She froze in place, her teeth gently grazing her lip as her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, like a wounded fawn caught in headlights.

“Isaiah, can you come upstairs with me to change?”

Isaiah’s gaze flickered briefly toward Nolan, seeking some unspoken approval, before he followed her without a word.

Nolan, on the other hand, didn’t so much as glance their way. He lounged with his friends, the perfect host, his demeanor unbothered, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

It wasn’t until he stepped away to take a phone call that he finally approached me. His voice dropped to a low murmur as he leaned close, his breath brushing against my ear. “Baby, there’s an issue with a contract. I need to take care of it.”

“Could you handle the guests for me?”

I nodded with a small smile, but the moment he turned away, I excused myself, murmuring something about fetching charcoal. Taking another route, I slipped upstairs unnoticed.

What I found stopped me cold. Nolan, his face dark and barely contained fury, carried Dione into the master bathroom, his movements jerky with frustration. In his anger, he didn’t even bother to close the door.

I steadied my breath, pulling out my phone. With a flick of my thumb, I hit record.

Nolan’s grip tightened as he set Dione in the bathtub, his bloodshot eyes seething with fury. Without a word, he turned on the showerhead, cold water splashing down on her.

“It was all just a show. Where do you get the nerve to flirt with him?”

Dione shivered, her teeth chattering. “Brother-in-law, it’s freezing.”

Nolan’s lips curled into a sneer, his voice dripping with disdain. “Now you’re cold? Watching you throw yourself at another man, I thought you were immune to the heat.”

Dione rose slowly, her fingers grazing the silk strap of her dress, her gaze lowering in a way that left little to the imagination.

“Without this, how would they know how much you care about me, brother-in-law?” she purred.

Nolan’s grip shot out, seizing her chin as his fingers traced her lips. “Did he touch you?”

Dione shook her head, her voice soft but certain. “Every inch of me belongs to you.”

The steam in the bathroom thickened as Dione handed the showerhead to Nolan, her voice a silken whisper, teasing and soft. “Brother-in-law, the water is so hot. Won’t you help me?”

Before she could finish, Nolan’s lips crashed against hers, his other hand tearing away the fragile silk that separated them.

Dione gasped, her voice trembling. "This belongs to my sister—"

"Shut up," Nolan growled, cutting her off with a harsh command, silencing her completely.

I watched the scene unfold before me, my heart numb, my emotions a tangled mess. When it was finally over, I quietly slipped my phone away and moved to the guest bathroom. There, I bent over the sink, my body heaving as I retched violently.

Later, Dione came downstairs with Isaiah, her expression radiant, almost glowing.

Someone couldn’t help but tease, "Secretary Crassus, what did you give Miss Cromwell? She went upstairs to change and came back looking so... different."

Isaiah’s face turned beet red, and he remained silent, eyes glued to the floor.

Dione shyly lowered her head but threw me a challenging glance; her voice laced with defiance. "My boyfriend, of course, showers me with love. Laugh all you want, but I’m happy."

Nolan, now in casual clothes, noticed the pallor on my face as he descended the stairs. His hand instinctively reached for my forehead.

"Baby, are you feeling unwell again?"

I nodded slightly. "Maybe I saw something disgusting... and it made me nauseous."

Panic flickered across Nolan’s face. "What disgusting thing?"

Following my gaze, he saw the grilling offal on the table, and his expression softened, his tension easing.

He quickly put out the charcoal fire, his voice sharp. "Who told you to grill offal? Stop it! Don’t make Isabella nauseous!"

I reached out to stop him, not wanting to be rude to our guests, especially on New Year's.

Nolan flashed me a smile, tapping my nose gently. "It’s fine. My wife comes first."

His friends joined in with teasing smiles. "Isabella, we all know you’re Nolan’s world."

"Remember when Troy slipped you a drink that made you sick? Nolan almost killed him."

"So don’t make us stay. If anything happens to you, Nolan will skin us alive."

A cold gust of wind swept through, stealing the smile from my lips.

If I hadn’t seen his betrayal with my own eyes, his sincere gaze would’ve made me believe I truly was his everything.

After the New Year, Nolan began preparing meticulously for our wedding.

From the invitations to the favors, the venue to the banquet arrangements, he took charge of every detail, and his dedication was evident in every decision.

But the most touching gesture was the wedding gown he personally crafted for me. It was a pristine white dress with a subtle hint of red; his way of saying his heart belonged entirely to me.

That day, I feigned a bout of discomfort and retired to bed early, hoping to escape the tension.

Dione brought me a glass of milk, which I swiftly poured down the toilet.

In the dead of night, a sound stirred me awake.

Dione was lying between me and Nolan!

"Brother-in-law, how about you join me for a class reunion?" she purred.

Nolan’s voice was low, filled with warning. "Are you out of your mind? If your sister finds out, I swear I’ll kill you."

Dione pointed at the empty glass on the bedside table.

"My sister’s been struggling to sleep. I slipped some sleeping pills into her milk. She won’t wake until morning."

"With her right next to us, don’t you think it’s... thrilling?"

In an instant, Nolan’s demeanor shifted. He smiled darkly and reversed the situation. "Let’s see how well you handle this."

Dione leaned in, and the bed shifted beneath their movements, sending my heart tumbling into a bottomless abyss.

I turned away, clutching the blanket so tightly my knuckles turned white, desperate to steady my shaking hands.

I lost track of time as their “progress” finally came to a halt.

"How many more surprises do you have for me?"

Dione pouted playfully at Nolan. "Tomorrow’s class reunion has a theme. It’s going to be even more thrilling!"

The next morning, Nolan told me he had to go on a business trip to Willowcrest City for the day.

This time, he’d brought Isaiah along.

And, of course, Isaiah insisted on bringing Dione.

Nolan gave me an explanation with a chuckle. "Young lovers, right? Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on Dione."

I adjusted his tie and smiled, my voice steady. "Alright, thank you for your hard work."

"To show my appreciation, I’ve got a big surprise lined up for our wedding day."

He embraced me gently, his warmth sinking into my bones.

"Baby, I can’t wait for our wedding day."

Inside, I scoffed. Neither could I.

That day, Dione’s messages poured in like a tidal wave, relentless and overwhelming.

"Sis, so this is what clouds really look like from an airplane."

"Sis, my ex keeps asking for my number. My Brother-in-law helped me teach him a lesson. What do you think Brother-in-law would like as a thank-you gift?"

….

I printed out hundreds of pages of our chat history and transferred all the audio and video recordings from my phone onto a USB drive. I handed it all over to the wedding planner.

On the day of the wedding, the venue buzzed with excitement, filled with distinguished guests.

When the priest turned to me, asking, "Do you take Nolan as your husband?"

Amid the well-wishes and the eager anticipation in Nolan’s eyes, I smiled and said, "I do not."