The champagne bubbled against my lips, sweet and effervescent, as I gazed up at Edwin's perfect smile. The engagement party was everything I had dreamed of—crystal chandeliers casting warm light across the marble floors, hundreds of guests in their finest attire, and Edwin's strong arm wrapped protectively around my waist.

"To my beautiful fiancée," Edwin announced, his voice carrying across the ballroom as he raised his glass. "Xiya, you've made me the luckiest man alive."

The crowd erupted in applause, and I felt my cheeks flush with happiness. This was it—the fairy tale I'd always imagined. Edwin's dark eyes met mine, and for a moment, the rest of the world faded away.

"I love you," I whispered, standing on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"And I love you," he murmured back, his lips brushing against my ear in a way that sent shivers down my spine.

Isabella appeared at my side, her emerald dress shimmering as she pulled me into a tight hug. "Oh, Xiya! I'm so happy for you!" Her voice was bright with excitement, her eyes sparkling with what I thought was genuine joy. "You two are absolutely perfect together."

"Thank you for being here," I said, squeezing her hand. "I couldn't imagine this night without my best friend."

She beamed at me, and I remembered why we'd been inseparable since college. Isabella had always been there for me—through late-night study sessions, failed relationships, and now, the most important moment of my life.

As the evening progressed, I found myself swept up in a whirlwind of congratulations and well-wishes. Edwin never left my side, his hand constantly finding mine, his fingers intertwining with my own. Every touch felt electric, every glance filled with promise.

"Remember when we first met?" Edwin asked during a quiet moment between toasts, his voice low and intimate.

How could I forget? It had been at that crowded nightclub downtown, the music pounding so loud I could barely hear myself think. I'd been there with Isabella, trying to forget about a particularly brutal exam week, when this devastatingly handsome stranger had approached our table.

"You were wearing that little black dress," Edwin continued, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand. "And you looked so lost in the crowd."

"I wasn't lost," I protested with a laugh. "I was just... selective about my dance partners."

"Lucky for me you selected me," he said, bringing my hand to his lips for a gentle kiss.

The memory warmed me from the inside out. After that night at the club, Edwin had walked me to my car, and we'd discovered a tiny kitten huddled behind a dumpster in the alley. It was mewling pitifully, clearly abandoned and hungry.

"We can't just leave it," I had said, my heart breaking at the sight.

Edwin had looked at me for a long moment, then shrugged off his expensive jacket and wrapped it around the trembling animal. "Come on then," he'd said. "Let's find this little guy a home."

We'd spent the next two hours driving to an all-night veterinary clinic, then to a 24-hour pet store for supplies. Edwin had been so gentle with the kitten, so patient as we tried to coax it to eat. In that moment, I'd fallen completely and utterly in love with him.

"What are you thinking about?" Isabella asked, sliding up beside us with a fresh glass of champagne.

"Just remembering how we met," I said, smiling at the memory. "And that poor little kitten."

"Oh, that's right!" Isabella laughed. "You two were like some kind of animal rescue team. It was so sweet."

Edwin chuckled, pulling me closer. "That kitten was our first test as a couple. We passed with flying colors."

"Speaking of tests," Isabella said with a mischievous grin, "I think some of your guests are getting a bit restless. Maybe it's time for the balcony speech?"

Edwin nodded, straightening his tie. "You're right. I should address everyone properly." He turned to me, his expression tender. "Wait for me? I'll only be a few minutes."

"Of course," I said, watching as he made his way through the crowd, stopping to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with various guests.

Isabella linked her arm through mine. "You look absolutely radiant tonight," she said. "Like a princess in a fairy tale."

"I feel like one," I admitted. "Sometimes I can't believe this is really my life."

"You deserve every bit of happiness, Xiya," Isabella said, her voice soft with what seemed like genuine affection. "Edwin is lucky to have you."

As the minutes ticked by, I found myself growing restless. The ballroom felt suddenly stifling, the laughter and conversation overwhelming. I needed some air, some space to process the magnitude of what was happening.

"I'm going to step outside for a moment," I told Isabella. "Just to clear my head."

"Want me to come with you?" she offered.

"No, that's okay. I'll just be on the balcony for a few minutes."

I made my way through the French doors onto the mansion's expansive stone balcony. The night air was cool against my skin, a welcome relief from the warmth of the crowded ballroom. The city lights twinkled below like fallen stars, and I took a deep breath, letting the peace of the moment wash over me.

This was my life now. In just one week, I would be Mrs. Edwin Blackthorne, Luna to one of the most powerful packs in the region. The thought should have filled me with pure joy, but instead, I felt a strange flutter of nervousness in my stomach.

