Se connecterIsla's POV:I stood in the guest room at Eleanor's estate while Patricia helped me into the wedding dress.My hands shook slightly as she worked with the zipper. "You're trembling," Patricia said gently."I know. I can't help it.""That's normal. I was the same at my wedding."The dress slid into place perfectly. The alterations had been done well. It fit like it was made specifically for me.Eleanor entered with the veil. It was a simple elegant piece that completed the look without overwhelming it.She adjusted it carefully on my head, stepping back to look at me with tears in her eyes."You look beautiful," she said. "Absolutely radiant. Callum is incredibly fortunate.""Thank you for everything," I said. "For accepting me, for helping plan all of this, for –""For welcoming you into our family," Eleanor finished. "Which is exactly what you are now. My daughter in every way that matters."Patricia added my mother's bracelet to my wrist.Looking at the bracelet made me think about
Isla's POV:Wednesday evening I stayed at Eleanor's estate while Callum remained at the penthouse with Rosie.Traditional separation before the ceremony felt right despite everything unconventional about our relationship.We had one last night as single people before committing forever.Eleanor made tea and we sat in the garden as evening light faded. The air was cool and peaceful, which was a stark contrast to the chaos of the past weeks."How are you feeling?" Eleanor asked."Nervous and excited. A little overwhelmed.""That's normal. I felt the same before marrying Callum's father."She was quiet for a moment, sipping her tea."Marriage is choosing each other repeatedly," she said. "The wedding is beautiful but the real commitment happens in a thousand small decisions. Choosing to stay during difficult conversations, choosing patience when you're frustrated and choosing love even during mundane moments."I listened, grateful for wisdom from someone who'd lived it."You've survived
Isla's POV:Eleanor took me dress shopping Monday morning."Three days until the wedding," she said. "Time to find the perfect dress."Normally this would take months, try dozens of dresses, order one, wait for alterations but circumstances demanded speed.The boutique owner was a friend of Eleanor's. She'd opened early just for us, providing private appointment away from other customers and potential media.I walked into the shop feeling surreal about the whole experience.In my previous timeline, Margot had chosen my wedding dress. White, elaborate, princess-style gown that made me look like a doll being displayed. I'd hated it but had no say.This time I got to choose.The owner, Catherine, had pulled several options based on what Eleanor had described about my style.I tried on the first dress. There was too much lace and I personally thought it was too fussy.The second was better but still not right. It was too formal and too stiff.The third dress made me stop and stare at my
Isla's POV:Eleanor insisted on a bachelorette celebration Saturday despite the rushed timeline."You're only getting married once," she said. "We're celebrating properly."She arranged spa day for me, herself, Patricia, and Sophie and Maria from work. Rosie was included for part of it because she refused to be left out.We met at an exclusive spa that Eleanor had rented for private use. There were no other clients, no media, just us.The day started with massages. I lay on the table trying to relax while skilled hands worked out tension I'd been carrying for weeks.This was happening. In one week I'd be married to Callum for real.The thought made me smile into the face cradle.After massages we moved to a private room for facials and manicures. Rosie sat beside me getting her nails painted pink with sparkles."You're going to be the prettiest bride ever," she declared."Thank you, sweetheart.""And I'm going to be the best flower girl.""I know you will."The conversation flowed na
Callum's POV:Saturday morning we started making the wedding actually happen.Eleanor called at eight AM, already working."I've secured the garden at my estate for a week from today," she said. "Weather looks good. I'm contacting caterers and florists now.""A week?" I said. "I thought we said two weeks.""Why wait? Everything can be ready in a week if we move fast."She was right. Why wait and give Declan and Sienna more time to interfere?"Okay. One week. Next Saturday.""Perfect. I'll handle logistics. You handle the legal paperwork."I called my lawyer David immediately after."I need a marriage license expedited," I said."How expedited?""Wedding is in one week."There was a brief pause. "I'll make it happen. Come to my office this afternoon with Isla and we'll get everything filed."My position and resources made bureaucracy move quickly. Things that normally took months happened in days.The guest list finaliz
Isla's POV:Sienna made her move Friday afternoon.A video appeared on her social media accounts.It was twenty minutes long.She was sitting in soft lighting with tissues nearby, looking vulnerable and sad.I watched it with growing disgust.She started by crying about how the scandal had affected her mental health, how she'd been unfairly vilified for caring about her sister and how hard it was to watch someone you love destroy themselves and your family."I know Isla has been through a lot," Sienna said, wiping tears. "Our childhood wasn't perfect. I'm not denying that. But I think maybe some of the accusations were exaggerated due to trauma and misunderstanding."The manipulation was sophisticated.She didn't outright deny the affair or claim the evidence was fake. She just reframed everything as misunderstanding blown out of proportion."Declan and I were friends," she said carefully. "We got close during a difficult time. Maybe our
Isla's POV:I arrived at the coffee shop twenty minutes early because I couldn't sit still at home any longer.The place was quiet on Saturday morning, just a few people scattered at tables with their laptops and coffee.I chose a table in the back corner where I could see the entrance and waited,
Callum's POV:Tomorrow was the board meeting.Tomorrow I'd either save my company or watch everything I'd built over the past decade crumble.The presentation sat on my laptop, ready to go. Every piece of evidence organized and documented.My legal team had prepared for every possible angle Gerald
Isla's POV:My hands were shaking as I pulled up the cloud storage account I'd created years ago and barely used.I uploaded the document, watching the progress bar crawl across the screen with agonizing slowness. Eventually, the upload finished. I checked twice to make sure it was there, safely
Isla's POV:I woke up before the sun.My eyes opened in the dark and for a moment I just lay there, staring at the ceiling and listening to the house settle around me.I heard no voices through the wall this time,just heavy silence, thick and heavy, the kind that presses down on you until you have







