Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Half an hour had passed.

Under the arrangement of the makeup artist, Alex sported a slick wolf tail short hairdo, slightly longer than her previous crew cut. With the stylist's touch, she looked a lot more feminine.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Alex hardly recognized the reflection of herself. People behind her exclaimed, "Indeed, there are no ugly women in this world, only lazy ones." This makeover made her a completely different person.

Sherri and Rose, known for her straightforwardness, glanced at Stella, who was still primping herself and said, "Alex, you should learn more from Stella. you can't find a more narcissistic person than her in this world." Stella, who was still admiring her beauty in the mirror, was kind of caught off guard when she heard herself being mentioned all of a sudden.

Rose didn't mince words either, stating, "Even if you ask the magic mirror a hundred times who's the most beautiful today, it won't be you. Today, my sister-in-law Ava is the most beautiful." Although Alex preferred dressing more like a boy, feeling more at ease, she chuckled at everyone, "Ava, I've dedicated my first tin this life to you." The first twearing a dress, the first tputting on makeup.

Her words carried a deeper meaning, prompting laughter from everyone. Stella added, "Thank goodness Ava is getting married today, or else Ava, you might've had to consider offering yourself to Alex." Everything was set, awaiting the arrival of the groom. Rose started to think about her tricks, "Shall we... think about how to trick them before they get to enter the room?" Ava didn't object to Rose's plan. Last tat her sister's wedding, Rose's planned small programs turned out to be quite fun. Everyone had a good time. She sat down quietly on the bed.

Natalie bent down to help adjust Ava's dress, making sure there wouldn't be any tripping hazards before standing back up straight.

Ava received a message from her mom, Emma, which read, [Ava, I've arrived at the hotel. Is everything going well over there?] The Tuner family had arrived at the hotel much earlier, checking the wedding venue for any oversights, and ensuring everything was in place. They weren't worried about Ava's side as several professional doctors were accompanying her.

Ava replied, [Okay, Mom, don't worry. My sister and my friends are all here with me.] At that moment, Natalie recalled her own wedding scene. After the wedding ceremony, Rose seemed disappointed that many small acts weren't included. "You're not planning to use these tricks on your brother, are you?" Sherri agreed wholeheartedly, clapping her hands and pulling Stella closer. "Why not? Today, Rose isn't just Frank's sister; she's with us. Besides, both of us are married now. We have nothing to worry about. However, Stella, and Alex, you haven't married yet, so you have to be careful in case you get retaliated against in the future when you get married.

"Con, let's brainstorm how to prank the groomsmen. Ava, don't be merciful with Frank today. You might better learn from Rose; You got to be aware of the situation, Natalie, did you hear me?" Sherri chimed in.

Natalie chuckled in response to her friend, "Got it. | promise | won't stand in the way of your fortune-making plans. So go ahead." "That's more like it. Let's discuss it then. Chere, Rose." Natalie exchanged a smile with Ava. Stella wasn't worried either; she followed Sherri and Rose to plan their mischief.

Meanwhile, at the Roberts family villa.

A group of men crowded the living room, all Frank's friends and followers.

Upstairs in Frank's room stood Trevon, Hackett, Chris, Edward, and Jim.

Frank had donned a white suit and white leather shoes, resembling a fairytale prince. His hair was styled with wax, and even his handseyebrows had been groomed by a stylist. There were colorful sparkles at the tips of his hair, and he held a bouquet.

Hackett was suited up. It was the wedding of his good friend after all. He wouldn't show up in hoodies. Leaning against the door, he looked kind of relaxed. "Not bad." Trevon stood casually, hands in pockets, observing Frank with a leisurely air. "Don't seem so eager. Your bow tie's crooked. Remember when | got hitched? You called that bow tie a waiter's accessory. Today, it's quite the unique bow tie." After that being said, he even reached out, nonchalantly attempting to fix Frank's bow tie, but Frank swatted his hand away.

Ignoring the banter of his two teasing friends, Frank remained serious. Jim, in his groomsman attire, stood silently on the side, merely filling in the numbers. Edward, always taciturn, quietly observed the banter among the group.

Chris adjusted his black suit, remarking, "Everyone present counts. Next time, if anyone dares to inviteto be the groomsman, I'll greet him with my scalpel." He was becoming quite the professional groomsman.

Modern groomsmen were like royal guards.

"You'd get married in no time. Frank would make you take off this groomsman outfit in a heartbeat," chimed in Trevon, looking at Chris with a smirk.

Chris retorted, "Okay. Since you said so, why don't you finda girl here to marryright now?" Amidst a crowd of men, Chris challenged Trevon to find a woman for him right there, which was an impossible task, because all the people around them were men.

Hackett, with a mischievous grin, prepared to stir the pot. "Right! If you had that thought, you should've told me.

My wife will definitely find someone good enough for you. Oh, Ava's got bridesmaids today, right? Do you want to have a try?" Frank chuckled at this, straightening his already neat suit. "If you could solve this problem for him, his mom will worship you like an overlord." Trevon chuckled lightly, his shoulders rising in laughter. Frank's words held struth, as Chris's mom always seemed to inquire about suitable girls whenever they met.

Chris looked at Hackett as if he were daft. "The bridesmaid? You mean my sister?" Hackett feigned disappointment, leaning against the door frwith a hand in his pocket. "Well, okay, that won't work. In ancient times, cousins could marry, but not now. Scientists say that marrying close relatives affects the quality of future offspring. So, best not to daydream, Chris. It'll mess with the quality of your future descendants." Chris retorted, "Daydream? What the hell are you talking about? When did | daydream about women? You're crazy. All of you guys." Trevon ran through the bridesmaids alongside Ava in his mind, realizing there was only one, Alex. The thought Alex of being with Alex as a wife didn't seem realistic. She seemed more fitting as a buddy to Chris.

