Chapter 2

Chandra and Elvan froze where they stood, the words hitting them like a bolt from the blue.

"He... hit someone with his car? And they died?" Chandra whispered, his voice barely audible, his face drained of color.

The married couple nodded weakly.

"Yes, Chandra."

His breathing grew shallow as his heartbeat thundered in his chest. Just hours ago, Alexa's family and her fiancé's had been making the final preparations for a wedding they'd planned so carefully. In less than forty-eight hours, the ceremony was supposed to begin.

And now…

This.

He turned to look at his best friend. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye, but she quickly wiped it away. The faint smile she'd been forcing onto her face finally crumbled, replaced by an expression of raw, unbearable pain.

"So... what happens to Alexa's wedding now, Uncle?" Chandra finally asked, even though he already feared he knew the answer.

The middle-aged man let out a long, weary sigh. Explaining everything felt almost impossible, but Chandra deserved the truth. He had been by Alexa's side since they were children.

"At first, Robert's family wanted to take full responsibility and compensate the victim's family," he began quietly. "But they refused to settle. They've decided to take the case to court instead."

Chandra's eyes widened again.

Court...? Does that mean... Dr. Robert is going to prison?

"If Dr. Robert ends up in prison... then what about Alexa's wedding, Uncle? Is it... canceled?"

His heart ached as he looked at Alexa. She had buried her face in both hands, her shoulders trembling.

God... why does she have to go through something this cruel? Alexa has always been kind. She's a wonderful daughter. Why does life have to hurt her like this? What kind of rainbow are You saving for her after such a storm?

No one answered.

Silence swallowed the room, broken only by the quiet sobs Alexa struggled so desperately to suppress.

Then, out of nowhere, Elvan blurted, "Hey, Bro... do you have a girlfriend?”

He turned toward Chandra as if the question had just struck him.

Chandra frowned.

"No. Why?"

Elvan stared at him.

"Seriously? You don't have a girlfriend?"

Chandra shook his head again.

"Nope. Never have. Mom and Dad don't allow dating, so I never really thought about it."

The moment those words left his mouth, Elvan's eyes lit up.

"Perfect!"

"What's perfect?" Mr. Lucas asked, completely confused.

Grinning from ear to ear, Elvan turned toward his uncle.

"Chandra doesn't have a girlfriend, Uncle. And he's been best friends with Alexa forever. So... why don't we just have Chandra take Dr. Robert's place?"

Thud.

The room fell deathly still.

Everyone froze.

Including Chandra.

Including Alexa.

"Elvan, this isn't something to joke about!" Mr. Lucas scolded, embarrassed on Chandra's behalf.

"I'm not joking, Uncle." Elvan's expression turned surprisingly serious. "Just think about it. Ninety percent of the wedding is already done. The ceremony is less than forty-eight hours away. So what now? Cancel everything? The whole family will be humiliated."

Chandra remained silent.

His thoughts drifted through countless memories with Alexa—the carefree laughter, the endless teasing, the arguments, the tears, even the embarrassing moments they had shared over the years.

"Our families already know how close Chandra and Alexa are," Elvan continued. "You, Aunt Nancy, and Chandra's parents have watched them grow up together. I'm sure they'd agree if these two families became one."

If my idea actually brings these two families together... that would be legendary.

I'd be the biggest hero in this family.

Elvan nearly smiled to himself.

"Come on, Uncle. Just imagine it. A beautiful woman like Alexa married to someone as handsome as Dr. Robert—like Anh Keonho from Cortis. Their kids would've been gorgeous. But Chandra's good-looking too! Your future grandkids would still be ridiculously cute!"

He kept talking, determined to sell his outrageous idea.

Meanwhile, Chandra found himself meeting Alexa's tear-filled gaze. Crystal-clear tears continued streaming down her cheeks.

Is Elvan... actually right? Should I really do this?

"Elvan, stop making things worse," Mrs. Nancy cut in. "I know you're trying to help, but this isn't the way. Chandra probably already has someone he likes."

She turned to Chandra apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Chan. Elvan has a habit of speaking before he thinks."

Chandra gave an awkward smile.

"It's okay, Auntie. Besides... I really don't have anyone I like."

Mr. Lucas and Mrs. Nancy exchanged a long look before turning toward their daughter.

Alexa hadn't moved.

If anything, she looked even more devastated than before. Her face was swollen from crying, and her eyelids had become puffy and red.

"Bun, could you come with me for a moment?" Mr. Lucas said at last. "Let's talk inside."

Mrs. Nancy nodded and quietly followed her husband, leaving only the three young people behind.

The second the adults disappeared, Elvan leaned toward Chandra.

"So... how about it, Bro? Why don't you replace Dr. Robert? I mean, look at Alexa. Is it really fair for her wedding to fall apart just because her fiancé is going to prison?"

Chandra swallowed hard.

His nerves tangled into an uncomfortable knot.

"I..."

"You don't have to listen to Elvan, Chan." Alexa interrupted, her voice hoarse from crying. "He says ridiculous things all the time. I'll be okay... even if the wedding has to be canceled."

Chandra looked at her, unable to find the right words.

Every restrained sob she fought to hide tightened something painfully inside his chest.

All these years, he'd only ever seen Alexa smiling—especially these past few months whenever she talked excitedly about getting married and starting a new life with the man she loved.

He had been genuinely happy for her.

Even if, deep down, he'd already accepted that once she married, he'd have to keep a respectful distance.

But now…

Everything had changed.

What was he supposed to do?

Should he really follow Elvan's unbelievable suggestion and take Dr. Robert's place?

While he was still drowning in uncertainty, Mr. Lucas and Mrs. Nancy returned.

Both looked tense, as though they had just reached a difficult decision.

"Chandra," Mr. Lucas said carefully, "may I ask you something... one more time?"

The question instantly made all three of them tense.

"Of course, Uncle." Chandra glanced at Alexa and Elvan before looking back at him. "What is it?"

Mr. Lucas took a slow breath.

Then, with complete seriousness, he asked,

"You really don't have a woman you love, do you?"

Chandra swallowed again.

This time, he had a sinking feeling he knew exactly where this was heading.

He slowly shook his head.

"No, Uncle. For the past few years I've been focused on finishing my degree, so I never thought about dating. After graduation, my dad immediately put me in charge of one of our branch offices. I haven't really had the time to think about relationships."

Mr. Lucas nodded thoughtfully.

He looked at his wife, who silently returned the nod. Their eyes seemed to carry on an entire conversation without a single word.

Then, at last, Mr. Lucas spoke.

"In that case..."

He looked Chandra straight in the eye.

"...would you be willing to help Alexa... by becoming the man who stands in as her groom?"

"Dad?!”