Sylvia POV

A DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING

I held my head as I leaned against the wall, my vision spinning slightly. I couldn't stop now.

The wedding was tomorrow, and there was still so much left to do.

I had promised Vincent I would handle everything since he was busy with work. Every flower arrangement, every table setting, every guest list adjustment—I had personally overseen them all.

Everything had to be perfect.

Perfect for him.

If Vincent walked into that hall tomorrow and loved what he saw, then every sleepless night would be worth it.

“Are you going to rest at all?” Lina asked from behind me.

I turned toward my best friend and forced a smile.

“Lina, the wedding is tomorrow. Important people are going to be there. I can't afford any mistakes.”

Her expression tightened immediately.

“Why do I feel like you're the only one planning this wedding?” she asked. “He barely helps, Sylvia. Isn't he supposed to be doing some of this too?”

There it was again.

That look she always got whenever Vincent's name came up.

A mixture of suspicion and frustration.

I knew Lina didn't like him, but she had never really taken the time to know him the way I had.

“Vincent is busy working,” I said softly. “He's trying to give me the best life possible.”

I reached for her hand and squeezed it.

“He's even getting me a diamond ring.”

Just thinking about it made me smile.

“Besides, this really isn't a big deal. I wanted to plan the wedding myself. When everything is finished and he sees how beautiful it turned out, he'll be impressed.”

I could already picture the look on his face.

The thought alone made all the exhaustion feel worthwhile.

Lina stared at me for several seconds before letting out a long sigh.

“I just hope all this stress is worth it,” she muttered.

Her voice softened.

“Because if that man ever makes you cry, I swear I'll make his life miserable.”

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “You're too protective.”

“And you’re too blinded by love,” she shot back.

I laughed and shook my head. “Come on. Help me finish this before you start another lecture.”

Lina rolled her eyes but moved closer to help with the decorations.

“I'll help,” she said. “Then you're getting some sleep before you collapse.”

After a brief pause, she added, “You already know I won't be attending tomorrow.”

The reminder stung.

“Lina—”

“No, let me finish.” She pointed a finger at me. “You're going to be there all by yourself. Should I hire people to stand with you? I don't care how expensive it is. I'll pay.”

A smile tugged at my lips despite everything.

“Vincent already arranged the bridesmaids.”

She didn't look convinced.

Lina and I had been friends since college. Somewhere along the way, she had stopped feeling like a friend and started feeling like family.

The thought of looking around tomorrow and not seeing her there left an ache in my chest.

“It’s okay,” I said softly. “Really.”

I squeezed her hand. “You’re getting closer to your dreams, and I’m getting closer to mine.”

The image came so easily. Tomorrow Vincent will be waiting for me at the altar.

My heart fluttered.

“Tomorrow,” I whispered with a smile, “I get to spend forever with the man I love.”

Lina's grip tightened around my hand.“Sylvia.”

The smile on my face faltered slightly.

“Don't you think you've given up too much for him?”

I frowned, but try not to show it. “What do you mean?”

“Your career. Your plans. Everything.” She looked around at the hall. “You built all this. You've been running around for weeks while he barely shows up.”

“Lina—”

“Just listen to me.” Her voice softened. “You can be married and still have something that's yours.”

I reached over and pinched her cheek. “You worry too much.”

She swatted my hand away. “I'm serious.”

I laughed. “Vincent already promised to make me his secretary if I ever want to work.”

The thought made me smile. “And honestly? I don't mind being a housewife.”

Lina groaned immediately. “Oh God.”

“As long as I'm raising Vincent's children, I'll be happy.”

“Mrs. Sylvia Vincent Sky-to-be,” she muttered dramatically.

I burst out laughing. A second later, she joined in.

For a moment, everything felt light again. Then suddenly, I remembered. “Oh no.”

“What?”

“I forgot to call Vincent.”

I immediately grabbed my phone and dialed his number It was busy, Maybe he was still working, I find myself making an excuse for him.

I tried again, and it was still the same.

The knot between my brows deepened. Tomorrow was our wedding. The least he could do was answer his phone.

I needed him to confirm a few things with the hotel before tonight.

I called again.

This time, the line connected Relief rushed through me. “Vincent—”

A woman's voice interrupted me. “Who am I speaking with?”

The words froze in my throat. I slowly pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the screen.

