Chapter 2

The moment I pushed open the front door of the hillside villa, the living room was a mess.

Sabrina was wearing the gold‑embroidered reception gown my mother had left me. She sat on our bed, happily tearing through the gifts the wedding guests had sent. The emerald bangle my grandmother had left me hung loosely around her wrist.

Isaac crouched beside the bed, holding a bandage.

"I told you to switch to flats during the toasts. You had to push through it, and now look, you've rubbed your skin raw."

His voice was soft, almost doting. He pressed the bandage carefully onto Sabrina's heel, where there was nothing more than a faint red mark.

When he heard the door, Isaac turned around. He saw me standing barefoot in the doorway, and his eyes dropped to the mud and blood covering the soles of my feet. His brow creased.

He turned and pulled out the first aid kit. For a second, I thought he finally felt sorry for me.

Instead, he handed it straight to me.

"So you finally found your way back? Take care of it yourself."

He walked to the bar, poured a glass of warm water, and held it out.

"Today was on you. The family spent the entire reception looking for you. Even if you got lost, you should've called for help sooner. Disappearing like that just made everyone look bad."

I looked at the glass and did not take it.

The soles of my feet were still seeping blood. Every step I took left a print on the light‑colored carpet. However, in his eyes, the barely visible mark on Sabrina's heel was the one that needed his attention, while my bleeding feet were mine to deal with.

Sabrina touched the bangle on her wrist and explained in a small voice.

"Wren, I'm sorry. I got my bridesmaid dress dirty on the way down the hill, and Isaac said since you never wore the reception gown, I could borrow it for the time being."

She lowered her head, putting on an innocent look.

"The bangle was Isaac's idea too. He said I haven't been sleeping well and thought wearing it might help me feel better. If it bothers you, I'll take it off right now."

I stared at her. "Take the dress off and give me back the bangle."

Sabrina bit her lip and reached to remove it. When it caught at the joint, she let out a soft whimper. "Isaac, it hurts..."

Isaac walked over immediately and held her hand still.

"Don't force it. You could hurt yourself."

He went to the bathroom and came back with a bottle of oil, rubbing it around Sabrina's wrist and easing the bangle down bit by bit.

"Just wait a moment, Wren. Sabrina can't handle the pain."

I did not move. The blood from my feet had already soaked through the carpet.

To keep from hurting Sabrina, Isaac moved slowly. The bangle slid past her fingertips, and her hand trembled.

A sharp crack rang out.

The emerald bangle hit the marble floor and broke into three pieces.

The room went silent.

Isaac's first instinct was to grab Sabrina's hand and turn it over, checking every inch. "Did any of the pieces cut you?"

Once he was sure she was fine, he finally looked up at me. "It broke. I'll send someone to an auction house tomorrow and get you a better one."

His tone was flat, like he was talking about a broken glass.

I knelt down and used my sleeve to wipe the oil off the shattered pieces.

"This was my mother's." My voice was hoarse.

Isaac paused for a moment, but his brow stayed creased. "She didn't do it on purpose. Don't make her apologize today."

On the third wipe, I stopped. So in Isaac's world, the bride could be swapped out, the reception gown could be swapped out, and even the only thing my mother had left me was something that could be replaced.

"You don't need to buy a new one."

I stood up and swept the pieces into the trash.

If everything could be replaced, then so could he.