Chapter 4

“Excuse me, Miss Alyssa… Mr. Ethan is waiting at the altar.”

Ethan’s personal assistant bowed politely at the door of the dressing room.

Alyssa looked at her reflection in the grand mirror — an elegant white gown with a simple yet refined cut. Her face no longer carried the fragility it once did. Her eyes were sharp, steady, full of control.

The woman in the mirror was no longer a victim. She was a living embodiment of rebirth.

She took a deep breath. “All right. Tell him I’ll be there soon.”

When the door closed, Alyssa lowered her gaze for a moment, her fingers brushing against the small pendant around her neck — the only keepsake left from her father.

“Papa… I’m not marrying for love this time,” she whispered softly. “I’m marrying for power.”

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Her steps were steady as she walked down the grand hallway of the five-star hotel, surrounded by guests — businessmen, celebrities, reporters, and high-profile socialites.

Crystal chandeliers glittered above her head. Camera flashes exploded like fireworks, capturing her every movement.

“Look at that — Rafael’s ex-wife is remarrying!”

“And her groom is Ethan, the CEO of an international group — wow, how the tables have turned!”

Whispers and gasps filled the air.

Alyssa only gave a faint smile. She knew exactly what they were saying — and she no longer cared.

At the far end of the aisle, Ethan stood tall in a classic black suit.

His gaze was calm but proud as he watched the woman walking toward him.

When their hands finally met, applause erupted throughout the hall.

The officiant began to read the vows, but before he could utter the words “I now pronounce you husband and wife”—

The grand doors slammed open.

BANG!

Every head turned. A man stormed in, fury burning in his eyes, followed closely by a woman in a blazing red dress.

“Rafael…” gasped several guests.

Alyssa turned slowly. Her heart trembled — not with love, but with the bitter sting of the past now standing before her.

Rafael strode forward, his expression a storm of anger. “What is this, Alyssa? Are you marrying him just to humiliate me?”

A chorus of murmurs and whispers rippled through the hall.

Ethan’s gaze turned icy. “You weren’t invited, Rafael. This isn’t a place for a man who’s lost everything.”

Rafael scoffed. “You think I’d just stand by and watch my former wife marry you? She’s doing this out of revenge!”

He pointed accusingly at Alyssa. “You think I don’t know? Everyone knows you still hold a grudge against me!”

Alyssa lifted her chin, her voice calm and steady. “You’re right.”

The stillness in her tone only made the tension heavier.

“I do have a grudge, Rafael. But not the kind that seeks to destroy you — it’s the kind that drives me to become someone you can never look down on again.”

Rafael froze, his face tightening.

Alyssa took a graceful step forward, her white gown swaying with power.

“Once, I married for love — and it blinded me. Now, I marry because I finally know who deserves me.”

Her gaze pierced through Rafael, then softened as it shifted to Ethan, followed by a sincere smile.

“A man who doesn’t need my wealth or status to love me.

A man who sees me not as a burden, but as strength.”

Rafael’s face drained of color. Maya, standing behind him, fidgeted anxiously, clutching his arm.

Her eyes flickered with envy — and a touch of fear.

“You think you’ve won, Alyssa?” Rafael’s voice trembled with fury. “You think all this makes you better than me?”

Alyssa smiled serenely. “I don’t need to win, Rafael. Winning means I still see you as competition. But to me…”

She looked at him one last time, her gaze distant, emotionless.

“…you’re nothing but the past.”

Silence fell.

Even the reporters stopped clicking their cameras, letting the moment speak louder than any headline ever could.

Ethan stepped forward, standing firmly beside her. He reached for her hand and held it with quiet strength.

“I think that’s enough, Rafael. If you came here to make a scene, I suggest you leave before you embarrass yourself further.”

Rafael’s mouth twitched, ready to retort — but one look at Ethan’s steady, dangerous eyes silenced him.

He turned sharply, yanking Maya’s arm as he stormed out of the hall, his pride in tatters.

When the doors closed behind them, silence returned.

The officiant cleared his throat nervously. “Shall we continue?”

Ethan smiled. “Of course.”

Alyssa took a deep breath, and for the first time in a long while, her heart felt light.

When the officiant finally said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the hall erupted into applause once more.

Ethan leaned in, whispering softly against her ear, “You don’t have to prove anything anymore, Alyssa. The world already knows who truly won.”

Alyssa looked at him, tears of relief glimmering in her eyes. “I never wanted to win. I just wanted to be free.”

Ethan brushed his thumb gently across her cheek. “And now, you are free… with me.”

Alyssa smiled.

Camera flashes sparkled around them — but she no longer feared the light.