Marla’s POV

“What is it?” Jason asked me seriously, his eyes narrowing as his brows furrowed.

There was tension in his gaze as he looked at me, and I couldn’t help but think, How did it lead to this?

Jason, the mafia lord. The kingpin. A man who owns countless businesses, both legal and illegal. But despite his ruthless nature, a memory suddenly surfaced in my mind—a memory of a time when he was different. When he used to be so sweet to me, as if I were the most precious person in his world.

I remember when my parents died in a car accident. My butler, Matthew, and I moved into Jason’s grand mansion.

Back then, Jason didn’t just protect me—he protected us. We were each other’s refuge, our light in a dark world. I can still picture the way he used to smile at me, the way his eyes held mine like I was the center of his universe.

But all of that shattered when Shane appeared in our lives—sexier, wilder, and undeniably captivating. Her presence changed everything.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I said, “I just wanted you to come with me... to the welfare home I mentioned. Just the two of us.” I bit my lower lip, waiting for his response.

Jason stared at me, his expression unreadable, as if he was lost in deep thought. Then, to my surprise, he smiled. But it wasn’t a sweet or kind smile—it was teasing, playful, almost as if he were joking.

“Why?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “You’re still going to be my husband, Jason. Just do this one thing for me.”

Perhaps I’m still expecting he will change. That he will realize his mistress is tearing us apart. I wanted him to realize that... before I continue with my plan.

His gaze lingered on me, searching my face. After a long moment, he exhaled heavily.

“I know what this is about,” he finally said. “You’re afraid of the wedding, aren’t you? It’s happening in two days, and the thought of it is getting to you. Am I right?”

“No,” I replied firmly, meeting his gaze. “It’s not about that. I just want you to come with me.”

Jason gave me that look again—the kind that made it seem like he was carefully weighing my request. It was starting to make me feel uneasy, as if he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to join me or not.

There it was... the disappointment.

Then, suddenly, his phone rang. He pulled away from me and said coldly, “I need to take this.”

His tone was distant, almost dismissive.

He removed my hand that was holding onto him and added, “I’m quite busy right now. But I’ll think about going with you to the welfare home you mentioned.” He glanced at me briefly before continuing, “Now, will you excuse me? I have to leave. I’m meeting someone.”

I bit my lower lip as I watched him turn away. Suddenly, I couldn’t help but feel sad somehow. I’m a human, after all. I may be angry about what he did to me, but this time... I could feel the weight on my chest.

I wanted to stop him, to reach out and say something that might make him stay.

But I knew there was no turning back now. Everything was already set into motion, and the wedding was fast approaching. The plan I had been carefully keeping to myself would soon unfold.

I forced a small smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. It was a smile meant to hide everything I was feeling inside.

“Okay, I’ll see you at home, Jason,” I said softly.

He didn’t respond. Without a word, he turned his back on me and walked away, his strides hurried, his mind already elsewhere.

To Shane.

Marla’s POV

The next morning, I was already out of the hospital.

I was feeling fine now. It wasn’t that serious, just a high fever that quickly went away.

“Matthew, please take me to the welfare home first. I need to visit the children and the director.”

“Yes, Lady Marla,” he replied, and he immediately took me there.

As expected, Jason didn’t come with me.

What did I even expect from him? Ever since Shane came into our lives, he hardly had time for me anymore.

He always had time for his woman. He didn’t even visit me earlier at the hospital. He only knew I was discharged and that I was heading home today. But that’s not going to happen.

When we got to the welfare home, I got out of the car. I wasn’t surprised when a lot of kids immediately ran up to me.

“Marla!” they all shouted. I was so happy. I knelt down in front of them and hugged each one tightly.

“How are you all?” I asked.

“We’re fine,” they answered in unison. I was so happy to see how cute they all were.

We headed straight to the main building, where we were greeted by the director.

“Marla, how are you? I’m glad you could visit us,” she said.

She walked up to me, and I hugged her tightly. The director was a sweet, 50-year-old woman. She greeted Matthew with a kiss on the cheek. Then, she looked me over from head to toe. Before she could say anything, I spoke up.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry too much about me,” I told her. She just smiled at me.

“Matthew, can you look after the kids for a while? I’ll just have a chat with Marla. It’ll be just the two of us.”

“Sure, kids, let’s go play,” Matthew said as he led the kids away. I saw them happily running off, and then I moved a little further away with Ms. Rose.

Once we were out of earshot, she turned to me. “You need to take care of yourself. I know the truth. You’re not happy. I can see it in your eyes.”

I gave her a small, sad smile. “I’m just going to travel. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m only here to say goodbye. Because… I might not come back.”

She looked at me with concern, but I continued, “But I’ll be okay, so whatever you hear about me, don’t panic, okay?”

She smiled back. “I trust you. You will live a better life.” She hugged me tightly. “Take care, always, Marla. I know you will find your happiness.”

I gave Ms. Rose one last smile before I walked away from her.

I went to see Matthew. “I’ll be leaving first. I already said my goodbye to her.”

