Book 1: Chapter 2

Tears streamed down my face, hot and unrelenting. In this second life, I'd learned how to wield vulnerability like a weapon.

I wanted everyone to see that Leigh was the one who wronged me. I'd make it crystal clear that the collapse of this marriage rested squarely on the Holt' shoulders.

Leigh's parents, Hugo and Elowen Holt, flushed with embarrassment as the guests' whispers grew louder. They couldn't stay silent any longer.

Hugo rose, his voice stern. "Leigh, enough of this nonsense! This is your wedding day with Lira. You can't just walk out! Get back here and finish the ceremony!"

The young assistant who had burst in cried even louder. "Mr. and Mrs. Holt, Ms. Cherie is carrying your grandchild! How can you be so cruel?

"Mr. Leigh, Ms. Cherie loved you so much that she's willing to stay in the shadows, being just a mistress. Now she's fighting for her life to give you a child. Are you really going to let her die?"

Leigh chimed in, his tone desperate. "Dad, Mom, that's your grandchild. Are you going to abandon them?"

Then he turned to me, his voice edged with frustration. "Lira, this marriage is just a business deal. It's not going anywhere. Why are you so obsessed with tying the knot right this second? Are you so eager to be my wife? Don't you have any pride, any dignity as a high-society lady?"

Then he softened his tone, as if coaxing a child. "Lira, I know you're understanding. After our wedding, I hope you'll learn to get along with Sloane, just as a good wife should."

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Leigh, we're not even married yet, so don't start dreaming about me playing nice with your mistress."

I flung the bouquet to the ground, my voice firm and final. "If you're determined to go to her, I won't stop you. But our families' partnership shouldn't suffer because of your recklessness.

"You'd better consider whether your family can afford the cost of breaking this contract."

Hugo's face turned livid. "Leigh, this is a multi-billion-dollar deal. Are you really going to risk the entire family for one woman?"

Leigh, oblivious to the stakes, waved it off. "Dad, I've agreed to marry her, haven't I? What's the big deal about when we say 'I do'? You're making too much of this."

He didn't take our marriage seriously at all. In front of everyone, he shrugged, his voice dripping with indifference. "We've agreed to the partnership, and that'll be enough. Does it really matter when we share a bed?"

Seeing Hugo finally lose his temper, I seized the moment. I stepped forward, looking directly at Hugo and Elowen, and said with a faint smile, "Mr. and Mrs. Holt, this partnership is between our families, not tied to any one person. If I remember correctly, the contract doesn't specify that I must marry Leigh.

"Since he's clearly in love with someone else, I won't stand in the way of another woman's happiness. I'm calling off my engagement to him. I choose to marry your second son, Callen Holt."

The room erupted in chaos.

Leigh let out a mocking laugh. "What? You want to marry Callen? The guy who's always out fighting and causing trouble? I'm the future head of the Holt family, Lira. Think carefully."

I met his gaze, unflinching. "So what? You may be the heir, but your actions are beyond reckless. You cheated during our engagement and fathered a child with another woman. Why would I marry someone who can't stay faithful? Callen may not run the show, but he's capable and honorable. In fact, he's leagues above you."

I shot him a mocking smile, my voice dripping with disdain. "Why? Regretting your choices already, Leigh? Are you suddenly eager to marry me? Oh, have you forgotten your precious Sloane so quickly? I wonder if she's writhing in pain and screaming for you right now."