Vincent's number, then I brought it back to my ear. “Excuse me?”

“Who am I speaking with?” she repeated calmly.

My grip tightened around the phone. “I think I should be asking that question.”

There was silent at first, but then she spoke again. “My apologies for answering his phone.”

Something about her tone made my stomach tighten. “If I'm not mistaken, you're his fiancee. The woman he's marrying tomorrow?”

The smile on my face disappeared. “Yes.”

“Mr. Vincent is currently in a meeting. He asked me to hold onto his phone.”

I stared at the decorations in front of me, suddenly unable to focus on any of them.

A woman was holding Vincent's phone.

Why?

“And who are you exactly?” I asked.

“Vivian.” The answer came smoothly. “I only picked up because you kept calling.”

A strange feeling settled in my chest. The kind of feeling you try to ignore because acknowledging it makes it real.

I swallowed. “Tell him I need to speak with him urgently.”

“Of course.” Sha said, and the call ended.

Slowly, I lowered the phone.

Then nearly screamed when I turned around and found Lina standing directly behind me.

“What the hell!”

My hand flew to my chest. “You scared me!”

Lina didn't laugh, her eyes were fixed on the phone in my hand. “Did a woman just answer Vincent's phone?”:

I hesitated for a second before nodding.b“She said he was in a meeting,” I explained. “Probably someone from work.”

Lina folded her arms immediately.

“Don't start overthinking this,” I warned. “And don't even suggest he's cheating on me. Vincent isn't that kind of man.”

“Maybe,” she said quietly.

Then she looked straight at me. “But don't you think it's strange?”

A small knot formed in my stomach. “What exactly is strange?”

“The fact that some random woman answered his phone instead of his personal assistant.”

At the time, I brushed it off.

When I later questioned Vincent about it, he already had an explanation prepared.

And I believed him, because, I always believed everything he told me.

BACK TO TODAY

I waited for the bridesmaids to arrive, for Vincent to call, for him to walk through the door, smile at me, and tell me everything was fine.

But he never came.

The worst part was that I had no way of reaching him. I didn't have any of his friends' numbers. I wasn't close to his family either. Looking back now, I realized how carefully he had kept me away from every corner of his real life.

Yet I still refused to believe anything was wrong.

I put on my wedding dress myself and came to the venue convinced there had been some misunderstanding.

Only to discover that the wedding was already happening.

The invitations he had distributed were never printed with my name. There weren't even photographs on them. He had simply shown me a few special copies with my name printed on them and let me believe the rest matched.

The realization hit harder than any slap ever could.

Every decoration,n flower arrangement., table setting,every tiny detail I had spent months obsessing over.

None of it had been for me.

I wasn't the bride.

To Vincent, I had been nothing more than an unpaid event planner working tirelessly to create another woman's perfect wedding.

A tear slipped down my cheek.

“Why?” I asked, my voice breaking. “Why would you make me plan your wedding if you were going to marry someone else?”

Vincent didn't look guilty, neither does he didn't look ashamed.

If anything, he looked annoyed that I was forcing him to explain himself.

“It doesn't matter whether you were the bride or not,” he said coldly. “What matters is that the wedding happened.”

I stared at him.

For a moment, I wondered if I had ever truly known this man.

“At least your efforts weren't wasted,” he continued. “The decorations were used. The guests enjoyed themselves. Regardless of who the bride turned out to be.”

His words sliced through me. Not because he was rejecting me.

But because after five years together, after every sacrifice I had made for him, after every dream I had built around us... That was all my pain was worth to him.

Vincenzo point of view

“Don't tell me you just made me lose a contract worth billions of dollars?” I asked.

The man opened his mouth, but no words came out. Sweat dripped down the side of his face as he shook in his seat.

Then he suddenly dropped to his knees.

“Please, Vincenzo. It wasn't my fault,” he pleaded desperately. “Our ship sank.”

I stared at him for a long moment before leaning back in my chair.

“And you didn't sink with it?”

His face turned even paler.

“Vincenzo—”

“You better tell me the fucking truth,” I cut in coldly. “Because if I find out you're lying, I'm afraid it'll be your soul leaving this room to inform your family that you've reunited with your creator.”

The man nearly collapsed. “Please don't kill me, Vincenzo.”

Ignoring his begging, I reached for the knife on the table and grabbed his hand.

The blade hovered over his finger.

