Dorian’s POVThe police officer stepped forward, his voice steady and professional. “We received a report,” he said, loud enough for the entire banquet hall to hear. “It was about a man who had been illegally detained… and beaten.”Whispers started again. Phones came back up. Eyes widened.The officer didn’t stop. “After thorough investigation, we traced the report and gathered evidence. We’re here to arrest the person responsible for the illegal imprisonment and assault.”Then, slowly, the officers turned… and walked straight toward me.I stepped forward, meeting the lead officer halfway. His face softened when he saw me.“Mr. Dorian,” he said quietly. “Can you confirm that you were the one who sent in the report?”I nodded. “Yes,” I replied simply.“Can you walk me through what happened? From your perspective?” he asked, his tone still calm.“I’ll tell you everything,” I said.I told him about the threats. The cover-ups. The silence money. The beatings. The false suicide act. The ma
Dorian’s POVI stood there, watching Alora’s family squirm.Her oh-so-perfect parents looking pale like they’d seen a ghost… or maybe like they’d just realized the mask they wore for years was finally cracking in front of the whole world.And honestly? It was satisfying.I smiled.Finally, everyone was seeing it for what it really was.The crowd inside the hall was still trying to recover from the video. Some were whispering. Some were full-on gossiping. Others just stared at Alora like they’d never really seen her until now.The camera then moved across the guests, searching for something. Or someone.Then, it landed on him.The photographer.The one Alora had panicked about earlier—just before the wedding started. She didn’t want him inside the hall. Said she was “worried” he was from some sketchy media group.Little did she know I invited him over myself and made everything seem like he was part of a media team.He was sitting quietly in the corner, his head slightly lowered. The
Candice’s POVThe video kept playing.Even with Alora screaming her lungs out and begging Dorian to shut it down, the screen stayed bright, and the sound stayed loud. There was no going back now.On-screen, the man finally loosened his grip from Alora’s neck. She coughed, gasping for air, her hands trembling. He stood back, breathing heavily. “I’m not just gonna stand by and let you kill my child, Alora,” the man said, his voice low and broken. “You promised me… and now you wanna erase everything like it never happened?”Alora wiped her tears roughly, shaking her head. “It’s gone,” she said, her voice weak. “The child is gone. I already did it, okay? There’s nothing left. So just… just leave.”The man’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”“I’m not.”“I know you didn’t go through with it,” he snapped. “I know everything, Alora. You think I wouldn’t find out? I’ve seen the clinic records. They said you never showed up. Never took the pills. Never did anything.”Alora looked away, silent.“J
Candice’s POVJust as the vows ended, the priest stepped forward, holding his holy book and smiling like this was the happiest day of his life.“If there is anyone here,” he began in that serious, dramatic voice, “who believes these two should not be joined together in holy matrimony… let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”I blinked at the TV screen. My lips parted a little.Alora immediately turned her head and looked around the hall like a scared rabbit. Her hands tensed around Dorian’s arm. Her eyes filled with fear. I could practically feel her anxiety through the screen.And I couldn’t help it—I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they’d stay that way.“Oh please,” I muttered, half-laughing, half-pissed. “If I wasn’t stuck in this damn hospital bed, I swear I would’ve marched into that wedding in heels and shouted, ‘I OBJECT!’ right in that priest’s wrinkled face.”I threw a pillow across the bed.But of course, no one in that fairy-tale wedding hall said a word.The prie
Candice's POVI was lying in the hospital bed, one hand gently on my stomach, the other holding the TV remote. The screen in front of me showed the wedding live. Or, I suppose I should say the "planned" wedding, since Dorian had made it clear it was all part of a bigger picture. Even knowing that, my chest felt a little tight.The TV showed Dorian standing next to Alora. He was carefully adjusting her white dress and helping her sit comfortably in her wheelchair. He leaned in close, whispering something that made her giggle softly. Then he smiled—that smile, the one that always made my heart flutter.My lips pressed together. "Really?" I mumbled under my breath, pressing the volume button. It wasn't going to change the fact that I was watching this fairytale.There he was again, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face, laughing with her as if they were truly deeply in love. Oh, goodness. I rolled my eyes so much as I took a deep breath. "If I could just wish for something,"
Dorian’s POVHer face had gone pale, her breathing quickened, and now… she was acting as if the man posed some kind of serious threat to our wedding. I turned to her slowly, a gentle frown on my face. “Alora,” I said softly, “why are you so against the camera guy being inside? What’s wrong? Do you know him from somewhere?” I watched her carefully, wondering if she'd confess.She blinked rapidly, clearly searching for an answer. Her cheeks flushed a deeper red, and I noticed a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead despite the cool air. She shook her head quickly.“No, I don’t,” she said, her voice a little too quick. “I just… I felt a bit nervous. He looked… unsettling.”“I was worried he might be one of those people from a gossip blog—you know, those unauthorized media folks who try to slip into weddings just to get sensational photos.”You understand how they operate, right?” She looked up at me, trying to sound convincing.“They twist stories, invent falsehoods. I just didn’t want