Just as Rafael was about to hang up, the next sentence froze him in place.

“Oh? So you’re saying your wife isn’t Helena Walsh?”

His movements stiffened, as if someone had doused him in ice water.

Very few people knew he was married, and even fewer knew about Helena.

His expression darkened slightly, but he still sneered.

“The entire New York knows my wife is the eldest daughter of the Perkins family. I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

With that, he ended the call. Just as he was about to dial Helena’s number, Kaylee walked up to him, urging impatiently,

“The next set of photos is about to start. Why haven’t you changed?”

Rafael frowned but still asked, “Where is Helena? Wasn’t she supposed to be here to help you today?”

At the mention of that name, Kaylee’s grip on her wedding dress tightened, her nails digging into her palm.

Even now, he was still thinking about that wretched woman!

A cold smirk flashed through her heart as she recalled what Helena must be going through at this moment. Lowering her head, she put on a look of disappointment.

“She probably still hates me... We had a little disagreement in the dressing room earlier, so I told her to rest there for a while.”

Rafael’s frown deepened, further convinced that the kidnapper was playing games with him. Or perhaps Helena was in on it too, desperately scheming for his attention.

He pulled Kaylee into his arms, his tone indifferent. “Forget her. Today is our special day. After the shoot, I’ll take you out for a candlelit dinner.”

Kaylee smiled sweetly and planted a shy kiss on his lips.

—

On the other end of the call, after hearing the click of the line disconnecting, the man in black’s expression darkened instantly.

Gripping his knife, he traced its edge along Helena’s neck, his voice laced with madness.

“You better pray you still have some value left. Otherwise...”

As the blade pressed against Helena's skin, a sharp pain shot through her. She turned her head away, feeling the warmth of blood trickling down her neck, her face growing paler by the second.

The kidnapper, however, seemed fascinated by the sight. He lightly patted her cheek with the knife before redialing the number, his tone now a direct threat.

“If the money isn’t transferred within thirty minutes, I’ll kill her.”

The response was indifferent.

“Go ahead.”

“...What?”

“Didn’t you say you’d kill her? Do it now. I won’t be giving you a single cent.”

The kidnapper’s face twisted into a menacing scowl. “Aren’t you afraid this will leak and ruin you?”

A soft scoff came through the receiver. “You don’t even know who I truly care about. How could you possibly threaten me? That nameless, insignificant woman was just a fling. In fact, I should thank you for taking care of her for me.”

“I don’t care who you are or when you kill her. Just let me know when the body needs collecting.”

After a beep, the line went dead once more.

The kidnapper’s fury exploded—he slammed his fist against the pillar, his face contorted in rage.

“You’re supposed to be Mrs. Suarez! How could he not care at all?!”

He hadn’t risked this much just to kill someone—he wanted money!

Helena had remained silent ever since she regained consciousness. But at this moment, the weight of it all finally became unbearable. Tears streamed down from her eyes, one after another.

Her head throbbed. Her vision blurred, and her neck burned with pain. But it was nothing compared to the agony in her heart—every breath felt like a thousand knives stabbing into her chest.

She forced out a bitter smile, mocking herself. “We’re already divorced. He doesn’t care whether I live or die.”

“...What?” The kidnapper’s temper snapped, and in a blind fury, he plunged the knife into her shoulder.

“You wretched woman! If I don’t get my money, then we’ll go to hell together!”

Blood poured from the wound. The excruciating pain made Helena slip into unconsciousness, only for the agony to jolt her awake again and again.

She didn’t know how long she was tortured. She didn’t even remember when she was finally rescued.

She only knew that when she opened her eyes again, she was in a hospital.

—

A television in the hospital room was broadcasting news about the high-profile marriage alliance. A reporter, holding a microphone, eagerly interviewed the couple.

“We heard you’ve completed your wedding photoshoot. Can you share where the ceremony will be held?”

Rafael, holding Kaylee in his arms, smiled indulgently.

“Kaylee loves church weddings, so we’ll be having ours in a chapel. We’ll also select ten lucky fans to witness our love.”

Beside the hospital bed, her phone vibrated repeatedly. It was a message from Rafael.

[Was it fun playing games with me? I told you—I don’t care if you live or die. Now that your little stunt is over, get back here. You know churches well, so you’ll be in charge of decorating the wedding.]

Of course, Helena was familiar with churches—she and Rafael had discussed countless times how they would decorate their wedding venue.