A strangled cry escaped his throat.

I was just about to bring it down when the office door burst open.

“Boss, there's a problem.”

Caden walked in without waiting for permission.

My hand froze, ana slowly, I looked up.

“What problem?”

Without taking his eyes off me, Caden signaled the guards standing nearby.

“Take him away.”

The idiot scrambled to his feet before the guards could even touch him. They dragged him out anyway.

The moment the door shut, I turned back to Caden.

“What happened?”

His expression became serious. “Sylvia Browne.”

Every muscle in my body went still. “What happened to her?”

“Vincent Sky ruined the marriage.”

The knife slipped from my fingers and sank into the table.

Caden continued. “He called Sylvia a delusional maid with mental problems in front of everyone.”

My jaw tightened.

For years, I had stayed away, I had convinced myself that Vincent genuinely loved her.

I thought he had finally changed.

Looks like I gave him too much credit.

“So no wedding happened?” I asked.

“A wedding happened,” Caden replied. “The bride just wasn't Sylvia.”

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Who?”

“Vivian Stanley.”

That name made me bit my lips. The Stanley family, he was definitely looking for someone who's influence marches the Morgan. He was marrying for influence, power and money. Everything Vincent had ever been obsessed with.

I slowly wiped the blood from my palm and laughed once.

A cold, humorless sound let my mouth. “He planned this.”

Caden remained silent.

Vincent knew exactly what he was doing.

If I had known he was marrying a Stanley, I would have stopped it before it even began.

The bastard hadn't simply betrayed Sylvia. He had calculated every move from the beginning.

"Prepare the car. We're going there now."

Caden looked at me. "And what exactly are you planning to do? The wedding should be over before we get there."

I glanced at him.

"I said prepare the car."

He didn't argue again, because he dare not to..

««THE WEDDING RECEPTION <<»»

The convoy came to a stop in front of the hotel.

The moment the door opened, I stepped out. My gaze swept across the entrance—and stopped.

Sylvia.

She stood near the reception hall, her wedding dress stained from dragging against the floor. Her makeup was ruined. Tears streamed down her face as two guards stood nearby, enjoying every second of her humiliation.

"You lied about being the bride," one of them sneered. "Even after they threw you out, you're still here embarrassing yourself. Don't you have any shame?"

The other guard laughed.

"Leave her alone. I'm enjoying this."

"What are you enjoying?" his colleague shot back. "Do you know how much damage this could do to the Sky family's reputation?"

Sylvia didn't seem to hear them, She just stood there crying.

Cursing Vincent.

Begging for answers that nobody intended to give her.

My jaw tightened. "Caden."

That was all I said.

He understood immediately.

The men behind us moved.

By the time the guards realized something was wrong, they were already pinned down.

"What the hell are you doing?" one of them shouted, struggling.

Caden walked forward and drove his fist straight into the man's face.

The guard hit the ground hard.

"How dare you mock a woman?" Caden asked quietly.

"She's trying to ruin the Sky family's reputation!" the other guard yelled.

The next punch shut him up.

I watched without saying a word.

The Sky family's reputation?

Interesting.

If I wanted to destroy the Sky family, there wouldn't be enough pieces left to rebuild it.

The only reason that family was still standing was because I hadn't decided otherwise.

My attention returned to Sylvia. She looked smaller than I remembered.

Broken.

Like someone had taken everything she had and left her with nothing.

I started toward her.

The sound of my shoes echoed against the marble floor, and she turned.. the moment she looked back, her heel caught the edge of her gown.

Her body tilted.

A gasp escaped her lips.

And before she could hit the ground, I reached her. My arm wrapped around her waist, her body crashed against mine.

For a second, she just froze.

Then she looked up. Those red, swollen eyes met mine.

And something inside me snapped.

Vincent Sky.

You should have prayed she never cried because of you

Sylvia POV

I turned around to see who was behind me, but the moment I did, my heel caught the hem of my gown.

A gasp escaped my lips.

I stumbled forward, already expecting the painful impact with the floor, but it never came. A strong arm wrapped around my waist and steadied me before I could fall.

For a brief moment, I found myself staring into a pair of dark eyes.

The man holding me looked unreal.

His features were sharp and striking, his expression cold, yet there was something about him that made it difficult to look away. Maybe under different circumstances I would have noticed more, but right now my mind was too exhausted to think about anything except the humiliation I had just suffered.

