"Where are the brides?! We've been waiting for almost two hours! Are you mocking the respectable Kingsley family?!" Albert's voice thundered through the opulent yet tense living room of the Walker residence, his face flushed with impatience and anger. He stood toe-to-toe with Tony Walker, who could only offer weak excuses.
Tony Walker wiped the cold sweat beading on his temple, his forced smile trembling at the edges. "No, of course we wouldn't dare insult the Kingsley family. You understand, the bride needs ample time to prepare her makeup." He tried to steady his voice, unaware his knee was shaking slightly beneath his fine trousers. "My daughter must look perfect to stand beside Mr. Gabriel. Please, just a little more patience."
CRASH!
Albert's fury erupted. He kicked the low mahogany table in front of him, sending a beautifully arranged platter of refreshments and delicate porcelain cups flying. The sound of shattering china echoed sharply in the large room, making the hovering servants flinch. "Enough! Two hours is more than enough! I will drag your daughter to the altar this instant, or you and your entire family will be erased!"
"But, Mr. Albert, my daughter—" Tony's protest was cut off.
"Felix!" Albert barked, not turning his glare from Tony. "Go to the girl's room! Drag her out! I don't care if she looks beautiful or is dressed like a clown! Mr. Gabriel must not be kept waiting any longer!"
A towering man in a sharply tailored black suit nodded curtly. Felix, with a face like carved stone, motioned to two other similarly dressed men. The trio moved with grim purpose, their polished shoes clicking ominously against the marble floor as they headed for the grand staircase.
---
In the bridal chamber—Marsha Walker's old room, now feeling like a gilded cage—Marie Walker paced frantically. The plush carpet bore the marks of her anxious steps. The room was lavishly decorated, a testament to the life meant for her firstborn, but now it felt hollow and suffocating.
"Time is running out. What will I tell Mr. Gabriel if he discovers Marsha died last night in an accident?" The terrifying truth was that Marsha had met a tragic end in a car crash just hours before. Her death was a desperate secret, buried by the Walkers to avoid sparking the infamous wrath of the Kingsleys, who would see a broken promise as the ultimate insult.
"Why hasn't she arrived yet?" Marie muttered, nervously biting her thumbnail to the quick. She and Tony had scrambled to find a random girl, paying a hefty sum for her to pretend to be Marsha. Their family's survival was the stake. But the hired replacement was nowhere to be found.
Knock! Knock! KNOCK!
The violent pounding on the door made Marie's heart leap into her throat. She nearly stumbled.
"Open this door! Where is the girl?! Are you trying to play games with us, huh?!" Felix's gruff voice boomed from the hallway, twisting Marie's fear into a tighter knot. A cold sweat broke out on her skin.
"Oh, God, please, spare me and my family." Marie clasped her hands tightly over her chest in a futile prayer, hoping against hope the Kingsleys wouldn't execute her and Tony once the missing bride was discovered.
"Open up! Before I break it down!"
Marie's trembling hand was inches from the ornate door handle when a soft, almost imperceptible sound came from the direction of the room's balcony. Her head snapped towards it, eyes wide with fresh fear.
"Who… who's there?"
She hurriedly grabbed a long, heavy umbrella from a corner, hefting it like a makeshift weapon. What if one of Kingsley's men had come through the balcony? The large window slid open from the outside, but the movement was whisper-quiet, expertly avoiding the notice of the black-suited men swarming the house.
"Mother, it's me."
Marie's breath hitched. A figure clad in dark, form-fitting attire slipped through the window with a fluid, graceful motion. The girl removed a sleek black mask, revealing a strikingly beautiful face, and rushed into Marie's open arms.
"Mother…"
This was Seraphina, Marsha's younger sister, the Walker family's second child whose very existence had been hidden away. From the moment Marsha was born, her path was sealed: she was to marry a Kingsley scion at the appointed time. All their parents' focus and resources were poured into molding Marsha into the perfect, elegant wife for Gabriel Kingsley. Consequently, Seraphina was raised not by her parents, but by Aunt Sonia, a senior nurse in the household.
While Marsha was tutored in etiquette, beauty, culinary arts, knitting, and piano, Seraphina was left to forge her own path. Drawn to martial arts from a young age, she eventually chose the dangerous life of a bounty hunter, a mercenary for hire. Their personalities were stark opposites: Marsha was gentle and soft, while Seraphina was a tough, resilient girl who cherished her freedom above all.
Marie released the embrace and cupped Seraphina's face, her eyes tracing the lovely, determined features that had grown even more captivating over time. "My child…"
"Mother, is it true? Is Marsha really… gone?"
Marie nodded, her expression pained. "Your sister was in a single-car accident last night."
"But… how, Mother? How could this happen?"
"I don't understand either. The police said the brakes on her car failed."
Seraphina fell silent, sinking into a nearby velvet sofa. The room was filled with the remnants of Marsha's life—perfume bottles, silk ribbons, a forgotten book on the bedside table. "Marsha's car was a luxury model, the latest release, a gift from the Kingsley family," Seraphina said, her voice soft yet carrying a subtle, dangerous edge. She lifted her gaze after a moment, her eyes flickering toward the door that continued to shudder under Felix's assault. "Mother, doesn't it seem strange? A high-end vehicle with guaranteed security suddenly malfunctions?"
A cold suspicion settled in Seraphina's mind. This was no simple accident. She vowed to investigate herself, and if her suspicions proved true, she would hunt the culprit to the ends of the earth. For now, she offered Marie a small, reassuring smile and shook her head. "It's nothing, Mother."
"Open this damned door, you wretched woman! What's taking so long?! Do you want me to truly break it down, huh?!" Felix's roar was muffled but clear.
