"Call him again."

"Evelyn..." Chloe swallowed. "I've called him thirty-two times."

"Then make it thirty-three."

Chloe stared at me for a second before pressing the call button again.

Straight to voicemail.

Again.

The antique clock on the wall chimed three times. Three o'clock. The ceremony was supposed to begin an hour ago.

I smoothed the heavy silk of my wedding gown. For three years, I had loved Kael Montgomery. For three years, I played the role of an ordinary, middle-class girl. I hid my family’s empire, hid the Thorne name, all to make sure he loved me for who I was.

And today, the billionaire CEO of Montgomery Enterprises was supposed to make me his wife.

The oak door swung open. A woman with a headset and a clipboard rushed in.

"Ms. Thorne, the guests are getting restless," the wedding planner said. "We need to make an announcement. The string quartet has played Pachelbel’s Canon five times."

"Give him ten more minutes," I said.

"Evelyn," Chloe said gently. "He's not coming."

"He is coming. He promised."

"It's been an hour." Chloe stepped forward. "The groom is gone."

I stood up. The silk skirt pooled around my feet. "I'm going out there."

"Are you crazy?" Chloe grabbed my arm. "The press is out there. His corporate rivals are out there. They will eat you alive."

"I don't care. I am not hiding in a dressing room."

I pulled my arm free and marched out of the suite. The long corridor felt endless, but I didn't stop until I reached the grand ballroom of the Plaza.

I pushed the heavy double doors open.

The string quartet stopped playing abruptly. Hundreds of heads snapped in my direction. The silence hit me like a physical blow.

Then, the whispers started.

"Look at her. Standing there all alone."

"I knew Montgomery would bail. She's a nobody."

"He probably realized a CEO can't marry a charity case."

"Did you see her face? Left at the altar. How pathetic."

"I bet he found someone better."

I kept my chin up. Every step down the aisle felt like walking barefoot on broken glass. The floral arrangements blurred. The empty space at the altar mocked me. Kael wasn't here.

"Where is that bastard?!"

The booming voice shattered the whispers. A man in a tailored charcoal suit stormed down the aisle. The crowd parted instantly.

My father. Dominic Thorne.

He didn't care about the gasps from the elite guests. He was a man who toppled governments and bought countries. A missing groom was a declaration of war.

"Dad, stop," I said, rushing toward him.

Dominic ignored me. He turned to the crowd, his eyes blazing. "Everyone out! This wedding is over."

"You have no right to just kick them out," I whispered, pulling his sleeve.

"Watch me." He glared at the wedding planner. "Clear the room. Now."

Security guards in black suits swarmed the ballroom. Within minutes, the guests were ushered out, their mocking whispers fading into the lobby.

Only Chloe, my father, and I remained.

Dominic pulled a sleek phone from his inner pocket. "Get me the board of Montgomery Enterprises," he barked into the receiver. "I want his stock tanked by Monday morning. Leak the offshore accounts. Ruin him."

"No!" I lunged forward and snatched the phone from his hand.

Dominic glared at me. "Evelyn, give that back."

"You will not destroy him, Dad."

"He humiliated you!" Dominic’s voice echoed off the vaulted ceiling. "I let you play this ridiculous game. I let you hide your identity. I stayed in the shadows while he treated you like some ordinary girl. And this is how he repays the Thorne family?"

"Keep your voice down," I warned.

"I will not! He left you at the altar, Evelyn. He made a fool of my daughter."

"There has to be a reason," I insisted. My fingers tightened around his phone.

"The reason is he's a coward." Dominic stepped closer. "Give me the phone. I am going to crush his company into dust. He wants to play games? He’s going to learn what real power looks like."

"I said no!" My voice cracked. Tears stung my eyes, but I forced them back. "Kael wouldn't just leave me. Not after everything we've been through."

"Why are you protecting him?" Dominic asked, his tone sharp.

"I'm not protecting him. I'm protecting my future."

"Your future is running Thorne Industries. Not playing house with a second-rate CEO."

"He built Montgomery Enterprises from the ground up."

"And I can tear it down in ten minutes."

"You promised me you wouldn't interfere in my relationship."

"That was before he made you a laughingstock." Dominic swept his arm toward the empty altar. "Look around. Do you see him?"

"Maybe it's a work emergency."

