Chapter 1
The lights dimmed throughout the venue as spotlights converged on the altar, highlighting a dashing groom in a sharp tuxedo and a radiant bride in her white gown.
As the music swelled to a crescendo, building the anticipation of the ceremony’s climax, Calista Terell’s gloved hands clenched tightly, her palms slick with sweat beneath the delicate lace. Her heart pounded like a drum, almost painfully.
She looked at the man standing in front of her, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and disbelief.
Adrian Cole–Stonebridge’s most eligible bachelor from a family with serious clout–was about to marry her. It all felt too surreal, like she’d wandered into a fairytale she wasn’t supposed to star in,
Arian looked every bit the part of the perfect groom. Tall, devastatingly handsome, his suit fitting like it was made for him. His eyes, those slightly. led, expressive eyes behind rimless glasses, glowed with warmth and affection–so much more than usual.
The officiant’s upbeat voice boomed, “And now, we’ll have the bride and groom exchange rings”
The sest man, just as handsome as the groom, stepped forward and handed over the small ring box.
But the moment Adrian opened the box, his smile faltered. The warmth and joy that had been shining in his eyes just seconds ago vanished. He stood frozen.
Calista’s eyes fell to the rings–and her stomach dropped. These weren’t the rings they had picked out together. Not even close. Something seriously wrong.
was
Adrian’s hand hovered over the ring box, not moving an inch. The entire ceremony came to a grinding halt, the officiant glancing around with a confused, almost panicked expression.
Just when the silence was stretching past awkward and veering straight into unbearable, someone from the crowd shouted, “Hey! What’s up with the pictures on the screen?
Every head whipped toward the large display, including Calista’s. The sweet slideshow of their pre–wedding photos was gone, replaced by something far more scandalous.
The woman in the photos was definitely Calista, but the man standing next to her wasn’t Adrian.
The slideshow rolled on, showing Calista cozied up with some stranger as they walked into a hotel, followed by intimate shots of the two of them curled up together in bed
The cheerful wedding music played on, starkly at odds with the stunned faces of the guests. Their eyes flickered back and forth between the screen and the bride, shock and disgust spreading across the room like wildfire.
Calista’s stomach twisted in panic as she turned to Adrian. His eyes were locked on the screen, his glasses reflecting the images like a cold, unfeeling
mask.
She couldn’t fully see his expression, but the throbbing vein at his temple and the way his lips pressed into a tight line told her everything. Her chest tightened painfully, as if her heart had just been stabbed.
“Adrian, I didn’t do it!” Calista pleaded, her voice shaking with desperation.
Adrian’s gaze snapped to her, and the ice–cold fury in his eyes hit her like a punch, even through the barrier of his glasses.
Her heart raced as she felt the full weight of his anger. Despite the terror gripping her, she knew she had to say something. She loved Adrian–she could never betray him like this. He meant everything to her
But when she opened her mouth, no words came out. The truth was, she didn’t remember any of it. Those photos made no sense. Someone had to be behind this cruel setup, but who? She didn’t know.
Adrian’s face twisted with contempt. Without a word, he glanced down at the rings, picked them up from the box, and turned to leave.
“Adrian, wait” Calista cried, grabbing her dress and rushing forward, desperate to catch his arm.
He paused, turning back with a mocking smile, his voice cold and dripping with disdain.
“This wedding.” He stopped, glancing at the giant screen again. It now showed Calista asleep in bed, with the stranger lying beside her, gazing at her like she was the most precious thing in the
world.
Adrian let out a harsh, bitter laugh, the sound like nails scraping against her soul. “It’s over,” he said, each word cutting into her like a knife.
With a violent jerk, he yanked his arm free from her grip. The force sent Calista stumbling back, her legs giving out beneath her as she crumpled to the Hour.