Seraphina's eyes turned icy as they fixed on the door. The insult was not lost on her. She rose to her feet, her movements quick yet unnervingly calm, which instantly sent Marie into a new panic.
"No, Sera! Don't open it!"
Seraphina looked at Marie's terrified face. "Mother, calm down. I will face them and—"
"You may be capable of facing them, but wait. I'm still waiting for the substitute… the woman who will pose as Marsha and marry Mr. Gabriel."
"A substitute?" Seraphina made sure she had heard correctly.
"Yes, a paid stand-in. This marriage cannot be canceled. You know the Kingsleys won't let us off lightly, no matter what happens." Marie cast another frantic glance at the door. "But time is running out, and she hasn't arrived."
"Mother, sending a stranger to impersonate Marsha… isn't that merely delaying our family's execution?" Seraphina reasoned. The Kingsleys were not fools; they would uncover the lie eventually. Their retribution would be far worse if they discovered they had been deceived. Marie's plan was a temporary shield at best.
"Mother, just say what you're thinking," Seraphina urged, seeing the conflict and hesitation written all over Marie's face.
"Sera…" Marie took a shaky breath. "What if… what if you took Marsha's place and married Mr. Gabriel? Perhaps the Kingsleys wouldn't be as enraged if they knew the substitute was still a Walker daughter…" Her words trailed off as she saw Seraphina's expression become utterly impassive, a mask that revealed nothing. "No, forget it. It was a foolish thought, I'm desperate—"
BANG!
The door finally gave way, splintering at the frame as two large men forced it open. Felix strode in, his eyes immediately scanning and assessing Seraphina from head to toe, a sneer curling his lip.
"Well, well. You haven't even started your makeup, and you're dressed in rags. While your face is passable, do you intend to walk to the altar looking like this? It's a blatant insult to the Kingsley family!"
His outrage wasn't entirely unfounded. Seraphina still wore her black tactical pants and a fitted dark t-shirt. Though her beauty was undeniable even in such simple attire, Felix had been waiting for two hours. Why was the bride seemingly unprepared?
If Mr. Gabriel learned of his fiancée's disrespectful conduct, Felix was sure his boss wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in the girl's empty head. Stupid woman!
"Mr. Felix, you misunderstand, this girl isn't—" Marie desperately tried to clarify, unwilling to let Seraphina be forced into the role. She already carried immense guilt for neglecting Seraphina; sacrificing her now for the family's selfish survival would be an unforgivable sin.
But Seraphina didn't let her finish. She raised a hand, calmly cutting Marie off. Her gaze met Felix's, devoid of any fear.
"Of course, I also consider this a serious insult," Seraphina stated coolly, her voice steady. "You wish for me to marry your master, yet you couldn't even provide a suitable gown." Her eyes drifted pointedly towards a mannequin in the corner, displaying a dated, slightly yellowed white wedding dress, its style decades out of fashion.
Felix followed her gaze. Damn it. Even he, a man with little interest in fashion, could see the dress was a relic.
"Stop making excuses. Just wear that dress. Don't be so picky. We have no more time to waste," he growled.
"Very well, I'll wear it. But when the entire world mocks Mr. Gabriel's bride for her antiquated gown, I will not be held responsible." Seraphina began walking toward the mannequin.
Felix's face flushed red, a sting of realization hitting him. Hell, the girl has a point. If Mr. Gabriel was displeased and humiliated by his bride's appearance, Felix would undoubtedly share the blame. Even though the choice of this dreadful dress was the doing of Mr. Gabriel's first wife, Evelyn, Gabriel would never believe it. And rather than blame Evelyn, whom Gabriel cherished, Felix's head would likely roll.
"F-Fine! Wait. I'll have my men find a new dress. Immediately," Felix conceded, his tone losing some of its bluster.
Seraphina regarded him with that same flat expression. "Then do it. What are you waiting for? You're rather slow."
Felix was stunned by her audacity. He had never met his master's intended bride before; even Gabriel had shown no interest. But Evelyn, the first wife, certainly had. Felix once overheard her ordering an investigation into Marsha's personality. The report described a gentle, graceful, and delicate girl—the polar opposite of the tempestuous young woman before him. Had Evelyn's investigators been utterly incompetent?
"Hey, you fool," Seraphina added, her tone almost conversational. "If your master beheads me because of this, I'll haunt you to the ends of the earth, since you'll be the cause."
Felix snapped back to the present. "My apologies. I-I will be quick. Hey, you! Over here!" he yelled to a subordinate outside the door.
Marie let out a shaky sigh of relief as Felix hurried out, barking orders about finding a new gown.
"Sera… does this mean you'll go through with it? You'll marry Gabriel?"
Seraphina nodded. "Will you keep waiting for that swindler to show up? I believe you've been duped, Mother."
"You're right. I was too desperate, too hasty last night. But Sera, your freedom… it will be taken from you."
A gentle, almost serene smile touched Seraphina's lips. "I know. But don't worry, Mother. I've dealt with packs of wolves before." Facing Gabriel might not be as perilous as some of the targets she'd pursued. While she didn't know the man she would marry, she was confident she wouldn't die quickly in his hands. "The most important thing is our family's safety. That's all that matters now."
"Sera…"
Seraphina reached up and pulled the tie from her hair. A cascade of lustrous, dark locks tumbled down, framing her face and flowing beautifully over her shoulders and back.
"Ah, and don't forget," she added, her tone turning practical. "You must find that fraudster and get your money back, Mother."
A tearful, grateful smile broke through Marie's anxiety. "I understand, my dear. I understand."