"A crisis? I am the crisis!" Dominic pointed a finger at my face. "I will buy his entire board by midnight. He will wake up tomorrow with nothing."

"Dad, please. For me. Don't do this."

"He abandoned you."

"I care about Kael. If you love me, you will give him a chance to explain."

Dominic stared at me. His jaw clamped shut. The fury in his eyes warred with his protective instincts.

"You are a Thorne," he finally said, his tone dropping to a dangerous rumble. "Start acting like one."

"I am acting like a wife," I replied. "Or I will be, once I find out what happened."

"You are defending a man who threw you away."

"I am defending the man I love. Give me time."

"He doesn't deserve time."

"Give it to me anyway." I held his gaze, refusing to back down. "Twenty-four hours."

Dominic snatched the phone back from my hand. He shoved it into his pocket.

"Fine," Dominic snapped. "You have twenty-four hours. If he doesn't have a damn good excuse, I'm ending him. And you won't stop me."

"He will explain," I said. "I know he will."

"You better hope so." Dominic turned on his heel. "Get out of that dress, Evelyn. You look ridiculous."

He marched out of the ballroom, leaving me standing alone in a sea of white roses.

Chloe walked up behind me. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure," I lied.

"What if he doesn't have an excuse?"

I didn't answer. I turned and walked toward the bridal suite.

My phone buzzed in my hand.

I looked at the screen. An unknown number.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Evelyn," a woman’s voice purred on the other end. "I think you're looking for Kael. He's a little tied up right now. With me."

I pressed the phone to my ear. The line rang twice before dropping to voicemail.

"Pick up, Kael," I muttered to the empty room.

Nothing.

I tossed the device onto the kitchen island of our shared penthouse. The silence in the massive apartment felt suffocating. Just hours ago, I imagined walking through these doors as his wife. Now, I was just the punchline to a cruel joke.

I walked into his study, looking for any clue. My eyes landed on his charcoal gray jacket, the one he wore to the rehearsal dinner, draped carelessly over the leather armchair.

A white slip of paper peeked from the inner pocket.

I pulled it out and unfolded the crisp sheet. It was a medical record from City General Hospital.

*Patient: Serena Miller.*

*Condition: Acute Myocardial Infarction.*

*Admission Date:* Today.

The paper crumpled in my fist. Serena.

Kael’s first love. The woman who broke his heart five years ago and fled to Europe. He swore he was over her. He promised me she was just a ghost.

Apparently, ghosts could still ruin weddings.

I didn't bother calling my driver. I grabbed my keys and drove straight to City General.

The VIP cardiology wing was eerily quiet. I bypassed the nurses' station and marched down the sterile corridor, scanning the room numbers until I found 412.

I pushed the door open.

Kael sat on the edge of the hospital bed. He was leaning forward, his large hands gently cradling a pale, fragile hand.

The woman in the bed looked like a porcelain doll. Serena.

"So this is the board meeting," I said.

Kael’s head snapped up. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before hardening into a glare. He gently placed Serena’s hand back on the blanket and stood.

"Evelyn," he hissed, stepping toward me. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." I held up the crumpled medical record. "You left me standing at the altar for this?"

"Keep your voice down," he demanded, glancing back at the bed. "She needs rest."

"I needed my groom!"

"It was a life-or-death emergency."

"You couldn't send a text? You couldn't have your assistant call me?" I stepped closer, closing the distance between us. "You let me stand in front of three hundred people, waiting for a man who was never going to show up."

Serena shifted on the pillows. She let out a weak, raspy cough.

"Kael?" she murmured. Her eyelids fluttered open. She stared at me, her gaze wide and perfectly innocent. "Is this... is this your fiancée?"

"Go back to sleep, Serena," Kael said softly, his tone shifting from ice to velvet.

"I'm so sorry," Serena whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "I didn't know today was your wedding. I just... I couldn't breathe. Kael was the only emergency contact I had left."

I let out a sharp, unexpected laugh. The sound bounced off the cold hospital walls.

Kael frowned. "What is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" I pointed at the woman in the bed. "She just happened to have a heart attack at the exact hour we were supposed to say our vows? And you bought that?"

"Are you listening to yourself?" Kael’s jaw clamped tight. "Her parents died in a plane crash last month. She has no family. No one else to rely on. She nearly died this morning, Evelyn."

"So you rushed to play the hero."