Maybe it was just pre-wedding jitters. Every bride felt this way, didn't they?

I was so lost in thought that I almost missed the soft sound of footsteps on the stone behind me. But something made me pause, made me step back into the shadows cast by the ornate pillars that flanked the balcony doors.

And that's when I saw them.

Edwin and Isabella, locked in an embrace so intimate, so passionate, that it took my breath away. His hands were tangled in her hair, her body pressed against his with desperate urgency. They moved together like lovers who had done this a thousand times before, like two people who belonged to each other in ways that transcended friendship or casual attraction.

The champagne glass slipped from my numb fingers, shattering against the stone with a sound that seemed to echo in the sudden silence of my world.

This couldn't be happening. Not tonight. Not Edwin and Isabella. Not my fiancé and my best friend.

But as I watched them break apart, saw the way Edwin's thumb traced Isabella's swollen lips, saw the way she smiled up at him with such tender familiarity, I knew with devastating certainty that this was no momentary lapse in judgment.

This was love. Real, consuming, passionate love.

The kind of love I thought Edwin felt for me.

The kind of love I thought Isabella would never betray.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I pressed myself deeper into the shadows, watching the two people I trusted most in the world destroy everything I believed to be true.

The cold hospital sheets felt like ice against my skin as consciousness slowly returned. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting harsh shadows across the sterile white walls. My head throbbed with a dull, persistent ache, and when I tried to lift my hand to touch the bandage wrapped around my skull, every muscle in my body screamed in protest.

But I was alive.

The memories crashed over me like a tidal wave—Edwin's hands on Isabella, their passionate kiss on the balcony, the way they'd cornered me in the parking garage. I could still feel the sensation of falling, the crack of my skull against concrete, the warm spread of blood beneath my head as car headlights illuminated my broken body.

Yet here I was, breathing. Thinking. Planning.

A nurse bustled in, her expression brightening when she saw my open eyes. "Oh good, you're awake! You gave everyone quite a scare. Let me get the doctor."

"Wait," I croaked, my voice barely a whisper. "What... what day is it?"

She checked her chart with practiced efficiency. "Tuesday, the fifteenth. You've been unconscious for two days since your accident."

The fifteenth. Seven days before my wedding. Seven days before they'd planned to kill me.

Somehow, impossibly, I'd been given a second chance.

The next few hours passed in a blur of medical examinations and concerned visitors. Edwin arrived first, his face a perfect mask of worry and devotion. He held my hand gently, his thumb stroking across my knuckles in the same tender gesture that had once made my heart flutter.

Now it made my skin crawl.

"My darling," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "I was so worried when I heard about your fall. The doctors say you hit your head pretty badly."

A fall. Of course that's what they were calling it.

"I don't remember much," I lied, letting my voice waver with just the right amount of confusion. "Everything after the engagement party is... foggy."

Relief flickered across his features so quickly I almost missed it. "Don't worry about that now. The important thing is that you're going to be fine. We're going to be fine."

Isabella arrived an hour later, her eyes red-rimmed with what appeared to be genuine tears. She threw her arms around me with theatrical desperation, sobbing into my shoulder.

"Oh, Xiya! I thought I'd lost my best friend forever!" Her voice broke on the last word, and if I hadn't seen her betrayal with my own eyes, I might have believed her grief was real.

"I'm okay," I whispered, patting her back with mechanical comfort. "I'm here."

But as she pulled away, I caught something in her expression—a flash of calculation behind the tears. She was studying me, watching for signs of what I might remember.

Good. Let her wonder.

Over the next three days, as I recovered in the hospital, I began to formulate my plan. I had seven days to gather evidence, seven days to expose their betrayal, seven days to ensure they could never hurt me again.

But I couldn't do it alone.

I needed an ally. Someone with power, resources, and most importantly, someone who had no love for Edwin Blackthorne.

Leno Vance.

I'd heard Edwin mention him in passing—always with a mixture of respect and irritation that suggested a formidable rival. Leno was the Beta heir to the Vance pack, but unlike most Betas who operated in the shadows of their Alphas, he'd built his own business empire. Edwin had called him "dangerously intelligent" and "too clever for his own good."

Perfect.

I spent my final day in the hospital researching everything I could find about Leno Vance. Corporate filings, business articles, social media profiles—anything that might give me insight into the man I was about to approach.

What I found intrigued me. Unlike Edwin, who flaunted his wealth and status at every opportunity, Leno kept a low profile. His business dealings were shrewd but ethical, his public appearances minimal but impactful. In the few photos I could find, he appeared composed and watchful, with sharp gray eyes that seemed to see everything.

