The next day, we took a private plane to the island.

At the lavish banquet, Cassian announced to all the guests and the media, "I would like to announce that I've found the love of my life, and she is Mina Corvelle."

His deep eyes sparkled mesmerizingly as he added, "It's strange, really, but it was a cat that brought us together. It brought my beloved to me."

Then, he dropped to one knee and proposed to Mina with a huge diamond ring.

"Mina, will you marry me? I'm willing to transfer all my assets to you, and in this life, I'll love you and only you."

The loving declaration drew screams of excitement from everyone present. Mina, dizzy with joy, immediately slipped the ring on her finger.

Only I noticed that even though Cassian was proposing to Mina, he had never once looked her in the eye. His gaze kept drifting, almost unconsciously, to the black cat she cradled in her arms.

True to his word, he immediately had his lawyers transfer his assets to her. Hundreds of billions of dollars in wealth were now all under Mina's name. All of a sudden, she went from an ordinary office worker to the richest woman in Lakeshire—perhaps even the entire country.

The media spun their story into a modern-day fairy tale where Cassian was the prince, and Mina was the lucky commoner who caught his eye.

Online, countless girls and women went crazy for this love story and treated Mina as their lucky goddess, praying daily to catch a fraction of her luck.

I shivered as I watched the absurd scene unfold. I intended to think of an excuse to slip away early, but a few bodyguards subtly blocked my way.

The wedding day came soon. Our coworkers had all gone wild. They buzzed around me, gossiping.

"Goodness! Elora, Mina really has flown to the top of the social ladder!"

"She previously said even the golden boy of Lakeshire would fall at her feet. It turns out she wasn't bluffing! That cat is incredible!"

A new intern joked, "Mr. Mercer said that he fell for Mina because of a cat. What if he's actually in love with the cat and not Mina?"

Everyone burst into laughter. I, however, jumped as my heart slammed against my ribcage. A terrifying thought struck me like a thunderclap. Before I could fully process it, Mina suddenly clutched her stomach, saying she needed to use the restroom. She asked me to help her get there.

I instinctively wanted to refuse, but her grip was shockingly strong as she practically dragged me into the villa. She didn't take me to the restroom, though, and instead headed to the presidential suite on the top floor.

She entered it with a swipe of a keycard.

This was their bridal suite.

The room was empty except for the black cat, sprawled lazily across a bed strewn with rose petals.

"Mina, why did you bring me here?" I asked, looking at her warily.

"Why?"

She suddenly released me and locked the door behind us. Then, she spun around. The drunkenness was gone from her face, replaced by a cold, eerie smile.