"I rushed to save a friend's life."

"She’s not just a friend, Kael. Stop lying to my face."

"Miss Thorne, please," Serena whimpered. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Don't be angry with him. It's my fault. I'll leave the hospital right now. I don't want to ruin your relationship."

She made a pathetic attempt to sit up, clutching her chest as if the movement caused her agonizing pain.

Kael rushed to her side, pressing a firm hand against her shoulder to keep her down. "Don't move. You're straining your heart."

He turned his head and shot me a look of pure disgust.

"Look at her, Evelyn. She is sick and completely alone. Have you no empathy?"

"Empathy?" My chest tightened. "My father was ready to destroy your entire company today because you humiliated me. I begged him to give you twenty-four hours to explain. I fought for you."

"Then go back and tell Dominic Thorne to do his worst," Kael snapped. "I don't care about the company right now. I care that a woman almost died, and my so-called future wife is throwing a tantrum out of jealousy."

The words hit me like a physical strike.

Three years of hiding my true background, three years of supporting his ambitions, cooking his meals, and playing the supportive partner. All erased in an afternoon because his ex-girlfriend shed a tear.

"A tantrum," I repeated, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

"You're being completely unreasonable," Kael said. He didn't even look at me. His attention remained fixed on the heart monitor next to Serena's bed. "I will not let you stand here and harass a patient."

"I am your fiancée!"

"Right now, you are acting like a spoiled brat."

Serena let out a soft sob, burying her face in the pillows. "Kael, make it stop. My chest hurts."

"I'll handle it," he promised her.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and pressed a button.

"Mark," Kael ordered into the receiver. "Get in here."

Within seconds, his head bodyguard walked through the door. Mark took one look at me and hesitated.

"Sir?"

"Escort Miss Thorne out of the building," Kael commanded.

"Kael, you can't be serious," I said, my nails digging into my palms.

"Take her home, Mark. If she refuses to leave, carry her out."

Mark stepped toward me, his expression apologetic but firm. "Please, Miss Thorne. Let's go."

I refused to move. I locked eyes with the man I loved.

"If you throw me out of this room," I warned him, "there is no coming back from this. The wedding is off. We are done."

Kael finally met my gaze. There was no hesitation in his eyes. No regret.

"Get out, Evelyn."

I turned on my heel and walked out the door before Mark could touch me. My vision blurred as I marched down the hallway, the sterile smell of the hospital making my stomach churn.

I pushed through the exit doors into the cool evening air.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out.

It was a text message from an unknown number, containing a single photo.

I tapped the screen.

It was a picture of Kael and Serena, taken just moments ago. He was kissing her forehead.

Below the image was a short message: *He always belonged to me. Check your bank accounts, Evelyn.*

My blood ran cold. I immediately opened my banking app, and the screen flashed an error.

*Account frozen.*

Kael hadn't just left me at the altar. He was stealing my money.

Two pink lines.

I stared at the plastic stick resting on the bathroom counter. The harsh fluorescent light offered no room for misinterpretation. I was pregnant.

My fingers trembled as I picked it up. Yesterday, this would have been the happiest moment of my life. Today, it felt like a cruel joke. My fiancé abandoned me at the altar, my bank accounts were locked, and now, I was carrying his child.

I tossed the test into the trash bin and marched out of the bathroom. I needed answers about the money, and Kael needed to know about the baby. Maybe this would wake him up. Maybe this would pull him out of whatever spell Serena had cast on him.

The heavy oak front door swung open before I reached the foyer.

Kael walked in. His arm was wrapped tightly around Serena’s waist, supporting her weight as she leaned against his chest.

"What is she doing here?" I demanded, stopping dead in my tracks.

Kael didn't look at me. He guided Serena toward the plush velvet sofa in the living room. "Careful. Sit down slowly."

"Kael," I said, my voice rising. "I asked you a question."

He finally turned. His jaw set into a hard line. "Serena was discharged today. She needs a place to recover."

"She can go to a hotel. Or a rehab center. Not my home."

"It’s my penthouse," Kael shot back. "And she has no one else. I am not leaving her alone in some sterile facility."

"You locked my bank accounts," I said, crossing my arms. "You left me at the altar, you stole my access to my own funds, and now you’re moving your ex-girlfriend into our home?"

