Semua Bab The bride's stand-In: Bab 41 - Bab 50

Evelyn did not move. She could not even blink. She stood there, frozen in place, unable to tear her gaze away from the man who had occupied her thoughts for the past few days.Michael.The man who had promised to fetch her, the man whose absence she had excused and justified with every logical reason she could think of, now stood before her—escorting another woman.A woman draped in an opulent gown of shimmering silver, her every movement fluid, as though she had been sculpted by the gods themselves. Her hand rested delicately on Michael’s arm, fingers curling around his sleeve with the kind of ease and familiarity that twisted something deep inside Evelyn’s chest.She had thought… no, she had assumed that he was simply caught up with his responsibilities. That something important had demanded his attention, pulling him away from their planned meeting.But this?This was not duty.This was not work.This was Michael, dressed in a sharply tailored black suit, exuding an effortless eleg

Michael's gaze remained steady on Evelyn as he spoke, his voice low and commanding."Sleep."The next thing she knew, she was lying back against the plush mattress, her body sinking into its warmth as if guided by an unseen force. There had been no tangible push, no rough handling, yet she was certain she hadn't made the motion herself. A strange sensation crawled down her spine, leaving her both confused and unnerved. Had she imagined it? Was it merely exhaustion playing tricks on her mind?Her brows furrowed as she blinked up at him, trying to make sense of what had just happened. But Michael, ever the enigma, gave her no answers. Instead, he reached for the blanket, his movements slow and deliberate, pulling it up to cover her all the way to her neck. There was something unsettling about the way he did it—not unkind, but almost… possessive.Then he stepped back, shoving one hand into his pocket, his expression unreadable."I'll fetch you tomorrow morning. Seven, sharp."Evelyn stil

“There is no one who can stop this wedding from happening today either—unless one of us backs out.”Michael’s words hung in the air, an invisible weight pressing down on Evelyn’s chest. Just when she had begun to believe, even for a fleeting second, that things might finally move forward without resistance, he pulled her right back into uncertainty.Her breath, which had been teetering on the edge of relief, caught in her throat. The tension she had been about to release coiled tightly inside her again.There he goes again…Michael was like a puppeteer with an unseen string, controlling her emotions with unsettling precision. One moment, he lifted her up, filling her with air, and the next, he let her deflate, sending her crashing back down. Was this a game to him? A twisted way to test her resolve?Her mind, prone to spiraling thoughts, latched onto the worst possibilities. Was this a hint? Was he subtly telling her that he could still change his mind? That he might walk away before

There was something utterly captivating about the woman standing before Evelyn. It wasn’t just her beauty, though that was undeniable. There was something else—something in the way she carried herself, in the warmth radiating from her very presence. Evelyn found herself staring, an odd sense of familiarity prickling at the back of her mind. Had she… seen this woman before?“Hello, dear…” The woman’s voice was soft, sweet—like the gentle hum of a lullaby long forgotten. Evelyn’s lips parted slightly, but no words came. She found herself caught in the depths of the woman’s eyes—dark, yet filled with an emotion so deep and brimming with something that made her chest tighten.“I’m Abigail,” she introduced herself, her smile tender and welcoming. “I’m so happy to meet you, Evelyn…”Before Evelyn could respond, Abigail spread her arms and wrapped her in a warm embrace. It was unexpected, lingering longer than a mere polite greeting. There was a quiet intensity to it, as if the woman were ho

Dinner that night had been another moment of quiet joy for Evelyn. A feeling so rare in her life that she scarcely knew what to do with it. She had spent years surrounded by cold glances and sharp words, where laughter was a fragile thing that never lasted. But tonight, it felt different—genuine. The warmth of the Reign family wrapped around her like a long-forgotten embrace, and for the first time in years, she allowed herself to bask in it.She had never thought herself the kind of person to envy another’s life, but as she watched the easy way they teased each other, how love wove itself into even the smallest interactions, a quiet ache settled in her chest. Was this what family was supposed to feel like? She had almost forgotten.Lost in conversation with Abigail and the others, Evelyn had momentarily let her guard down, forgetting even the man she was bound to by marriage. It wasn’t until she turned her head—still smiling—that her gaze met Michael’s across the table. He had been w