Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

When Frank readily agreed to the conditions to enter, a burst of cheers emanated from inside, with Stella and Sherri's voices being the loudest.

Even through the door, their joyful voices were audible, carrying an infectious sense of excitement and happiness Stella, with her knack for being persuaded by money, swiftly unlocked the three latches the moment she heard Frank's agreement. Each click of the locks echoed outside, audible to everyone present.

With each lock opening, Frank silently counted in his mind, feeling the suspense building with each successive click.

Rose, covering her mouth in an attempt to stifle any noise, cowered in a distant corner, afraid that her brother might overhear. As Frank stepped into the room, he immediately spotted his sister, who stood quietly in the corner, wearing a sweet, innocent smile, and looking remarkably well-behaved.

It was as though the mischievous planning for the prank, just moments ago, had nothing to do with her.

Frank, with his keen understanding of his sister, knew well enough that this obedient facade must have been a post-door- opening act. Before the door opened, she couldn't have been in such a state of apparent innocence.

Edward wasted no time and positioned himself next to Rose upon entering, holding her hand as they both quietly observed Frank's reaction.

Ava was dressed in a white wedding gown adorned with a diamond-encrusted crown. The gown's intricate diamond patterns sparkled like stars in the night sky. Complementing Ava's radiant smile, Frank was captivated as soon as he stepped in.

His gaze fixated on Ava, and as their eyes met, a silent exchange took place. Both were studying each other, but as moments passed, their smiles widened. It was as if love particles floated in the air, creating an almost tangible sense of affection and warmth.

Frank, mesmerized and momentarily lost for words, lacked the eloquence to express the overwhelming beauty before him. With a limited vocabulary, all that echoed in his mind was a single word, "beautiful." Observing Frank's speechless state, Trevon couldn't help but display his usual teasing demeanor. With a mix of amusement and mock disappointment, he raised an eyebrow and jested, "Are you planning to wait until the end of time or considering tying the knot anytime soon, Frank?" Trevon's teasing comment elicited laughter from everyone present, but Natalie, seated beside the irreverent jokester, responded by nudging him with her elbow, shooting a playful glare his way, a silent plea for Trevon to control himself a bit.

Receiving Natalie's pointed gaze, Trevon's lips curved into a mischievous smirk, clearly unfazed by her warning. In a playful act of mischief, he subtly pinched her hand that he was holding behind his back.

oblivious to Trevon's teasing, knelt down with palpable emotion, his voice filled with a trembling intensity, "Ava, I've come to pick you up.” It was a scene poised for romance, with all eyes on Frank and Ava, until Sherri, ever the mood breaker, interjected,

this idea?" It was

glance at Natalie, sending shivers down her spine, as if she'd been zapped by

again, Natalie silently signaled

Frank was taken aback. Doing 80 push-ups was trivial, but he couldn't fathom who came up with the idea to demand such a strenuous activity at such a

handed the flowers to Ava and said, "Give me a few minutes." Excitedly receiving the bouquet, Ava nodded obediently and even made a

the bed. He adjusted his pants and placed one hand behind his back,

as the words left his lips, Frank swiftly began executing perfect

Ava can have twins." Feeling a bit cornered by Sherri's

overheard everything and couldn't help but blurt out, "Do you guys have to make dirty jokes all the time?" Hackett Blackwell turned around and was about to retort when he was stopped by Hackett, about to retort, was stopped in his tracks by Edward's imposing glare from above. Helpless, Hackett rolled

it took him a little bit too long

don't worry,"

thought, "I'm even more worried when she's with Trevon's son." After completing the push-ups, Frank stood up, donned his clothes again, and once more knelt down on one knee, gazing affectionately at Ava. He began, "Ava, would you like

and wife." Ava once again accepted the bouquet from Frank's hands, then lowered her head to give a peck on the cheek of the handsome prince. With others present, Frank didn't take the lead, merely offering a light peck in return. He put his arm around the young girl's shoulders and

broke the silence. "No other tasks?" Stella was the first to react, slightly caught off guard, "Yes, yes, there are. Alex, it's your turn to announce." Alex remembered the agreement they made about finding the shoes first, "The groom has ten minutes to find the bride's

together." Everyone thought, "Come on, we are not groomsmen." Sherri and Stella thought, "Alex's modification of the program sounds interesting. Originally, it was only supposed to be the

at the mention of dancing. He wasn't planning on performing in front of so many

He reminded Frank, "Search every corner quickly." Frank, on the other hand, seemed rather relaxed. He looked at Trevon with a smirk, saying, "If you're keen on dancing, | can find the shoes in