We exchanged a look, one that only the two of us understood. He nodded at me. “Okay, Lady Marla. I’ll see you later.”

I looked at the kids. “Goodbye, children. I’ll see you all soon,” I said to them.

“When will you come back, Marla?” they asked, their cute voices echoing in my ears.

“I’ll be traveling,” I replied. I knelt down in front of them, cupped their cheeks, and gently stroked them.

“But I’ll make sure you get the life you deserve.” I stood up straight, turned my back to them, and left. I walked away first. I headed straight for the car that Matthew and I had used earlier.

He’ll use a different car.

When I reached a road where no one could see us, a remote road, I didn’t wait long before I saw Matthew’s car.

He got out, and then I did the same.

“Is the body ready?” I asked him.

“Yes, Lady Marla,” he answered, pulling out the body that looked exactly like mine.

It was a duplicate of my body, the one I’d been planning from the start.

He placed it in the driver’s seat. I was wearing a red dress now, and the duplicate body wore the same outfit. My makeup and even my hairstyle were exactly the same as the body’s.

Once everything was set, Matthew handed me the detonation button. I climbed into his car and, after we had driven a little further, he looked at me.

“Are you ready, Lady Marla?”

I smiled, laughing maniacally.

Then, I pressed the button.

“I’m more than ready,” I said, my voice filled with confidence.

I pulled out the SIM card and threw it out the window.

And in that moment, I knew everything was over, and my plan for escape was finally happening.

Jason’s POV

It’s the wedding day.

Everyone’s running around, getting everything ready for the big occasion.

“Ah, I just hope this day ends soon!” Shane, beside me, exclaimed. She’s the one with me right now.

Since she’s my assistant, she has to be by my side. As for me, I’m wearing a white tuxedo. We’re on our way to the wedding venue, both dressed for the occasion.

When I glanced at Shane beside me, she looked as stunning as ever. Her dress was smoking hot, showing off her legs clearly. I couldn’t help but look at them. Her cleavage was showing too. And honestly, it looked like she was going somewhere else, not a church, the way she was dressed.

She moved closer to me and hugged me tightly. Her chest pressed against mine. I could feel her pushing herself into me.

“Are you excited, darling?” she whispered to me.

But I didn’t answer. Instead, I just looked away. My attention shifted to the view outside the window. We were riding in a limousine. I hadn’t seen Marla yet, but I knew she was getting ready. That’s the last update I got from the butler.

When we arrived at the venue, I was the first to step out. Shane followed closely behind. Everyone was waiting for us, and camera flashes filled the air. I stood there, emotionless. Not even the slightest emotion could be seen in my eyes.

I just stood firmly. Shane was standing next to me, and it looked like she was waving at the photographers, posing for the camera.

The wedding venue was perfectly arranged.

“Lord Jason, please take your place at the end of the altar, where you will wait for the bride,” the wedding coordinator instructed me.

I followed without hesitation. Shane stepped away from me and went to sit in one of the chairs. As I stood at the end of the altar, I saw the guests eagerly waiting for the bride’s arrival.

As for me, my face was blank, my eyes straight ahead. I just wanted this wedding to be over with.

But as time passed, something started to feel off. Where was Marla? Why was she taking so long?

I asked my servants, “Where’s Marla? Why isn’t she here yet? And where’s Matthew, the butler? I thought Marla should be here by now.”

I couldn’t help but feel irritated.

“We’ll contact him, Lord Jason,” they quickly explained to me before rushing off to call Matthew on the phone.

I noticed the guests around me were whispering to each other. They seemed confused and even skeptical about the whole situation.

“What’s taking the bride so long?”

“Is she okay?”

“Did something happen to her?”

“Sometimes, there are brides who don’t even make it to their own weddings. It happens, right?”

I clenched my fist, my anger rising.

I wanted to shout at those people gossiping about Marla, but I tried to keep calm. Suddenly, the idea hit me—I should call her. I grabbed my phone and dialed her number.

“Come on, pick up,” I muttered under my breath, my jaw clenching. My grip tightened around the phone, but instead of hearing her voice, I got a voice message.

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is invalid and no longer exists. Please try again later if there’s an error.”

I squinted my eyes, my heart pounding. “What the hell?”

Why was her number invalid?

I tried calling her several more times, but she still wouldn’t answer. It always went straight to the same customer service.

“What the heck, Marla?” My frustration was building, and I could feel myself getting more and more confused.

Then, out of nowhere, I got a call. It was from the butler. I quickly answered.

“Where’s Marla? Why is she taking so long? And where are you? Are you already at the wedding venue?”

“Yes, Lord. I’m here, but I have some terrible news to tell you.”

“What is it? Tell me now.”

My heart started racing, and for the first time, I felt a deep unease. I could sense something was wrong.

“Lord Jason, Lady Marla... had a car accident on her way back from the orphanage. She... she didn’t survive. She died from the accident.”

What the fuck?

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I dropped the phone in shock. My world seemed to slow down, and before I knew it, I collapsed to the ground.

My eyes widened, disbelief taking over.

I never expected this day—the wedding I had spent so long preparing for—to turn into her funeral.