"I secured my assets," he replied coolly. "You threatened to have Dominic Thorne destroy my company. Did you really think I’d leave the joint accounts open for you to drain?"

"That was my money too!"

"It's a temporary freeze. Until you calm down and start acting rationally."

"Rationally?" I pointed at the woman lounging on my sofa. "You brought her here!"

Serena let out a pathetic whimper and clutched her chest. "Kael, please. The yelling… my heart is racing."

Kael rushed to her side and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Deep breaths, Serena. I’m right here." He shot me a furious glare over his shoulder. "Are you happy now? You're stressing her out."

"I want her out," I stated.

I thought about the plastic stick in the trash can. The words died in my throat. I couldn't tell him. Not while he was holding her like that.

"She stays," Kael ordered. He stood up and adjusted his suit jacket. "I have to get to the office. The board is breathing down my neck because of the wedding fallout. You are going to stay here and look after her."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Kael closed the distance between us, his shadow falling over me. "Be mature, Evelyn. She is recovering from a major cardiac event. Make sure she takes her medication. Get her whatever she needs."

"I am not her nurse."

"No, you’re my fiancée. Act like one. Show some basic human decency."

He didn't wait for my response. Kael grabbed his briefcase from the console table and walked out the door. The lock clicked shut behind him.

Silence stretched across the living room.

I turned to look at Serena.

The fragile, sickly woman from a moment ago was gone. Serena sat up straight, crossing her legs. A smug smile spread across her lips.

"Get me a glass of sparkling water," she said. Her voice held no trace of weakness.

"Get it yourself." I turned toward the kitchen.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Serena reached into her designer tote bag resting on the cushion beside her. She pulled out a velvet jewelry box and popped it open. A massive diamond pendant caught the sunlight.

"Do you like it?" she asked, tracing the jewels with a manicured nail. "Kael bought it for me this morning. He said it matched my eyes. He also bought this bag. Limited edition."

"I don't care what he bought you."

"You should." Serena snapped the box shut. "It proves who he really values. You played house with him for three years, dressing in cheap clothes, pretending to be a nobody. And where did it get you? Replaced."

I clenched my fists. "You faked the heart attack."

"Prove it." She laughed, a sharp, grating sound. "The doctors saw a spike in my heart rate. A little panic attack goes a long way when you know how to play the monitors. Kael came running the second I called."

"You're pathetic."

"I'm winning." Serena leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "Now, go to the kitchen and make me a salad. I want the dressing on the side."

"I am not making you anything."

Serena sighed dramatically. She picked up her phone and unlocked the screen. "Such a shame. Kael told you to take care of me. If I call him right now and tell him you refused to give me my medication, what do you think he'll do?"

"He won't believe you."

"He believed I was dying yesterday. He believed I had nowhere to go today." She tapped a contact on her screen. "He thinks you're a jealous, bitter woman. If I tell him you pushed me, he'll throw you out on the street."

My stomach twisted. She was right. Kael was completely blind to her manipulation.

"Put the phone down," I said.

"Then get to the kitchen." She pointed a finger toward the hallway. "And after you make my lunch, I want you to unpack my suitcases. Put my clothes in the master bedroom."

"You are not sleeping in my bed."

"It's Kael's bed. And he wants me comfortable." Serena leaned back against the cushions, studying her nails. "Chop chop, Evelyn. My chest is starting to hurt again."

I stood rooted to the floor. The urge to slap the smug expression off her face burned through my veins. But I needed a plan. If I left now, Kael would keep my money locked, and my father would unleash hell on Montgomery Enterprises.

I walked into the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of sparkling water from the fridge, twisted the cap off, and carried it back to the living room.

I slammed the bottle down on the glass coffee table. Water sloshed over the rim.

"Careful," Serena scolded. "You'll ruin the rug."

She reached for the bottle. As her fingers brushed the glass, she intentionally knocked it sideways. The bottle tipped, spilling freezing water all over her lap.

"What are you doing?" I asked, stepping back.

Serena didn't answer me. She let out a piercing scream.

"Kael!" she shrieked, tears instantly flooding her eyes.

The front door burst open. Kael stood in the entryway, his phone pressed to his ear, his face pale. He must have forgotten his briefcase on his way to the elevator.

He took one look at Serena sobbing on the wet sofa, and then his eyes locked onto me.

"What did you just do?" Kael roared.