Chapter 1

I climbed out of the bathroom stall and limped into the hall. The first thing I saw was Lillian Gates, her hand in Liam Forrester's, smiling as she toasted the guests.

"Thank you all for coming today to celebrate my wedding with the White family heir. This marks a new step in the partnership between the Gates and the Whites."

Lillian stood with him on the elevated platform. She deliberately left Liam's name vague. Many in the room still believed the man engaged to her was me.

The applause thundered through the hall.

Lillian caught sight of me out of the corner of her eye. Her expression darkened. She shot me a warning look–telling me not to cause trouble.

Liam followed her gaze. His face lit up. He quickly walked over to me.

"Brother, perfect timing. Today is a double celebration. Come, have a drink with us."

Before the ceremony, my sister Charlotte White had suddenly said she needed to speak with me urgently. She pulled me into a bathroom stall and locked me inside.

Moments later, a bucket of foul-smelling dirty water was dumped over the door.

My tailored suit was soaked through, the stench overwhelming. The staff nearby pinched their noses, their disgust impossible to hide.

Charlotte rushed over, trying to pull me away.

"Silas, whatever it is, we can talk after the ceremony–"

She cried out.

My hand had already struck her across the face.

She clutched her swollen cheek, staring at me in disbelief.

"You hit me?"

I let out a cold, mocking smile and said nothing. I raised my hand again.

Before it could fall, someone grabbed my wrist.

Lillian's face was cold and tense.

"Silas, you've gone too far. You skipped our wedding and made me a laughingstock. And now you're hitting your own sister?"

I looked at the woman I had grown up with. My chest tightened. I was about to explain myself–when Liam suddenly dropped to his knees in front of me.

"Brother, if you're angry, be angry at me! I couldn't bear to see Lillian standing alone on stage, being judged.

"I did all this to repay a debt. I just didn't want to delay the cooperation between the Gates and the Whites.

"Now that you're back, I won't even ask why you ran away from the wedding!"

It sounded like he was defending me.

However, in just a few sentences, he had already turned my absence into me abandoning the wedding.

Charlotte bit her lip and dragged me off the stage, lowering her voice as she threatened me.

"Silas, if the Gates cancel this partnership, it'll all be your fault. You'll go down as the one who ruined everything."

I looked at her. Her face was twisted with anger. A chill settled in my chest.

When our parents died in a car accident, she was only ten.

I had stood in front of her without hesitation–shielding her from shareholders who wanted to seize the company, from relatives who wanted to take everything.

Back then, she looked at me with admiration.

Now, there was only hatred in her eyes.

"Silas, why can't you ever think about me? Liam is more suitable for the Gates than you are. Can't you just give Lillian to him?"

I shook off her grip and looked straight at Lillian.

"Are you really choosing Liam?"