THE HEIRESS THEY NEVER WANTED

The beautiful bride, Nadia Laurent, stood before the grand doors of the hall, her fingers tightly wrapped around the bouquet of white roses in her hands.

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

The day she would finally marry the man she loved.

She had imagined this moment countless times—the doors opening, the music filling the hall, and Owen Donovan walking toward her with a smile that promised forever.

But the doors remained closed.

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

Then twenty.

The whispers started before Nadia even realized something was wrong.

The guests exchanged uncomfortable glances. Some looked at their watches, while others leaned closer to each other, murmuring behind their hands.

"Where is the groom?"

"Did something happen?"

"Could he have changed his mind?"

Each word felt like a tiny crack forming in Nadia's heart.

She forced herself to remain calm.

Owen would come.

He had promised her.

Thirty minutes passed, and the smile on Nadia's face slowly disappeared. Her grip on the bouquet tightened until her fingers turned pale.

Just when she thought she could no longer endure the embarrassment, the church doors finally opened.

A wave of relief washed over her.

But it disappeared the moment she saw who walked in.

Owen Donovan stepped inside, dressed in his expensive black suit, but there was no happiness on his face.

And he wasn't alone.

Behind him stood Daphne Laurent.

Nadia's younger sister.

The entire church fell silent.

Confusion spread among the guests as they looked between the groom and the bride.

Nadia stared at them, unable to understand what she was seeing.

Owen slowly walked toward the altar, his expression filled with guilt.

"Nadia..." he began.

Her heart sank at the way he said her name.

"I am sorry, but I can't get married to you."

The words echoed through the church.

A cold feeling spread through Nadia's body.

"What?"

Owen looked at Daphne, and the tenderness in his eyes was something Nadia had never seen before.

"Because I am deeply in love with Daphne, and she is carrying my child."

The moment the words left his mouth, the church exploded with gasps.

Nadia froze.

For a few seconds, she couldn't breathe.

She looked at Owen.

Then at Daphne.

Then back at Owen.

No.

This had to be a nightmare.

"You are lying..." Nadia whispered, shaking her head. "Right?"

Daphne stepped forward, tears already falling down her face.

"I am sorry, Nadia. I never wanted to hurt you, but I love him. Owen and I... we have been together for three years."

Nadia felt as if the ground beneath her feet had disappeared.

Three years.

The same three years she had spent loving Owen.

"What are you talking about?" Nadia's voice trembled. "Daphne, you are my sister."

"I know," Daphne cried. "And I am sorry."

"Sorry?" Nadia laughed bitterly, tears gathering in her eyes. "You stand here on my wedding day, with the man I was supposed to marry, and all you can say is sorry?"

The church became painfully quiet.

Before Daphne could answer, their mother, Evelyn Laurent, stepped forward.

"Nadia, calm down."

Nadia slowly turned toward her.

There was fear in her mother's eyes.

"Your sister is two months pregnant."

Nadia stared at her.

The betrayal suddenly became heavier.

Because there was one question burning in her mind.

"Mom..."

Her voice broke.

"You knew?"

Evelyn looked away.

And that silence was enough.

Nadia felt her heart shatter.

"Mom, you knew about this?"

No one answered.

Not Owen.

Not Daphne.

Not even her mother.

And in that moment, Nadia realized the people she had trusted the most had already chosen someone else over her.

A broken sob escaped her lips.

Unable to bear another second of the humiliation, Nadia turned and ran out of the hall. Ignoring the voices calling her name, she lifted the hem of her wedding gown and rushed down the corridor until she reached the bridal suite that had been prepared for her.

The moment she stepped inside, she slammed the door shut behind her, and the tears she had been holding back poured down uncontrollably.

A few moments later, the door to the bridal suite opened.

Nadia quickly wiped at her tears.

Her heart leaped.

Maybe...

Maybe her parents had come to tell her there had been a misunderstanding.

Maybe they had come to stand by her.

Her mother, Evelyn Laurent, hurried over and gently held her shoulders.

"My poor daughter..."

The warmth in her mother's voice shattered the wall Nadia had built around herself.

She threw herself into Evelyn's arms and sobbed.

"Mom..." she cried. "How could they do this to me? Owen was supposed to marry me today. Daphne is my sister. Why would she do this?"

Evelyn gently stroked her hair.

"It's alright. Calm down first."

For a brief moment, Nadia felt safe.

Then Evelyn slowly pulled away.

"There is something we need to discuss."

Nadia frowned.

"What is it?"

Just then, Vincent Laurent stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind him.

He sighed heavily before looking at his eldest daughter.

"Nadia... Daphne is only twenty-one. She's young and made a terrible mistake."

Nadia stared at him.

"A mistake?"

"Dad, she didn't accidentally fall in love with my fiancé. They hid their relationship from me for three years."

Vincent lowered his eyes.

"I know."

"And you still call it a mistake?"

Silence.

Evelyn took a deep breath.

"Daphne is carrying Owen's child."

"I know!" Nadia cried. "She announced it in front of everyone!"

"Then you also know they have to get married."

Nadia blinked.

"...What?"

"If they don't," Evelyn continued calmly, "people will ridicule Daphne. They'll call her shameless. They'll say she trapped a man before marriage."

Nadia couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"So..."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

"You're asking me to give up my fiancé?"

"No," Evelyn corrected gently.

"I'm asking you to think about your sister."

Nadia's eyes widened.

"My sister?"

"The scandal will destroy her future."

Vincent nodded.

"And it won't stop there. Once the media gets hold of this, the Laurent family's reputation will suffer. Our company's shareholders will lose confidence. We can't allow that to happen."

Nadia slowly stood up.

"So that's what this is about."

"The family."

"The company."

"But not me."

"Nadia—"

"No!"

Her voice echoed through the room.

"I was the one left waiting at the altar."

"I was the one humiliated in front of hundreds of guests."

"I was the one betrayed by my fiancé and my own sister."

She looked directly at her parents, tears streaming down her face.

"And the first thing you ask me to do is sacrifice myself for the people who destroyed me?"

Neither of them answered.

Evelyn finally spoke.

"You're the elder sister."

"You've always protected Daphne."

"This time is no different."

Nadia let out a hollow laugh.

"So my happiness doesn't matter?"

"It does," Vincent said quietly.

"But Daphne needs Owen more than you do."

Those words ripped through Nadia's heart.

"My dear," Evelyn said softly, reaching for her hand, "don't worry. You're beautiful, kind, and capable. One day you'll find another man who loves you."

"But Owen..."

She paused.

"...belongs with Daphne now."

Nadia stared at the two people standing before her.

The people who had raised her.

The people she believed would always protect her.

She searched their faces for even the slightest sign that they regretted what they were saying.

There was none.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Tell me something."

"If I were the one carrying Owen's child instead of Daphne..."

"...would you still ask me to give him up?"

The room fell silent.

Silence.

Neither Evelyn nor Vincent answered.

Their silence was louder than any words.

Nadia slowly nodded as another tear slid down her face.

"I understand now."

She forced a bitter smile.

"I was never the daughter you would choose."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out of the bridal suite.

Behind her, her parents didn't call her back.

Not once.

The door clicked shut.

And with it, the last piece of Nadia Laurent's heart broke.