Chapter 2

I didn't know how long I had been standing in the rain...

Not until Andy finally walked out of that room.

When he saw me, he immediately put some distance between himself and Sonia, who was following behind him. He approached me with his familiar, gentle smile, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Why are you standing out here in the cold? Aren't you worried you'll catch a cold?"

He took off his jacket and put it over my shoulders.

"Come on, the family dinner's about to start. Don't keep the Don waiting."

The car took us into the family estate. Andy held my hand as we walked into the hall.

"Where have you been these past few days? You didn't even send me a message," I asked quietly.

"You've always wanted a custom dress from a master designer, right? I went to Manil to find him in the past few days. I left in such a hurry, I forgot to tell you," he replied.

I looked up at him. "So, where's the dress?"

The smile on his face was as perfect as ever. "It's not ready yet. Maybe we'll just save it to use as your wedding dress."

I managed a smile, but it never reached my eyes.

The dance began.

Sonia showed up fashionably late.

The moment she appeared at the entrance, the entire hall fell silent. She was wearing the wedding dress I had always dreamed of, stunning and radiant. It was so beautiful that everyone was left breathless.

As soon as Sonia spotted Andy, she hurried toward us. In her rush, she stumbled and twisted her ankle, falling to the floor and scraping her knee.

"How can you be so careless!"

Andy couldn't hold back anymore and rushed over. He took out his handkerchief and gently wiped the blood and dirt from Sonia's knee.

It was the handkerchief I had knitted for his birthday last year. He had never let it out of his sight. Now, it was stained with another woman's blood.

"I'm fine, Andy... It just hurts a little," Sonia said, her voice shaky as she sobbed.

Right then, the music started. All around us, the other couples began to lead their partners onto the dance floor.

Andy met my eyes, offering just the right amount of apology. "Leona, I'll take Sonia to get her wound treated first. Wait for me. I'll be back soon to dance with you."

He left me with those words as he helped Sonia up before quickly leaving the hall with her.

Couples after couples began their dances in each other's arms.

I sat alone in a corner, my hands clenched tightly in my lap. No one came near me. I could feel the stares. Some were sympathetic, some pitying, but most were sneering at me.

"Wow, even being the Don's adopted daughter couldn't help her keep her fiancé?"

"I heard a long time ago that it was a political marriage. She was just a pawn to keep Andy in the Family."

"How pathetic... Andy dumped her in front of everyone. He must really have had enough of her."

Their whispers pierced my heart.

I stood there the whole night, and Andy never came back.

The next morning, he rushed into my room, only relaxing when he saw I was there.

"Sorry, Leona. There was trouble at the casino on the West Side last night, and then my car broke down. That's why I couldn't go join you."

I didn't hear a word he said. My eyes were fixed on the silk scarf around his neck...and the faint reddish marks it barely covered.

...Were those what I thought they were?

I reached out, wanting to touch the scarf. Andy immediately jerked back, pulling it tighter.

"Does the scarf look strange? It's part of a blessing ritual for our marriage... It was supposed to bring happiness. I have to wear it before the wedding, so I can't take it off."

He lied so smoothly, as if it didn't need any effort to make things up at all.

I lowered my eyes and clenched my fists, barely holding back my tears. "It does look a little odd. It's crooked… Let me fix it for you."

"Don't touch it, or the blessing won't work!" His voice suddenly rose, eyes darting away from mine. "Anyway, don't you still need a pearl necklace to go with your dress? I've already booked the bay that produced the best pearls. Let's go pick out some pearls ourselves."

After changing the subject, he quickly turned and went outside to wait for me.

I tilted my head back and squeezed my eyes shut, but the tears still fell.

When I had changed and gone out, Andy had made sure the scarf covered his neck in its entirety.

As soon as we arrived at the bay, I heard shouting from the beach in the distance.

I looked up, and there was Sonia again.