More importantly, I discovered that Edwin's pack and the Vance pack had been engaged in a bitter business rivalry for years, competing for the same lucrative government contracts and prime real estate developments.

Leno had every reason to want Edwin destroyed.

On Friday night, I was finally discharged from the hospital. Edwin offered to take me home, but I declined, claiming I needed some time alone to process everything.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his brow furrowed with apparent concern. "I don't like the idea of you being by yourself so soon after your accident."

"I'll be fine," I assured him, forcing a weak smile. "I just need to rest. Maybe tomorrow we can start planning the final details for the wedding?"

His smile was radiant, all traces of worry melting away. "Of course, my love. Whatever you need."

As soon as he left, I began preparing for the most important performance of my life.

I knew from Edwin's past comments that Leno frequented Crimson, an upscale nightclub downtown. It was ironic—the same place where Edwin and I had met, where our doomed love story had begun, would now be where I started my revenge.

I chose my outfit carefully: a sleek black dress that hugged my curves without being overtly seductive, paired with heels that made me feel powerful. I needed to project confidence and mystery, not desperation.

Crimson pulsed with bass-heavy music and dim red lighting when I arrived. The crowd was a mix of young professionals and pack members, all beautiful people with too much money and too few scruples.

I spotted Leno almost immediately.

He sat in a corner booth, seemingly alone but clearly commanding the attention of everyone around him. He was even more striking in person than in his photos—tall and lean, with dark hair and those penetrating gray eyes I'd seen in pictures. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit that probably cost more than most people's cars, but he wore it with casual indifference.

This was a man who didn't need to prove his power to anyone.

I made my way to the bar, positioning myself where he could see me but not making it obvious I was there for him. I ordered a whiskey—neat, the way Edwin hated—and waited.

It didn't take long.

"You're not Edwin Blackthorne's usual type," a smooth voice said behind me.

I turned slowly, meeting Leno's gaze with carefully practiced surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Most of Edwin's women are... softer. More compliant." His eyes swept over me with clinical assessment. "You look like someone with her own agenda."

I raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of my whiskey. "And you look like someone who makes a lot of assumptions about people he's never met."

A ghost of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Leno Vance," he said, extending his hand.

"I know who you are," I replied, but I took his hand anyway. His grip was firm, confident. "Xiya Chen. Soon to be Xiya Blackthorne."

"Congratulations," he said, though his tone suggested he found the idea less than celebratory. "Edwin's a lucky man."

"Is he?" I asked, letting a note of uncertainty creep into my voice.

Leno's eyes sharpened with interest. "Having second thoughts about your fairy tale wedding?"

I set down my glass and looked at him directly. "What would you say if I told you that Edwin Blackthorne isn't the man everyone thinks he is?"

"I'd say I already know that," Leno replied without hesitation. "The question is: what are you planning to do about it?"

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of several other patrons, and I realized we needed somewhere more private to talk. I finished my drink and headed for the exit, knowing instinctively that he would follow.

The alley behind Crimson was dimly lit and empty, the perfect place for the kind of conversation that could destroy lives. I turned to face Leno as he emerged from the club, his expression unreadable in the shadows.

"You want to bring Edwin down," I said. It wasn't a question.

"And you think you can help me do it," he replied, stepping closer. "The question is why. What did he do to you?"

For a moment, I considered telling him the truth—about the betrayal, the murder attempt, my impossible return from the dead. But that would make me sound insane.

Instead, I chose a different kind of truth.

"He's planning to merge with Stellaris Corporation next month," I said, watching Leno's reaction carefully. "The announcement will come right after our wedding. He thinks it will give him enough leverage to push your family out of the eastern territories entirely."

Leno went very still. "How do you know about Stellaris?"

"Because I pay attention," I said simply. "And because Edwin trusts me enough to discuss his business plans in front of me."

"That merger would cost my family millions," Leno said quietly, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.

"I know." I stepped closer, close enough to see the calculation in his eyes. "But what if I told you there was a way to stop it? What if I told you Edwin has vulnerabilities that no one else knows about?"

Leno studied me for a long moment, and I could practically see him weighing the risks and benefits of whatever alliance I was proposing.

"What do you want in return?" he asked finally.

"Justice," I said simply. "And the chance to make sure Edwin Blackthorne never hurts anyone again."

Another long pause. Then, slowly, Leno extended his hand.

"Partners?" he asked.

I took his hand, feeling the firm grip that sealed our dangerous alliance.

"Partners," I agreed.

As we shook hands in that shadowy alley, I felt something I hadn't experienced since waking up in that hospital bed: hope. Edwin and Isabella thought they'd won, thought they'd destroyed me completely.

They had no idea what was coming.