Joseph and Christina arrived in the middle of the night, heading straight to the Yamin family after Athana's arrival.

The group gradually got into luxurious cars. Trevon drove the primary wedding car, Hackett was in the second, Edward in the third, Chris in the fourth, Jim in the fifth, followed by Tom and other bodyguards.

They made their way towards Deepwater Bay in a grand procession.

Deepwater Bay.

Stella was still jotting down ideas, feeling they were insufficient. "Is this all? One, two, three... I think we could add more." Natalie glanced at the paper that was almost filled with words, teasing, "You can keep writing. If we don't use them all, you can save sfor your wedding." Stella immediately stopped writing. "I think this is enough. We don't have to make things too difficult for them.

It's just a formality." Alex took the list and started reading aloud, "Ahem, letsee. Program one: the groom should immediately do 100 one-armed push-ups once he enters the room..." Ava was kind of surprised upon hearing their tricks. She couldn't help but think, "Isn't that a bit too much? Frank would be exhausted.

"Rose, Frank is not really your brother, is he?" Rose paused at the comment, asking everyone, "Is a hundred a lot? It shouldn't be too much." She leaned in toward Alex, "Is it?" Alex stared at the "100" written on the paper, unsure. After all, she hadn't attempted it herself. She answered honestly, "I don't know. | haven't tried. Why don't you give it a shot?" Rose shook her head. There was no way that she would prank herself first. "Let's cut sslack then. If 100 is a bit too much, how about 807 Yes, | think 80 sounds good." Natalie foresaw Rose needing to hide at her husband's place after the wedding. She feared Frank might kill her for her tricks.

"Alright, here is the second program. The groom proposes with one knee down, then finds a shoe within a 10- minute limit. If the groom can't find the shoe, the groomsmen have to dance as punishment. Freestyle dance.

And program three. Jumping on a pressure plate. Program four: blindfolded bride applies lipstick on the groom..." A total of 18 marriage entrance programs were penned down.

Inside the room, they were still discussing countermeasures and the opening act. Footsteps of varying weights were heard on the stairs. Stella instinctively jumped up and sprinted to secure the door with triple security.

A moment ago, everyone was brainstorming mischief and forgot to lock the door, almost slipping up. Sherri, Rose, and Stella exchanged a high-five. "Nice save. You'll get an extra dollar in the red packet later," Sherri said generously.

"Thank you very much," Stella replied.

Sherri politely responded, "You're welcome." Natalie, faux-polite about the dollar they were discussing, reminded the two, "Pay attention to the enemy outside." "Don't worry. Get ready to collect your money, Ava. No pity," Sherri said.

Ava nodded. "Sherri, you've got free rein. I'll just observe." "Good girl," Sherri replied.

There were three knocks on the door; it was Hackett speaking. It didn't seem like he was persuading them to open the door; rather, he seemed aligned with those inside. "Any requests? Just let our princess cout. Our prince will go to any lengths." Chris nudged Hackett and gestured towards Frank, whispering, "Is he a spy from the enemy?" Frank stood at the door holding flowers, with Trevon by his side. Trevon smirked, "Well, he's got a calculator." "Jim, we will leave the negotiation to you. You will go talk with the ladies. Just Treat it like a project. If Hackett keeps talking. Frank would go bankrupt," Trevon instructed.

Jim approached reluctantly. Treat it like a project? If negotiations went south, they'd be in hot water.

Hackett was speechless. Was he acting too obvious? Edward clenched a fist, pressing it against his lips, deep in thought.

Jim cleared his throat, attempting to bring a formal air to the situation. "Ladies inside, as a representative of the groom's party, I'm here to inquire if there are any specific requests from your end." Frank had initially intended to swiftly negotiate a figure, but as he stood there, a sense of nostalgia washed over him. This was an important moment, intertwined with memories of the young girl who was now a bride. So, he opted to honor the traditional customs and let the ceremony unfold.

From within the room cthe sound of an amount being called out, prompting Rose's hesitation in the presence of her brother. In her moment of uncertainty, she instinctively nudged Sherri forward, seeking her assertive intervention. "Why don't you take the lead?" Sherri took on the protective older sister role. "Courage! Look at me. Wasn't it 16 million dollars for Natalie back then? We can't ask for more or less. Besides, we're not bridesmaids today. Let's settle at 12 million dollars." "Agreed," the group responded in unison. This figure startled Alex. In her village, even 120 dollars could be a contentious issue with the in-laws.

Meanwhile, Stella, embodying the demeanor of a committed bridesmaid, projected her voice outside. "12 million dollars, or this door remains firmly shut. We've triple-locked it, and one of those locks is valued at a hefty 4 million dollars." Sherri gave Stella a thumbs-up; she appreciated how the figure was presented. "Impressive! Spending twith your company's CEO Ms. March has sharpened your mind." Jim turned to Frank, asking, "Bro, they asked for 12 million dollars. Is this number okay?" Frank wanted to agree, but Trevon unexpectedly looked out for Frank today. "Too much. Let's go for six million dollars, go on negotiating with them." Hackett jumped in from behind, "Trevon, are you serious? Six million dollars? Where's the groom's dignity? Remember, you offered 16 million dollars when you got married back then." Hackett was still waiting for his share.

With the sense of ceremony established, Frank grew impatient. He wanted to see the girl and didn't want to wait any longer. Pushing past the conflicted Jim, he called out to those inside, "Deal! Open the door!"