“Elysia, why didn’t Caspian come to pick you up?” Leia said with a sweet smile that barely hid her smugness. “It looks like he doesn’t care about you at all.”

On the morning of the wedding, she sat proudly in the passenger seat of Arnold’s Maserati, deliberately flaunting everything in front of me. Arnold was driving her himself. A bouquet of white roses lay in the back seat, every bloom flawless, as if carefully selected to show how cherished she was.

As for my groom, Caspian never appeared. I was told he was handling an urgent family matter, so only a single car waited outside my home. The driver politely informed me he was there to take me to the church.

Leia wasn’t done provoking me. She said triumphantly, “Arnold even booked the presidential suite for me tonight. He said he wants me to have an unforgettable wedding night.”

Her thoughts rang sharply in my head.

‘Serves you right! I’d like to see how you handle being humiliated in front of everyone at the ceremony later.’

Hearing her inner voice only confirmed how vicious and childish she truly was.

I replied calmly, “Family matters come first. That’s an unbreakable rule of the Falcone family. As his wife, I should understand and support him.”

“Sure. Keep telling yourself that,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes as she hooked her arm around Arnold’s and walked away.

The wedding was held in the Falcone family’s private church. Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting brilliant colors across the marble floor. Leaders of the major families were all present, dressed in formal suits, each wearing their family crest on their chest. Yet, the groom’s seat was empty. Only a lone bouquet of white lilies rested there.

Whispers spread through the church—soft, but filled with malice.

‘Is Caspian deliberately humiliating his bride? This is too much.’

‘Oh, poor Elysia, left standing there alone. This is a complete disgrace.’

‘I heard Caspian never wanted to get married. He was forced by the family.’

Deep down, Leia was gloating. ‘This time, you’re the one embarrassing yourself.’

As the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, I slowly stood up and walked toward the microphone.

“Distinguished guests,” I said, my voice calm and steady as it echoed through the church. “I would like to say a few words.”

The entire hall fell silent. All eyes turned toward me.

“My husband, Caspian, is currently safeguarding the interests of the Falcone family,” I continued without a trace of hesitation. “As his wife, I am deeply proud of him.”

Immediately after, a soft but distinct round of applause came from the main seat. The family’s Donna, Isabella Falcone, slowly rose to her feet. She was seventy years old, yet her presence was as commanding as a queen’s.

“Well said, child,” she said approvingly. “A Falcone daughter-in-law must always understand the family’s priorities.”

One by one, the guests began to applaud. The mocking whispers vanished instantly.

‘This girl is smart. She turned the situation around so well.’

‘It looks like Caspian married a smart woman.’

‘If Donna Isabella approves, who are we to object?’

Leia’s face twisted, her fury nearly exploding from within as she thought, ‘I can’t believe she resolved it. No, I can’t allow her to steal the spotlight like this. During the toast, I’ll make sure you embarrass yourself in front of everyone.’

Thanks to my mind-reading ability, I saw her plan clearly.

When the toasting began, I held a crystal champagne glass and greeted each guest with composed elegance. As I approached Leia’s table, her thoughts began counting down.

‘One, two, three… Now!’

Just as she quietly stretched out her leg, I shifted aside gracefully, as if I had anticipated it all along, and continued walking forward without pause. She missed, and because she had used too much force, she lost her balance and fell hard onto the marble floor.

“Ah!” she screamed, and the hem of her expensive wedding dress tore on impact.

Arnold hurried to help her up, his face full of concern. Yet, his thoughts were nothing but mean.

‘What useless idiot! Making a fool of yourself in this situation is nothing short of embarrassing me.’

Donna Isabella’s expression darkened instantly.

“How disgraceful,” she snapped coldly. “You’ve humiliated the Falcone family.”

A deathly silence filled the church. Every gaze turned toward Leia, who stood there in utter humiliation. Her face burned with shame. Wishing she could disappear into the ground, she could only cling to Arnold as he escorted her out of the church in disgrace.

