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10. Sparks
September 2026,
Ovzdusia, Soare-Luna Kingdom
Katerina
She didn't come.
Despite all my efforts, Alya didn't deem it fit to grace us with her presence. Maybe she didn't get my invitation. Maybe she didn't hear about the wedding. That seemed almost impossible because I had literally announced it to the world. Everyone knew. Maybe she just decided not to come.
What was even the point of having such a big, flashy wedding then? I had thought that at least one good thing would come out of marrying Felix. That I would reunite with my best friend who I thought was dead. It almost made me look forward to the wedding. But now, it all just seems...stupid. If Alya wanted to see us, if she wanted to meet us, she would have done it a long time ago. She wouldn't have waited for five years to do it. She obviously was not going to show up now.
I looked at the clock. It was a
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Pause, Rewind, Play 11. Amends
September 2026,Ovzdusia, Soare-Luna KingdomKaterinaMy eyes quickly filled up with tears. "You really are alive."Her chin trembled, she gave me a tumultuous smile, and her eyes welled up. She nodded, unable to say anything.The next thing I knew, we were hugging each other. I hugged her tighter. I couldn't believe that she was here. That she was alive. I was right. After all this time...after all those people calling me delusional for coming up with 'conspiracy theories'... after giving up...I found her. I found Alyanna. My heart was full and my throat had a lump lodged in it. My tears seemed unstoppable. I couldn't believe that she was real.I pulled away and looked at her again. I couldn't stop looking at her. She looked the same and yet different somehow. More mature, more...subdued. She wasn't the same lively girl she was once.Of course, she wasn't.
Pause, Rewind, Play 12. Coffee
September 2026,Ovzdusia, Soare-Luna KingdomAlyannaI was surprised to see the door to Jay's suite open. I peeked in and saw a tall, wiry man walking out. He was wearing the staff uniform so I assumed that Jay had called for room service. But why so early in the morning?He was surprised to see me standing right outside the door. "Could I help you with something, Miss?" he asked with a pleasant smile. Thankfully, he didn't recognize me. A lot of people didn't and that was a very good thing."I'm here for Jayden. Is he in?"The man looked at me and then at Gillian, my bodyguard, standing a step behind me. He looked a bit intimidated by the presence of the mountainous man. He quickly looked back at me and smiled. It looked a lot less natural than his previous one. "He indeed is. Mr. Carlton had requested a wake-up call with coffee," he said, explaining what he was doing there.
Pause, Rewind, Play 13. Changes
September 2026,Ovzdusia, Soare-Luna KingdomDimitriI haunted myself by recollecting all the sins I had committed in the thirty-two years of my life. While the list of all the heinous things I had done was long, there wasn't one particular thing that would warrant such a fucked up fate. Maybe it was the tally of all my deeds. That had to be it. My soul had to be unredeemable, which was why I didn't deserve a soulmate. At least not one that was meant to be mine."Alright, this looks good. Thank you," Katerina told the little army of people that were helping her get ready for her wedding. It took them five minutes to pack up and leave.Once they were gone, she turned to look at me. "Any update?""They are working on it," I replied. Katerina was right when she said that Louise Richardson had somehow managed to alter the contract after it had been signed. I had a team of very ta
Pause, Rewind, Play 14. Cages and Freedom
September 2026,Ovzdusia, Soare-Luna KingdomKaterina"Ready?" Dad asked right before we were about to make our entrance.I wasn't but I nodded anyway. We had taken our sweet time to get here but there was still no word from Dimitri. I would have to go in so that no one grows suspicious.The doors opened and the music changed to a slower, softer piece.My grip on Dad's arm tightened as we slowly walked down the aisle. He looked at me in slight concern but I smiled reassuringly. At least I think I did.Each step I took reduced the distance between me and a future that I detested more and more every second. I tried to walk slower than usual, taking more time so that Dimitri would find the blasted contract and get me out of here before I had to endure more of this torture.I could feel the eyes of hundreds of people on me. But the only one that burned my skin was F
Pause, Rewind, Play 15. Closure
September 2026,Ovzdusia, Soare-Luna KingdomKaterina"Don't marry him," Ajax breathed."You're late," I said and his face fell. A small part of me rejoiced in hurting him. I wanted to make him hurt just as much as he had hurt me. But a larger part of me was trying to be a better person. And the first step towards it was being truthful. "I couldn't go through with it. Left him at the altar."He released the breath he was holding. "You didn't marry him.""I didn't marry him." I shook my head.A moment later, I was in his arms, his one hand around my waist and the other one in my hair, angling my head, his own lowering to kiss me.His touch was warm, his hold familiar, and our history unforgettable. He was the first man I ever loved. I could never forget that. But he was also the one who broke my heart. I couldn't forget that either.But caught up in the mo
Pause, Rewind, Play 16. A Deal with the Devil
September 2026,Ovzdusia, Soare-Luna KingdomDimitri‘I love you, Ajax.’I stared down at Felix, Louise, and Walter Richardson.Felix looked at me and his eyes lit with recognition. But before he could say anything, his father spoke. "What is the meaning of this?! Why did you drag us out of our rooms and force us to come here?""The three of you are under arrest for blackmailing Katerina Van Acker into marrying Felix Richardson.""What?!" Walter raged. "We did no such thing!"Louise and Felix flinched. Ah. So this was the handiwork of the mother and son duo."Do you two want to tell him the truth or should I?" I asked them. Louise looked at me pleadingly before she realized that I wasn't going to budge.Begrudgingly, she turned to her husband. "Kate had initially rejected Felix's proposal and then had broken up with him. I migh
Pause, Rewind, Play 17. Explanation
September 2026,Ovzdusia, Soare-Luna KingdomKaterina"I suppose I owe you guys an explanation," I said as I looked at my family."No, you don't." Konstantin gave me a comforting smile. "As long as you're happy, we're happy, Kate."Mother shot him a look and totally ignored what he said. She looked at me and started airing her face with her hands, trying to dry out her nonexistent tears. "I just don't understand why you would do this to me! What have I ever done to you? Why are you acting out like this? This was your wedding, Kate! Wedding!ToFelix Richardson!"With the way she was acting, you would assume that she had been the one who was left at the altar."I mean, where are you going to find a guy better than him? Who could possibly love you more than him? How are you going to find a family better thantheRichards
Pause, Rewind, Play 18. History and Future
September 2026,Ovzdusia, Soare-Luna KingdomAlyannaI looked at Jay's hand. My hand was resting in his and his thumb was caressing my knuckles.Back and forth. Back and forth.Again. And again.Our hands still fit perfectly.I knew in my heart that this was a moment I would remember forever. The day I reunited with Jay.His eyes still looked into mine like I was the only person he saw. Like nothing else mattered. This moment felt unreal. I had dreamed of it for so long that it was still hard to believe that this was finally happening.Jay brought my hand up to his mouth and pressed a kiss on my knuckles. "I missed this.""Oh my fucking God," Andrei groaned. "I'm going to barf and then throw myself out of the fucking window.""No one asked you to be here," I said, irritated that he was ruining my moment with Jay. "Leave!""Go where? A
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