Not long after I hung up, my phone vibrated again.

This time, it was my husband, Sean Thorne, calling.

I answered the call, my voice softening unconsciously. "Hello?"

"I heard about the venue."

The man's warm, steady voice came through the phone, carrying a reassuring power.

"Don't worry, I've already had my assistant handle it."

"For ten times the price, the castle will clear its schedule just for us. We can have the wedding whenever you want."

I smiled, and the lingering bit of displeasure in my heart vanished.

"That's not necessary. You just finished up with work, don't go to the trouble."

"Besides, I wanted to stay and have some fun here for a few more days anyway. We can just consider it an early honeymoon."

"Postponing the wedding for a few days is no big deal."

"Whatever you say."

Sean Thorne's tone was full of adoration. "Have fun. I'll come join you as soon as I wrap things up here."

I hung up the phone, and as I turned, my eyes met Ian Valerius's probing gaze.

He seemed to have overheard part of my call and had a hint of smugness on his face.

"What's wrong? Your 'husband' can't even sort out a wedding venue?"

He intentionally stressed the word "husband."

His immaturity was so infuriating it was laughable.

"That won't be necessary."

I grabbed my bag, wanting only to leave immediately.

"Are you leaving, Sister?"

But Sasha Shaw suddenly blocked my way, holding a freshly chosen invitation out to me.

"Ian and I are getting married next Monday, right here in this castle."

"Sister, you'll come and wish us well too, right?"

She blinked, her face full of expectation.

Seeing my expression grow colder, Ian Valerius immediately took a step forward.

He explained to me, a guilty conscience evident in his voice:

"Elara, don't get the wrong idea."

"Sasha has amnesia. She doesn't remember anything. I just want to make it up to her."

He paused, then deliberately pulled me a little closer to the door.

Then he lowered his voice and said, in what he must have thought was a deeply affectionate tone:

"My wedding with Sasha is just a formality. We haven't registered the marriage. My wife can only ever be you."

"Once Sasha gets better, I'll explain everything to her. Just wait for me a little longer, okay?"

Those words instantly reminded me of the past.

Back when my parents passed away and I locked myself in my room, refusing to eat or drink.

He would speak to me through the door, saying over and over:

"Elara, please open the door, okay?"

"I swear, from now on, I'll be your rock. I'll always be with you."

Back then, his eyes were clear, his tone sincere.

But now, he was using that same sincere tone to speak the most hypocritical words.

"Ian Valerius, you make me sick."

I shoved him away forcefully and walked out of the bridal shop without a second glance.

Not long after I left, I got another call, this time from Amy.

"Mrs. Thorne, I have some good news!"

"That Miss Shaw contacted me. She said she greatly admires your taste and sincerely invites you to attend her wedding."

I frowned. 'How is that good news?'

I refused immediately. "I don't want to go."

"Oh, but Mrs. Thorne..." Amy quickly tried to persuade me.

"I've looked into it. The decor for this wedding is being handled by a top-tier team from Europe."

"It's on a massive scale, and many of the design concepts are very innovative."

"For you to go see it in person would be more useful than us looking at a hundred design sketches."

"Besides, since she put it that way, it's perfectly reasonable for us to go and observe. Just think of it as scouting the venue in advance."

Amy's words made me waver.

My wedding to Sean Thorne may have been postponed, but we still had to prepare for it.

Seeing the work of a top-tier team would certainly be a good source of inspiration.

Most importantly, I didn't want to make things difficult for Amy.

"All right, I'll go," I finally agreed.

On the day of the wedding, I chose a champagne-colored, knee-length cocktail dress.

The ceremony had already begun by the time we arrived.

Ian Valerius stood at the end of the red carpet. Dressed in a white suit, he looked extraordinarily handsome.

Sasha Shaw walked slowly down the aisle from the other end, holding her father's arm.

The two of them recited their vows before the priest.

Amy and I stood quietly at the back of the crowd, but my attention was almost entirely focused on the wedding decor.

The ceremony ended quickly.

I was admiring the paintings on the wall when Sasha Shaw suddenly appeared.

"Elara, you really came. I'm so happy."

She continued, lowering her voice.

"You just won't go away, will you, Elara Sterling? It's like you're haunting us."

"Ian planned that whole 'suicide pact by the sea' just so he could be with me openly."

"He promised me that after the wedding, we would stay abroad forever and never come back."

The smile on her lips widened.

"So what if you chased us all the way here? Ian still married me! I'm his bride now!"

In that instant, alarm bells went off in my head.

'Sasha Shaw was faking her amnesia!'

The shock was written all over my face, and Sasha Shaw's smile only grew wider.

"Oh, and by the way, Elara..."

She deliberately leaned close to my ear and whispered ambiguously,

"Ian took me so many times last night. Turns out, he can live without you after all."

My brow furrowed.

Everyone in the Capital elite knew that Ian Valerius had issues in the bedroom—that he couldn't get it up for anyone but me.

But it wasn't a physiological problem. When we first got together, he spread that rumor himself to ward off all the women throwing themselves at him.

He had said, "Elara, you'll be the only woman for me in this life."

"I want the whole world to know that I, Ian Valerius, can't live without you."

He used his own reputation to build an impenetrable fortress around me.

He said he would love me and only me, with all his heart.

But now, he had broken that vow with his own hands.

My expression darkened. I stared at her, motionless, as my hands at my sides clenched into tight fists.

Seeing she had successfully provoked me, Sasha Shaw gave a satisfied smirk.

She turned to walk toward Ian Valerius, and just as she was about to brush past me...

...she let out a cry and threw her body straight into the champagne tower next to me!

My pupils contracted. I instinctively tried to dodge, but it was too late.

CRASH—

The crystal tower, built from hundreds of glasses, came crashing down!

Champagne and shards of glass rained down on me!

I instinctively threw my arms up to cover my head, and a sharp, stinging pain shot through my arm and shoulder.

Sasha Shaw stumbled a few steps before Ian Valerius rushed over and caught her, steadying her.

The commotion drew everyone's attention.

"Ian, I... I didn't do it on purpose..."

Sasha Shaw was a picture of tearful beauty as she clung tightly to Ian Valerius's arm.

But her gaze, looking over his shoulder at me, was filled with a look of innocence and grievance.

"I just wanted to have a word with Elara, but she seemed really angry."

"We exchanged a few words, and then she pushed me. I lost my balance and... and that's when I bumped into the champagne tower..."

"I'm so sorry, Elara. It's all my fault. Are you all right?"