The church smelled of white lilies and secrets.
My heart should have been racing with joy, my lips ready to smile at the man I had loved for years. Instead, my fingers trembled against the silk of my gown, and my stomach churned as if I'd swallowed ice.
Because standing at the altar… was not Ethan.
The man in the black tuxedo had the same sharp jawline, the same tall, commanding presence, but his eyes cold, steel-blue were not the warm green I knew so well.
Adrian Whitmore. Ethan's older brother.
I froze mid-step, my veil brushing against my cheeks as I stared at him. This wasn't a mistake. This wasn't a prank. My father's hand pressed lightly against my back, urging me forward. My legs moved, but my mind screamed.
"Smile," my mother's voice hissed from the first pew. "Everyone's watching."
My throat burned, but I curved my lips into something that looked like a smile one that probably fooled no one.
I wanted to ask what was going on. I wanted to scream for Ethan. But the moment my eyes scanned the crowd, my heart stopped.
He was there.
Ethan stood in the last pew, wearing a dark suit that looked as though he had thrown it on in a hurry. His hair was slightly tousled, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might crack. And his eyes… God, his eyes burned into me with an intensity I'd never seen before.
Not love. Not pain.Hatred.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to look away before the weight of his gaze crushed me.
The priest began to speak, his words echoing inside the cathedral's high, arched ceiling. I heard nothing. My pulse roared in my ears, drowning out everything except the sharp inhale I took when Adrian's hand reached for mine.
His grip was firm. Unyielding.
"You look beautiful," he murmured low enough that only I could hear.
I didn't answer. I couldn't. My voice would crack, my composure would crumble, and the whole charade would fall apart before it even began.
"…Do you, Adrian Whitmore, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do." His voice was steady, deep, as if this was nothing unusual. As if stealing his brother's bride was just another business deal.
"And do you, Elena Carter"
My lips parted, but hesitation clawed at my throat. My eyes flicked toward the back of the church again. Ethan's fists were clenched at his sides. He looked like he was one breath away from charging forward.
Say no. Just say no.
But my mother's sharp gaze cut into me like a blade. My father's proud, expectant smile bore down on me. The Whitmores were a powerful family; crossing them now could destroy the Carters.
My lungs constricted. My fingers dug into Adrian's palm.
"I… do."
The words tasted like betrayal.
The priest smiled, oblivious to the war raging in my chest. "You may kiss the bride."
Adrian stepped closer. The scent of his cologne rich, expensive, intoxicating filled my senses. His lips brushed against mine, soft but commanding, as the guests erupted into polite applause. My body was stiff, my lips unmoving.
When he pulled back, his eyes searched mine for something I couldn't give. Then, almost imperceptibly, the corners of his mouth curved in what might have been satisfaction.
The choir began to sing. Guests stood, clapping and smiling, unaware or perhaps uncaring of the storm brewing in the last pew.
Because Ethan was no longer standing still.
He stepped out from the shadows, walking slowly down the aisle not toward us, but toward the church doors. His gaze never left mine. Every step felt like a countdown to something inevitable.
When he reached the doors, he stopped. The golden light from outside spilled over him, framing him like an angel fallen from grace. His lips moved, and though his voice was too low for anyone else to hear, the words slammed into me like a gunshot.
"I will make you regret this."
Then he walked out, the heavy doors closing behind him with a thundering finality that echoed through my bones.
And as the applause faded, all I could hear was the sound of my own heart breaking.
The echo of the doors slamming shut still rang in my ears, even as the organ music swelled and the guests began to stand.
I tried to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. But every breath felt wrong like my lungs were filling with something heavy and poisonous.
Adrian's hand remained over mine as he guided me down the aisle. We walked as though nothing had just happened, as though Ethan's departure hadn't sliced the air in two. My smile felt carved in stone, brittle enough to shatter if anyone looked too closely.
