.

My parents had already gotten out of their vehicle and were waiting for us, so we began walking towards the church entrance together. At that moment, the cameras started flashing.

Initially, I paid little attention. However, once the reporters spotted us, several quickly approached our direction.

"Miss Hugo!"

"Miss Emerald!"

"Can we get a comment?"

"Emerald, are you happy to be back in Los Angeles?"

"How does it feel attending your cousin’s wedding?"

The bodyguards immediately formed a barrier between us and the reporters.

I kept walking.

I had expected this. My return to Los Angeles after being away for a month was bound to attract attention, especially with everything that had happened before I left.

Then a female reporter’s voice rose above the others. "Miss Hugo, it seems you disappeared from the limelight for a while!"

I kept walking.

"You suddenly showing up today—does this mean you’ve recovered from the heartbreak?"

My expression tightened slightly, but I didn’t stop.

The reporter wasn’t satisfied, so she pushed forward.

"Miss Hugo! Is it true that you slept around for business deals for your ex-boyfriend?"

My pace momentarily slowed for half a second. The words affected me differently, and I sensed my gaze darkening.

In front of me, Mother stopped and turned towards the reporter with a look that made the woman immediately falter.

"Is the Hugo family a joke to you?"