Realizing I was still in his arms, I quickly stepped back.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, lowering my head.

The last thing I needed was to embarrass myself in front of another stranger.

He was probably one of Vincent's associates anyway. Another person who had heard the whispers inside the hall. Another person who knew about the woman who thought she was getting married only to discover she wasn't the bride.

The thought alone made my chest ache.

I didn't want to stay here anymore.

I was tired of crying.

Tired of being stared at.

Tired of feeling like everyone was looking down on me.

All I wanted was to leave and figure out how to rebuild the life I had foolishly handed over to Vincent.

I had barely taken a few steps when a hand gently caught my wrist.

"I'm Vincenzo Morgan Sky."

I looked back at him.

The name doesn't sounds like someone I know.

"I'm sorry if I offended you," I said quickly. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. And I'm not what those people said I was."

My voice almost broke at the end.

The laughter inside the hall echoed in my head.

The mocking looks, accusations and pity.

For a moment, it felt like I was standing in that hall all over again.

"I'll leave now," I added quietly.

But his next words stopped me. "I know you're not."

I blinked.

His gaze remained fixed on me.

"You're not what they think you are," he said calmly. "You're someone who trusted the wrong person and ended up paying the price for it."

Something tightened painfully inside my chest.

Because that was exactly what happened.

Not a crazy woman, a liar or a maid trying to ruin a wedding.

Just someone who had loved the wrong man.

And somehow, hearing a stranger say it hurt more than all the insults combined.

"Thank you for believing me," I said softly. "I'll leave now and stop humiliating myself any further."

I turned to go, but his voice stopped me.

"I can help you with this."

I looked back at him, stunned.."Help me how?" I asked. "How exactly can you help me?"

A faint smile touched his lips.

"I'm the enemy of the man inside that hall. If you join forces with me and bring him down, wouldn't that be satisfying?"

For a moment, I simply stared at him.

Then I laughed, not because it was funny, but it sounded impossible.

"You must be joking."

I shook my head and looked away.

"Even if I wanted revenge, even if I wanted to prove to the world that I'm not the woman he painted me to be, what exactly do I have?" My voice cracked slightly. "Nothing."

The word lingered between us. "You know what my biggest mistake was?" I asked quietly. "I refused to accept that Vincent was completely out of my league. I kept believing love was enough."

A bitter smile pulled at my lips.

"It doesn't matter how honest or hardworking a poor person is. The moment someone powerful decides to tell a lie, people believe them. We become the liars. We become the crazy ones."

Tears blurred my vision again.

I hated crying.

Especially in front of a stranger.

But today felt like one long nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

"The painful part isn't even that he married someone else." I swallowed hard. "It's that I spent months planning all of this."

My gaze drifted toward the hotel.

"I made the reservations. I picked the flowers. I chose the decorations. I handled every detail because I thought I was planning my wedding."

My chest tightened.

"And not once... not even once... did he tell me the truth."

The tears finally slipped free.

"He watched me work myself to exhaustion. He watched me get excited over a future that was never mine. For five years, I trusted him completely, and all he did was make a fool out of me."

I quickly wiped my face.

Crying wouldn't change anything.

Neither would standing here.

"You can't understand that kind of pain," I said quietly. "Someone like you probably hasn't experienced this before."

I took a step back.

"So thank you for your concern, but I don't have the money, power, or connections it would take to fight Vincent Sky. I'll leave, rebuild my life, and maybe one day I'll be strong enough to face him."

I turned to leave.

His hand closed around mine, the warmth of his touch made me pause.

When I looked back, his expression had changed,.there was something dark in his eyes.."I've experienced more betrayal than you can imagine."

His voice was calm.

The kind of calm that usually came after surviving a storm.

"You think you're the only person who's trusted the wrong people?"

My breath caught.

"You don't need resources," he continued. "I already have them."

A strange feeling settled in my stomach..Nothing about this conversation felt normal anymore.

"And what would that cost me?" I asked carefully.

His gaze held mine..For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then he finally answered.."You'll marry me."

I blinked.

My mind went completely blank.

"You'll get your revenge," he continued as if he had suggested something perfectly reasonable. "And in return, I get something I want."

I stared at him.

Surely I had heard him wrong.

"What?"

My brows furrowed as I searched his face for any sign that he was joking.

But There wasn't one..