I didn't dare. I couldn't face my parents, or the whispers I was sure were already forming among the guests. I kept my eyes fixed on the crimson carpet beneath my feet, counting each step until we reached the grand double doors that led outside.
The sunlight was almost blinding. Photographers waited beyond the church gates, their cameras clicking like ravenous insects. Flash after flash burst before my eyes, forcing me to plaster that same false smile across my face.
"Mrs. Whitmore, over here!""Adrian, give us a kiss!"
I felt Adrian's arm slide around my waist, his palm pressing firmly against the small of my back. His grip wasn't gentle it was a claim, a silent warning to the world that I belonged to him now. He tilted his head, his lips brushing mine again in front of the cameras. The kiss was longer this time, deeper. My stomach twisted.
When he finally pulled back, he kept his hand at my waist as we descended the steps toward the waiting car. I glanced up at him, hoping for a flicker of explanation, but his expression was unreadable.
Inside the limousine, the sound of the crowd faded, replaced by the muted hum of the engine. The air between us was thick, suffocating.
I couldn't take it anymore."What just happened?" My voice was sharper than I intended, but I didn't care.
Adrian didn't answer immediately. His gaze was fixed out the tinted window, watching the city blur past. Finally, he said, "What happened was necessary."
"Necessary?" My laugh was bitter, shaky. "You took your brother's place at our wedding. Do you have any idea"
"I know exactly what I did." He turned to face me, his eyes cold enough to freeze my spine. "And you will too, in time."
I clenched my fists in my lap. "I didn't choose this. I didn't choose you."
"No," he agreed calmly. "But you are mine now."
The words lodged in my throat like glass.
Before I could respond, the car slowed, pulling up in front of the Whitmore Estate an expanse of glass and stone that loomed over perfectly manicured gardens. The place was beautiful in the way a predator is beautiful: sleek, impressive… dangerous.
The reception was already in full swing. Guests mingled under a massive white tent, sipping champagne, their laughter and chatter a grating background noise to the chaos in my head. Every time I met someone's eyes, I wondered if they knew.
The toasts began. My father spoke first, his voice brimming with pride as he called Adrian "the perfect match" for his daughter. I forced a smile, raising my glass when expected. My mother, seated beside Charles Whitmore, looked like the cat who had finally caught the canary.
I kept searching for Ethan, even though I knew he was gone. A foolish part of me expected him to storm back in, to stop all of this before it went any further. But the doors stayed closed.
When it was Adrian's turn to speak, he stood tall, his presence commanding attention. His hand rested lightly on my shoulder as he thanked the guests for sharing in our "special day." I caught the faintest smirk curling his lips when his eyes swept the room as if he knew he'd already won some unspoken battle.
After the speeches, the dancing began. Adrian led me to the floor for the first dance as husband and wife.
The music was slow, romantic, completely at odds with the rigid space between our bodies. I kept my eyes lowered, avoiding his gaze. His hand at my waist was warm, his movements precise, practiced this wasn't his first time performing for a crowd.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low enough that no one else could hear."Ethan won't let this go."
I looked up sharply. "Then why"
"Because," he cut in, his tone almost bored, "you are safer with me than you ever would be with him."
Safer. The word rattled in my skull, raising more questions than it answered.
The rest of the reception blurred into meaningless small talk and endless photos. By the time we escaped to the car again, my cheeks ached from smiling, my feet throbbed from standing in heels, and my head pounded with unanswered questions.
The drive back to the estate was silent. Adrian didn't try to speak again, and I didn't have the energy to push him.
When the gates closed behind us and the massive front doors opened, I felt a shiver run down my spine. This wasn't just a house it was a fortress.
And now, I was trapped inside it.
As Adrian helped me from the car, I glanced back toward the darkened street beyond the gates. For a moment, I thought I saw a shadow move tall, broad-shouldered, watching us from the distance. My pulse spiked, my breath catching in my throat.
But when I blinked, the shadow was gone.
Still, the chill remained. Ethan's last words echoed in my mind like a curse.
I will make you regret this.