One Week Later after the engagement announcement to the world and social media. Everything seems to go back to normal or so they thought. The morning sun spilled softly through the arched windows of the Thornton estate, casting a golden hue across the sprawling gardens. The air carried a calm, fragrant breeze of lavender and lemon balm from the herb beds Amelia had replanted herself. Inside the drawing room, Amelia flipped through its pages filled with scribbles, flower swatches, and possible venues. Her face glowed, a soft, focused joy resting on her features. She was humming under her breath, unaware that Luca stood silently in the doorway, watching her. The reason Luca was still in Thornton's estate was because Leon had insisted he stayed with them at least until the wedding day which was just two weeks later, so as to spend more time with him. Although, Luca did not want that, but he agreed to stay. Luca admiring how cute, Amelia was flipping through pages of a book

Uptown, around 2:14 PM, in Marina Ward’s Penthouse. She had been so busy with work at the military base that finally she was given a leave to relax and unwind. Now she decided to glance through her phone and what appeared made her hair stand on edge. The screen dimmed after the last photo loaded—an image of Luca in a sharply cut tuxedo, standing beside Amelia Thornton, the glowing bride-to-be. It was all over social media now, subtle, high-class photos from a private rooftop engagement party, all tagged discreetly but unmistakably. Luca Ashford and Amelia Thornton, their wedding will be coming up in a week. Marina Ward stared at the phone in her hand, lips slightly parted. She hadn’t meant to see it. It just… appeared. Like the universe was mocking her again. The espresso in her cup had gone cold. Her apartment, usually filled with curated playlists and quiet elegance, was now unnervingly still. There was an immense feeling that welled over her, it made her feel re

Joe didn't know how she did it, how Ashley could still be so kind, even when she had every reason not to be. She was the one who'd been wronged. The one left to suffer silently in a house that was meant to keep her safe. And yet, when he laid everything before her, the possibility of letting Isabella slip away without intervention she didn't flinch. She didn't turn bitter. She simply gave him her honest thoughts, Joe pulled his daughter into a tight hug, holding her close like he hadn't done in a long time. "I'll be home for dinner," he promised, his voice thick with quiet emotion. Ashley only gave him a soft smile and nodded. But once he was gone, that softness faded, replaced by something more complicated. She didn't want to feel anything, but she couldn't stop herself. It would've been easier if she had said no. It would've been easier to hate Isabella and walk away. But she hadn't and that was something she never got to understand. Isabella treated her really b

***The Night of the Leclerre Gala*** The gala buzzed with electric tension.. The grand chandelier above bathed the hall in gold, casting a warm shimmer on glittering gowns, pressed tuxedos, and the sharp scent of wealth and competition. Murmured conversations danced with champagne flutes. The room was filled with people trying to outdo each other without appearing to try at all. And then the doors opened. Silence fell for a second, just long enough. Marina Ward stepped in, a vision in red velvet. The slit in her gown cut high, unapologetically. Her neckline plunged, her back bare, her poise regal. The crowd turned, not out of politeness, but awe. Even the photographers, stationed discreetly, repositioned without being told. She didn’t smile, she didn’t need to, why would she? She wasn't there for pleasantries, oh no! she was there to make a statement. She wasn’t here to win anyone. She was here to remind them who she was. Lisa trailed behind her in blac

Three nights later, Marina didn't give up on her chase. She needed to see Luca Ashford in person and talk about what was in her mind. She regrets deeply for breaking off the engagement with Luca thinking he would never amount to anything, besides being the warrior goddess of Cinderfall City, she needed to be the partner to a war God or better yet a high military personnel. She felt being with Luca would bring her reputation down, but now her thoughts were wrong. If only she had been with him from the onset, she could have been with him side by side in all pictures as his wife to be. Just then, when it got darker, Luca's car pulled up to the edge of the private terrace. The staff had long retreated. The house was silent but not empty. Marina Ward was there... waiting. She stood beneath the archway overlooking the Ashford gardens, her silhouette a shadow stitched in velvet black. The air was filled with the heat of words unsaid. She had sent word ahead, just a tex