Chapter 8

Once Laura convinced herself that Ryder still loved her, she forced down her unease and went about her days as usual—working at the office, having meals with Seth, and enjoying the peace of her routine.

Life felt easy and pleasant.

That was, until the night before the wedding, when she found herself unable to sleep.

Even after spending the entire day shopping with Seth, exhaustion couldn't lull her to sleep.

-

The next morning, dark circles rimmed Laura's eyes. She was so out of it that the driver had to practically drag her into the car.

When she arrived at the hotel lobby, it was already packed with guests.

Everyone who saw her came up to congratulate her, but she only responded with perfunctory nods. Her eyelids felt too heavy to stay open.

After half an hour resting in the dressing room, she went through makeup and wardrobe.

Finally, she stood at the entrance to the hall.

Laura waited for what felt like an eternity until it was time for the bride to make her entrance.

Her nerves instantly tightened, and most of her sleepiness disappeared.

She was excited for this moment.

For as long as she had been with Ryder, she had dreamed of walking down the aisle toward him, becoming his bride.

Today, that dream was finally coming true... right?

The grand doors slowly opened.

Laura smiled, lifting her dress as she took her first steps toward the groom.

The spotlight illuminated her, but through the floating ribbons and decorations, she couldn't quite see the groom's face in the distance.

Step by step, she moved closer. And then—she saw him clearly.

It was Seth.

Laura's smile froze and vanished.

Ignoring the officiant's attempts to stop her, she marched straight up to Seth and grabbed him by the arm. "What are you doing here? Why is it you? Where's Ryder?"

Her rapid-fire questions stunned Seth, the anticipation in his eyes replaced by confusion.

"Laura… wasn't it you who sent me this suit? Didn't you invite me to attend the wedding today?" he asked.

"What? When did I—" Laura began.

Seth pointed to the large screen behind them.

Laura followed his finger.

The words on the screen were painfully clear—Seth's name was there as the groom.

Laura's mind reeled.

She stormed over to the officiant, her voice sharp and demanding. "How could you mess this up? How could you get the groom's name wrong?"

The officiant's microphone was still on, and Laura's words echoed throughout the hall.

The guests started murmuring, their whispers swelling into a noisy commotion.

Frustrated, Laura snatched the microphone. "I'm so sorry for the mistake. The groom's name is Ryder Lineker!"

She glared at the officiant. "Well? Fix it now!"

A voice from the crowd called out, "That's not right, Ms. Moon. The invitations clearly say Seth Yarde."

Laura froze, her movements stiff as she turned toward the speaker.

The guest held up their invitation. As expected, it clearly listed Seth as the groom.

Laura snatched the invitation and scrutinized it, reading it over and over. She then grabbed a few more invitations from nearby guests.

Without exception, every single one named Seth.

Suddenly, she laughed—a cold, hollow sound.

In that instant, it felt like everyone in the room was playing a cruel joke on her.

She bolted from the hall, heading straight for the hotel entrance. She needed to see the wedding photo display.

Just as she approached the door, a realization hit her like a thunderbolt.

For weeks, she had been spending every day with Seth. She hadn't taken any wedding photos with Ryder. And come to think of it, Ryder had never even mentioned taking any.

As she stood in front of the photo display, her worst fear was confirmed.

The photos showed her and Seth.

The invitations, the photos—everything had been arranged by Ryder. He had coordinated the details with the wedding planners himself.

It was all Ryder's doing.

This was the surprise he had promised her.

But where was Ryder now?

Behind her, Seth approached cautiously, reaching out as if to steady her.

"Don't touch me!" Laura growled, her voice trembling with rage.

Seth froze in place, his hand dropping to his side.

That was when Laura's eyes landed on the watch on his wrist. It was a mechanical watch—the watch she had given to Ryder.

She seized Seth's hand. "Why are you wearing this? Why is this watch on your wrist?"

Without waiting for a response, she yanked it off, the metal strap scraping Seth's skin and leaving angry red marks.

"How dare you wear this watch?" she demanded.

Seth, now visibly shaken, bit his lip before quietly muttering, "Stop looking for him. He left something for you."

Laura froze, her wild fury suddenly replaced by a chilling stillness. She turned stiffly to face him, her voice wavering. "What is it? Do you know where Ryder is?"

"He left you a letter," Seth said.