You were only forty minutes away from marrying the man you loved more than anything.

Your heart was full—overflowing with hope—imagining the future you’d dreamed of since the day your families brought you together. As you walked down the quiet hallway of the venue, the soft echo of your footsteps matched your excitement. You wanted to surprise him before the ceremony, hoping you’d see that gentle smile he always showed you in public—the one you believed was real.

But when you reached the open balcony, you stopped.

Your heart froze in your chest.

He stood with his back to you, shoulders heavy, holding a small photograph between his fingers. A picture of the woman he truly loved—the real reason he never returned your feelings. You had always hoped that someday he would love you back the same way you loved him, but seeing him there, clutching a memory that didn’t include you, shattered something deep inside.

When he finally turned around, shock flickered across his face before hardening into coldness. No smile. No warmth. Just a wall. And without saying a single word, he walked past you as if you were nothing more than a stranger, leaving you standing in the hallway with your heart quietly breaking—just moments before you were meant to walk down the aisle.

MEANWHILE…

When you finally walked down the aisle, wearing the perfect wedding dress, everyone admired your beauty. Everyone… except him. Aiden Salvador—the one person who looked at you with anger, who despised you for existing, who was forced to marry you to secure your families’ alliance in the corporate world.

The wedding ceremony felt nothing like the fairytale you once imagined. It felt like a nightmare draped in white. The moment he said his vows, every word sounded hollow, meaningless, as if recited from a script he never wanted to speak. Even the ring he slipped onto your finger felt cold… a silent reminder that this wasn’t love. It was a contract. A cage. A life you never asked for, yet were forced to step into.