She stared blankly at the ceiling. She felt like she was drowning in pain, yet not a single tear would fall.

“They look so happy... I wonder how they’ll choose the lucky guests. If only I could be there in person.”

The nurse, oblivious to her thoughts, sighed wistfully before realizing she was awake. Her tone instantly turned cheerful.

“Oh! You’re finally awake? Thank goodness the wounds weren’t fatal. You’ve been out for two days.”

Noticing someone entering, the nurse added with a smile, “Your friend is here. Call us if you feel unwell.”

Maeve rushed in, gripping Helena’s hand tightly, her eyes brimming with emotion.

“You’re finally awake! You have no idea how scared I was when I got that call.”

Seeing her still staring dazedly at the television, Maeve huffed in frustration.

“Why are you still paying attention to that scumbag? You almost died! I used to think you shouldn’t let Kaylee off so easily, but now I see that trash like them truly belong together!”

“Maeve.” Helena suddenly spoke, her voice was calm. “Can I stay at your place for a while?”

Despite her composed expression, something about her request made Maeve’s heart ache.

Inhaling sharply, she lowered her voice. “Do you want me to help you pack?”

Helena shook her head. She only asked her to inform the housekeeper before leaving the hospital against the nurses’ advice.

—

Back at the villa, Rafael froze at the sight of Helena before his expression darkened.

“Where have you been these past few days? You ignored my calls, didn’t reply to my messages—what the hell are you trying to pull?”

Just as he was about to press further, Kaylee quickly interjected.

“Sis, we were really worried about you! And our wedding is coming up—I’d love for you to be my bridesmaid.”

At the mention of the wedding, Rafael pulled out an invitation and tossed it at her, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

“Our wedding is next week. Kaylee is kind enough to invite you, so don’t try anything stupid.”

Helena didn’t respond. Instead, she bent down and picked up the invitation.

[Groom: Rafael Suarez. Bride: Kaylee Perkins.]

She stared at the words for a long time, as if only now comprehending their meaning. Her face turned pale as she nodded.

The next second, a hand gripped her bandaged wrist tightly.

Rafael’s expression was grim, his voice carrying an edge of panic.

“What happened to you? Where have you been?”

The pain made Helena break into a cold sweat. She yanked her wrist free and replied, “You’re getting married. It’s time for me to move out. I wish you both happiness.”

She paused, then added, “And if you really feel bad for me, just give me some money.”

Her words seemed to strike a nerve in Rafael. Without warning, his palm struck her face with brutal force, his eyes burning with rage.

“Money, money, money—is that all you care about? You disgust me, Helena! Get out of my sight!”

Without hesitation, Helena silently packed her belongings.

'Rafael—since there’s no turning back, then let’s just keep hating each other.'

—

Three days before the wedding, the lucky guests were selected while Helena received the final copy of her funeral portrait.

Two days before the wedding, Rafael hosted a bachelor party for Kaylee while Helena finalized the arrangements for her burial plot and coffin.

One day before the wedding, the internet was flooded with pre-wedding coverage. On the other hand, Helena finished handling her affairs and took a quiet walk down the street in front of her old university.

She and Rafael used to love coming here for noodles when they were dating. Years had passed, yet the place remained lively, filled with students.

A young couple entered, chatting and laughing. Their voices were familiar.

“Boss, two bowls of beef noodles—one without cilantro.”

“Got it! Have a seat while I prepare it.”

For a moment, she saw her past self.

Back then, she used to drag Rafael here all the time. If the owner was busy and forgot her preference, adding cilantro to her bowl, she would grumble about it but never asked him to redo it.

Rafael would always chuckle, ruffle her hair, and say, "Our Helena is so kind." Then, with endless patience, he would pick out the cilantro one by one.

No matter how small the detail, he had never once found her troublesome.

Helena only snapped out of her thoughts when the young couple disappeared from view. She exhaled softly, a faint smile playing on her lips.

They had spent five years trapped in mutual torment. Now, he had a new life, and she was about to fulfill the dream he never could. Perhaps, in the end, this was for the best.

Just as she turned to leave, the sharp-eyed shop owner called out to her.

“Helena? Is that you? You’re finally back! We just finished renovations a couple of days ago, and the sticky notes you and Rafael put up fell off. Would you like to rewrite yours?”

She froze, staring at the note in her hand.