I calmly continued the rest of the toasting ceremony, maintaining my perfect composure. Inside, however, I sneered.

In my previous life, I survived Arnold’s controlling nature only by being cautious at every step. That was how I managed to secure my place within the Falcone family. Leia, on the other hand, never understood that living a good life was never about who you chose.

Since she desperately wants to destroy me, I will no longer endure it in silence.

“Elysia, I’ll have Caspian come home to be with you tonight. He owes you a proper wedding night.”

After the ceremony ended, Donna Isabella held my hand, her gaze filled with approval.

“You impressed me today, child,” she said, patting the back of my hand gently. “I believe you’ll be the most outstanding daughter-in-law this family has ever had.”

Isabella was demanding of everyone in the family. However, as long as you followed her rules, earning her recognition wasn’t impossible. That was the survival lesson I learned in my previous life.

I lowered my head respectfully and said, “Thank you for your approval, Mamma Isabella. I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”

That night, at exactly eleven o'clock, Caspian returned. The moment he pushed open the bedroom door, the sharp scent of gunpowder hit my nose, mixed faintly with the smell of blood.

“Are you hurt?” I asked as I walked over, already pouring him a glass of whiskey.

“No.” He took the glass and downed it in one go. “Just dealt with a few idiots who didn’t know their place.”

I nodded and didn’t press further. In this family, knowing too much was never a good thing. A smart woman should understand when to ask questions and when to stay silent.

“You should take a shower,” I said calmly. “I’ll get you some clean sleepwear.”

I walked to the wardrobe and took out a silk pajama set.

Caspian looked at me deeply. For a brief moment, something unreadable flashed through his dark eyes. Then, without a word, he turned and headed into the bathroom.

Taking the opportunity, I tidied the bed before picking up a blanket and pillow and moving toward the sofa in the living area. Since this was a strategic marriage, clear boundaries were necessary, and distance would be good for both of us.

Ten minutes later, Caspian came out, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Water droplets slid down his broad chest, catching the light. When he saw me spreading the blanket on the sofa, his expression instantly turned strange.

“Elysia,” he said in a low voice, “are you trying to play hard to get? Or do you think you’re too noble to share a bed with me?”

“Neither,” I replied, turning to face him calmly. “I think we need to talk honestly about our relationship.”

“Talk about what?” He stepped closer, a heavy presence radiating from him.

“Our marriage.” I kept my voice steady. “This is a strategic marriage. We both know that. I won’t harbor any unrealistic expectations, and I hope we can coexist peacefully.”

His eyes darkened. “Go on.”

“In public, I’ll be your loyal wife,” I continued calmly. “I’ll support you fully and help solidify your position within the family. In private, we live our own lives. There’ll be no interference and no restraints.”

He listened quietly, his expression unreadable.

“I married you for the family’s protection and resources,” I added. “As for anything else, I neither expect it nor believe in it.”

The room fell into silence. Only the distant sound of passing cars could be heard.

Caspian studied me, those deep eyes seemingly looking straight through me. After a long moment, the corner of his lips curled into a faint smile.

“You’re very smart, Elysia,” he said, a hint of approval in his voice. “I accept your proposal.”

I quietly let out a breath of relief. That arrangement would allow me to avoid provoking a man rumored to be temperamental and ruthless while still gaining the protection and resources I needed.

Caspian walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured himself another glass of whiskey.

“Then, Mrs. Elysia,” he said, raising his glass toward me, his eyes glinting with something I couldn’t read, “here’s to a successful partnership.”

I lifted the glass of water in my hand and clinked it lightly against his.

“Here’s to a successful partnership, Mr. Caspian.”

Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, stretching our shadows across the room. Each of us stood in our own corner, like two polite strangers sharing the same space.

Outside, the city glowed brightly in the night. Only then did I truly feel that I had been given a second life. In this life, I only wanted one thing: to use the Falcone family’s resources to earn enough money to stand on my own and then walk away from all of this for good.