Chapter 1: The Bride Who Wasn’t Chosen

The wedding hall was filled with laughter, music, and the scent of fresh roses.

Everything looked perfect.

At least, that’s what Amelia Carter thought as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. The white gown hugged her curves beautifully, and the diamond necklace around her neck was a gift from her fiancé, Ryan Sullivan.

Today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life.

A knock sounded on the dressing room door.

“Amelia, the ceremony is about to begin,” her maid of honor said excitedly.

Amelia smiled nervously and nodded.

“Okay. I’ll be there in a minute.”

The door closed.

She took a deep breath and reached for her phone.

A message flashed on the screen.

Unknown Number.

At first, she ignored it.

Then another message arrived.

And another.

Her smile slowly disappeared.

The first message contained a photo.

Ryan.

And her younger sister, Sophia.

Amelia frowned.

“No…”

Her trembling fingers opened the image.

The photo had clearly been taken inside a hotel room.

Ryan was sitting on a bed while Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck.

They were kissing.

Amelia’s stomach dropped.

Her heart stopped beating.

“No… no, this isn’t real.”

Another message appeared.

This time it was a video.

With shaking hands, she pressed play.

The screen filled with Ryan’s face.

“After today, everything will belong to us,” he said.

Sophia giggled.

“What about Amelia?”

Ryan laughed.

“She’s too naive. Once the wedding is over, her inheritance becomes mine anyway.”

Amelia froze.

The phone nearly slipped from her hands.

Inheritance?

The wedding?

Her breathing became uneven.

Suddenly every strange thing that had happened during the last few months started making sense.

Ryan constantly asking about her late grandfather’s company.

Ryan pressuring her to transfer shares.

Ryan insisting on a rushed wedding.

He never loved her.

He wanted her money.

A tear rolled down Amelia’s cheek.

Then another.

Her chest hurt so badly she thought she might collapse.

Three years.

Three years of loving him.

Three years wasted.

The dressing room door suddenly opened.

Sophia stepped inside wearing a dazzling red dress.

The moment she saw Amelia crying, a smug smile appeared on her face.

“You saw the messages.”

It wasn’t a question.

Amelia stared at her.

“How long?”

Sophia crossed her arms.

“What?”

“How long have you been sleeping with my fiancé?”

Sophia didn’t even look ashamed.

“About a year.”

A year.

Amelia felt like someone had stabbed her heart.

“A year?” she whispered.

Sophia shrugged.

“Ryan got bored of you.”

The words hit harder than a slap.

“You stole him from me.”

Sophia laughed.

“Stole him? Please. A man can’t be stolen if he wants to leave.”

Amelia’s vision blurred.

This was her sister.

The person she trusted most.

The person she defended whenever their parents compared them.

Yet Sophia had betrayed her without hesitation.

“Why?” Amelia asked quietly.

Sophia’s eyes hardened.

“Because for once, I wanted something that belonged to you.”

The room fell silent.

Amelia felt sick.

Before she could speak again, Ryan walked into the room.

His expensive suit was perfectly tailored.

The sight of him made her stomach twist.

His expression darkened when he realized she knew.

“So you found out.”

No apology.

No guilt.

Nothing.

Amelia stared at him in disbelief.

“You used me.”

Ryan sighed as if she were the inconvenience.

“Don’t make a scene.”

“A scene?” she repeated.

Guests were waiting outside.

Family members had traveled across the country.

And he was telling her not to make a scene?

Ryan stepped closer.

“Look, Amelia. Be reasonable. The wedding can still happen.”

She blinked.

“What?”

“You’ll marry me, and everyone saves face.”

Amelia laughed.

The sound was broken and bitter.

“You think I’d still marry you after this?”

Ryan’s expression became cold.

“You don’t have many options.”

Those words shattered something inside her.

The tears stopped.

The heartbreak remained.

But the weakness vanished.

Slowly, Amelia removed the engagement ring from her finger.

Ryan’s eyes widened.

Sophia’s smile disappeared.

Amelia placed the ring on the table.

The diamond sparkled under the lights.

Then she looked directly at the two people who had betrayed her.

“You deserve each other.”

Ryan frowned.

“Amelia—”

“No.”

Her voice was calm now.

Dangerously calm.

The kind of calm that came before a storm.

Without another word, she grabbed her purse and walked out.

Behind her, Ryan called her name.

She didn’t stop.

Guests turned to stare as she marched through the crowded hall.

Whispers followed her.

Questions echoed around her.

But Amelia didn’t care.

Her wedding was over.

Her relationship was over.

The life she thought she had was over.

As she pushed through the hotel’s revolving doors, cold air hit her face.

Only then did she allow herself to cry.

One tear.

Then another.

Then her phone rang.

Amelia glanced at the screen.

Unknown Number.

She almost ignored it.

Almost.

Instead, she answered.

“Hello?”

A deep masculine voice spoke from the other end.

“Miss Carter.”

She frowned.

“Who is this?”

There was a brief pause.

Then the man said something that changed her life forever.

“This is Ethan Blackwood.”

Ryan Sullivan’s billionaire uncle.

“And I have a proposal for you.”