Novel-novel oleh Jennifer

Hermione sat at the small table in the middle of the garden, the evening air cool against her skin. Rhys’s mansion was something out of a fairytale book. She’d settled there hours ago, letting the quiet wrap around her.Since morning, her phone hadn’t stopped buzzing with messages from people demanding to know what had happened to her wedding with Cole. She’d given them the same answer every time.Called off.The news outlets wasted no time. Headlines spread like wildfire, twisted for maximum drama.[Run away bride? Windsor Heiress cancels wedding over the return of fiancée high school sweetheart.][From Bride to Bystander: Heiress Abandons Wedding Amid First Love Controversy.][Dumped Before ‘I Do’: Heiress Flees Wedding as Fiancé Reconnects With Childhood Crush.]Hermione had to give it to them. They were good. It wasn’t even a day yet and the gossip sites were buzzing. The public ran with it, branding her petty and dramatic. Some celebrated, thanking for finally stepping aside for

When Rhys saw Hermione arrive at the registry in that backless dress, silk clinging to her in all the right places, he nearly lost his composure.She was breathtaking. It took every ounce of restraint he possessed to tear his gaze away from her body and focus on the marriage proceedings instead of dragging her to somewhere private and reminding himself exactly why he hated her.She looked nothing like the drunken, fragile woman he had seen the night before. He doubted he would ever witness that kind of vulnerability from her again.This was Hermione Windsor after all. Once the most celebrated socialite in the capital. Even now, despite her tainted reputation, she was still known for her gracefulness and polish.Every smile from her was measured. Every step flawless. Every word chosen with precision, as though elegance had been carved into her bone. This was why most women hated her so much. They were jealous.It was precisely what made her dangerous, no one knew what she was truly th

Hermione drove herself to the marriage registry the next morning, her expression blank and unreadable.“Hermione! Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” Her father’s furious voice exploded through the phone. “What is thus nonsense I’m hearing? Your fiancé is with another woman? Aren’t you ashamed? You couldn’t even keep a man after years of dating. If you knew he liked models, why didn’t you eat less and maintain your figure? He must have been repulsed.”She closed her eyes, letting his words wash over her.No matter what she did, she was never enough for this man. It was either she was too tall — men preferred petite women, or she was overweight, despite weighing less than fifty kilograms. To him, she was always lacking. Her efforts didn’t matter.What did the media call her again? Spoiled Windsor heiress. If only they knew.“You remember our deal, right?” Robert continued. “Come home immediately. I’m already arranging a meeting with—““No.”The word left her lips cold and steady.

Hermione’s apartment felt hollow when she returned.She kicked the door shut and stood there, standing at the neatly stacked wedding gifts lining the wall. Boxes she would never open.She grabbed a bottle of whiskey, uncorked it, and took a long drink straight from the bottle. The burn scorched her chest, but at least it dulled the pain.Taking another sip, she walked onto the balcony of her luxury apartment. She’d already terminated the lease, convinced she’d be moving in with Cole tomorrow.Now she would be homeless too.The city sprawled beneath her, glowing in the night. She leaned against the railing, staring out blankly. Any moment now, her father would call, demanding answers.She had none.He would take control, just as he always did.Her father was a traditional man who believed a woman had no business remaining unmarried past twenty-five. Hermione’s twenty-fifth birthday was rapidly approaching. He had been strict with her mother before her death, and afterward, all that rig

[Cole Sterling spotted picking up his childhood sweetheart, top model Adriana, from the airport a day before his wedding. What does this mean for Hermione Windsor?]The headline flashed across Hermione’s phone as she stared at the screen in disbelief.Her fingers trembled as she scrolled. Beneath it was a photo of her fiancé of five years, flowers in hand, smiling warmly at a stunning brunette holding a ‘Welcome Home’ sign. According to the article, Cole’s grand display had blocked the airport entrance for nearly an hour before they finally left. She and Cole were supposed to walk down the aisle tomorrow.Everything for the wedding was already prepared — her dress, the venue, the vows. Every detail had been finalized. Yet here he was, wrapped in another woman’s arms while the media turned her humiliation into entertainment.She was a joke. A punchline.Hermione shook her head. Her hands moved on autopilot as she dialed Cole’s number. He didn’t answer. She tried several times before h