we finally meet our male lead; what do you guys think?
Only three more days.Three more days and I’d be Anna Sinclair, Mrs Alaric Sinclair. Even just thinking about it sent a shiver of disbelief through me. How had we come so far?Wedding planning was… a beast. A beast dressed in silk and glitter and back-to-back meetings. But with Ellie, Mom, and a surprisingly enthusiastic Alaric’s mother on my team, it hadn’t been too overwhelming. Besides, I was marrying the love of my life. Every stress melted under the weight of that simple fact.Tonight was just for us.No stylists. No photographers. No planners. Just me and Alaric, sharing a quiet dinner like we used to while we were still fake dating.I smiled to myself as I slowed to a red light. The memory of my final wedding dress fitting still floated in my mind like a dream.It was perfect.The way the fabric hugged my figure, the way the veil shimmered softly behind me… The look on Ellie’s face when she saw me in it said everything. I couldn’t wait for Alaric to see me in it. To see the way
I woke up to the soft kiss of morning light on my face and the warm weight of blankets cocooning me in comfort. But none of that compared to the real warmth beside me.Alaric.His face was turned toward me, lips parted just slightly in sleep, chest rising and falling in a slow, peaceful rhythm. Even disheveled from sleep, he looked like something pulled from a fever dream, hair tousled, stubble along his jaw, and that damn infuriatingly perfect bone structure.How did I get so lucky?And then everything I’d said last night hit me.My throat tightened.What had I done?I had basically confessed to being a reincarnated time traveller that die in another life. And instead of just easing him into it, like a sane person would, I dumped the entire tragic, supernatural mess in his lap… in bed… after an emotional night.God. What was wrong with me?What if he thought I was unstable? Or worse… pitied me?I suddenly needed space. Just a little air. A few minutes alone to breathe, to think, to f
Alaric The party was over, but the warmth lingered. The city passed by in a blur outside the tinted windows of the car, all glittering lights and distant noise. But inside, everything was quiet, peaceful. Anna was curled up beside me, her head resting gently against my chest, her breath soft and even. I held her close. Her head was tucked against my chest like she belonged there, like she'd always been meant to fit into my life, into me. And she did belong there. The diamonds on her wrist caught the light now and then, but they were nothing compared to the spark she brings to my life just by being near. I looked down at her. Her lashes fluttered with each breath, her lips slightly parted in sleep. She looked so content, so safe. And all I could think was how close I had come to missing this. if I hadn't been attacked in the alley and been incapacitated, I wouldn't have been in this position right now. I remember thinking about how cute she looked, like a dear caught in h
LisaI watched the livestream in silence.The room was dark, except for the pale blue glow of my laptop screen, casting shadows on the peeling walls of the ward. The charity ball played out like a movie—a glittering, mocking hallucination—and I couldn’t look away.I should have closed the tab. Should’ve rolled over, pretended to sleep like everyone else in this godforsaken place.But I didn’t.Couldn’t.The camera panned slowly across the grand ballroom, chandeliers dripping light over champagne flutes and designer gowns. Then it landed on her.Anna.Wearing a gown like it had been spun from moonlight. Her hand resting gently on Alaric’s arm—the country’s most powerful heir. The man whose face alone could send a company’s stocks soaring.The man who should have been mine.But no. His eyes were locked on Anna like she was the only woman alive.My jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might crack.The crowd had parted around her like a scene from some stupid fairytale. All eyes on Anna—t
The ballroom at the Carlton Grand was the kind of place that made you forget where you came from.It was bathed in golden light, with chandeliers dripping crystals that cast soft sparkles on everything they touched. Orchids in white, pale lilac, and blush overflowed from massive glass vases. The centerpiece of the hall was a marble staircase wrapped in silk garlands and fairy lights, descending into a sea of people dressed in their finest. Music from a live string quartet danced softly in the air, setting a dreamy tone to the night.But nothing, not the flowers, the champagne, or the camera flashes, could drown out the pounding of my heart. Is this really necessary? Is there a window I could jump out from?“Ready?” Alaric asked, offering me his arm.I turned to him.He looked like a painting, a classic black tuxedo tailored to perfection, the tiniest hint of cologne that made my pulse skip, and a sapphire pocket square that matched my dress exactly. I had no idea how he always managed
Biological Mother - MotherAdoptive Mother - Mum-----------------The charity ball was only a few days away, and naturally, Mum, Ellie, and Mother declared it a fashion emergency. “We’re going to Lux,” Ellie had said with the kind of gleam in her eye that made me feel like I was about to walk into a makeover montage. “And no, you don’t get a say.”So, here I was, barefoot on a velvet pedestal in the middle of Lux’s elite fitting suite, trying on what had to be my hundredth dress. I was fairly certain I’d tried on every shade of gold known to man and possibly one that hadn't been invented yet.“Nope,” Ellie said for the eighth time in a row, waving her hand like a disapproving judge on a reality show. “Too much sparkle. You look like a sentient disco ball.”I groaned and flopped onto the chaise lounge dramatically. “I’m pretty sure I’ve aged ten years in this fitting room.”Mum chuckled. “Oh hush, you look beautiful in everything.”“Which would be helpful if we were shopping for every