[Helena and Rafael will always be together.]

That was what they had written together, once upon a time. But now, her name had been violently scratched out and replaced with Kaylee.

A sharp sting pricked at her nose, and before she could stop it, her eyes reddened.

So, he wanted to erase even their past. Just like how they could never go back.

Shaking her head, Helena refused the offer. Instead, she carefully pressed the note back onto the wall—then turned and walked away.

—

The next morning, Maeve dropped Helena off at the airport, her eyes were red-rimmed.

“You better take care of yourself! Come back to see me when you can, and more than anything—live, you hear me?”

Helena smiled and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for taking me in all this time.”

“Oh, shut up with that! My home is your home,” Maeve grumbled, hugging her tightly before huffing, “I still think they got off too easy. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they pay for what they did.”

Helena shook her head. “It’s over now. From this point on, they’re nothing more than strangers.”

An announcement sounded in the distance, so Maeve reluctantly let go.

“Go on. I’ll handle your death certificate—and everything that’s rightfully yours, I’ll take back for you.”

Helena gave her a grateful smile. She took one last look at the city before turning to leave.

—

As the plane prepared for takeoff, a message suddenly popped up on her phone.

[The wedding is about to start. What kind of stunt are you trying to pull now? Get over here. Now!]

Helena stared at the screen for a moment before powering off her phone, as instructed.

She would never go back.

'Rafael—let’s never see each other again.'

—

The wedding began, but the expected figure never appeared at the entrance.

Rafael’s expression darkened as he retracted his gaze. “Forget it. Start the ceremony.”

As the wedding march played, Kaylee stepped forward in her white gown, beaming as she was placed into Rafael’s hands.

Watching everything fall into place, she smiled in triumph. She had finally, officially, become Mrs. Suarez.

“Rafael, I love you,” she murmured.

A rare softness flickered in his eyes as he held her wrist. “I love you too.”

He had finally married her.

Helena didn’t want to come? Then all the better—he would make sure she saw how grand this wedding was, how happy he was!

The ceremony concluded, and a rain of rose petals cascaded down, painting the moment in romantic splendor.

“How beautiful! Where can I find a man as devoted as President Suarez? This is making me want to get married too!”

“Congratulations to Mr. Suarez and Miss Perkins—what a perfect match!”

“Kiss! Kiss!”

Rafael chuckled, shielding Kaylee from the crowd’s eager eyes before pressing a gentle kiss on her lips.

Blushing, she leaned into his embrace, soaking in the sweet teasing of the guests before pouting slightly.

“Do you think my sister still resents me? She didn’t even give us her blessing... And without another bridesmaid, I can’t even do the bouquet toss properly...”

Rafael kissed her lips again, his voice indulgent. “She’s just being ungrateful. If you want to see her, I’ll have someone bring her here.”

He turned to his assistant, his voice commanding. “Kaylee wants Helena here. Go find her. Now.”

But before the assistant could move, a cold voice cut through the hall.

“No need. The person you’re looking for is already here.”

Almost simultaneously, the grand doors burst open.

A white-clad figure stepped inside.

Rafael’s expression twisted in annoyance before a knowing smirk flickered across his lips.

Of course. Helena must have schemed so hard to make an entrance at his wedding.

Did she really think he would cancel everything just because of her?

Tsk. How laughable.

He was about to mock her when he finally saw her.

At that instant, his breath was caught in his throat.

It wasn’t Helena.

It was Maeve.

And in her hands—she held an urn.

A sharp chill crawled up Rafael’s spine. His face paled instantly.

“What the hell is this?” His voice was tight, his teeth clenched. “Where’s Helena? What kind of joke are you playing?”

Maeve let out a cold, mocking laugh as she lifted the urn slightly.

“This is Helena.”

Rafael froze. His entire body went rigid.

No. That was impossible.

Dead? She was dead?

His mind went blank, and his chest tightened.

Unfazed by his stunned silence, Maeve stepped forward, her voice trembling with fury.

“That idiot—she gave up her own heart for you. She suffered every single day, endured your misunderstandings, got played by the Perkins family—yet you still went and married the woman who destroyed her.”

She glared at him, voice laced with venom. “Rafael, you’re truly disgusting.”

“She never abandoned you. You were the one who abandoned her. You let yourself be blinded by Kaylee.”

A deafening silence fell over the hall.

Rafael’s mind exploded, and his world collapsed.