The guests froze in shock.

Everyone in the elite circle knew how much Lainey had loved Larry.

For years, she trailed behind him without complaint, giving up her pride as she managed his business affairs and handled every detail of his personal life.

Many men had envied Larry for that reason, since Lainey's loyalty made her seem like someone willing to give him everything she had.

And now, Lainey was the one calling off the wedding?

Anger clouded Larry's face as he shouted, "Lainey, have you completely lost your senses?"

Rather than respond to him, Lainey stepped toward the microphone prepared for the ceremony and spoke clearly. "This place has been arranged so perfectly, and it would be a shame to let it go unused."

After that, her gaze shifted toward Charlee. "Miss Foster, since you want the man I have already let go of, you might as well take the ceremony as well. I hope you and my ex—a bitch and a bastard—stay together forever."

"You—" For a split second, Charlee's carefully maintained gentle expression faltered, and embarrassment stiffened her features.

With a trembling tone, she spoke as if she had been wronged. "Lainey… how can you be so mean? There's nothing between Larry and me!"

Without hesitation, Larry drew Charlee into his arms, and anger sharpened his voice. "Charlee is dealing with depression, so watch your words."

In her previous life, he had used that excuse countless times, and he forced Lainey to tolerate everything Charlee did.

Because of that constant indulgence, Charlee eventually went as far as demanding Lainey's kidney.

At that moment, the memory of the surgery returned with such force that rage surged through Lainey. She wanted to grab a knife right now and make them feel what she had felt. But no. Letting them die would be too easy. Too merciful. Someday, she would make both of them experience what true suffering felt like.

Without saying anything further, Lainey turned away and walked out of the ceremony.

Larry's voice rang out behind her. "Lainey, if you leave now, there will be no turning back!"

She didn't pause or look behind her.

......

As soon as Lainey stepped out of the venue, she made her way directly to the Orchid Hotel.

From what she remembered of her past life, Bryan had been set up in that place. Someone had slipped an aphrodisiac into his drink, and although he managed to leave the room, he collapsed just outside the hotel. An ambulance had been called later, yet the damage had already been done.

For three days straight, the headline spread everywhere: "Wilson Group Heir Found Unconscious in Public—Drug Involvement Suspected."

Because of that scandal, the Wilson Group's stock price took a serious hit.

This time around, Lainey refused to let Bryan take the fall for something he didn't do.

Guided by the memories she carried, she headed straight for Room 609.

As expected, the door to Room 609 was ajar. A man lay there—narrow eyes, a sharp nose, a chiseled jaw. Devastatingly handsome.

At that moment, however, he appeared dangerously exposed, and an unnatural flush spread across his face.

Lainey crouched down and gave him a tender look. "Mr. Wilson," she purred, "need a hand?"

Slowly, Bryan raised his head, and recognition flashed across his face as his eyes filled with something deeper. "Lainey?"

A faint, teasing smile curved along her lips as she looked at him.

Since he knew who she was, it meant his feelings had already taken root long before this moment.

Desire flickered clearly in his eyes, and it grew stronger with each passing second.

Without giving her time to respond, his hand shot out and seized her wrist, then pulled her forcefully into the room.

The air around him carried the scent of whiskey mixed with pine, and it wrapped around her senses the moment she stepped closer.

In the blink of an eye, he pressed her down beneath him, and the intensity in his gaze turned heavy with need.

Leaning forward, he buried his face near her shoulder as his breathing turned uneven.

"Lainey, you knew exactly what you were doing when you came here."

With a quick motion, Lainey pulled away from his grip, yet instead of retreating, she leaned into him and pushed him back until his body met the wall. Her lips brushed along his collar as her fingers moved to undo his buttons. "If I'm offering myself, do you have the guts to take me?"

Before the last word fully left her mouth, he claimed her lips in a fierce kiss. Urgency filled the way he moved, and he pressed against her as he deepened it without restraint.

At the same time, his hand slid along her waist, and his touch grew bolder as it explored her body.

A quiet sound escaped Lainey before she could hold it back, and a haze slowly filled her gaze.

Heat followed his touch as his lips traveled from her neck and moved lower with unsteady intensity. When his hand reached her thigh, he drew her closer and lifted her onto the bed with ease.

As she sank into the soft mattress, his rough hand roamed across her chest, teasing her until she gasped. Soon after, his leg pressed against hers, and he leaned in close to her ear, letting his lips brush against it as his breathing grew heavier. In the next moment, he pulled her fully into him, and the distance between them disappeared as they came together completely.

Uneven breaths mixed with gentle, broken sounds, and the entire room felt heavy with what had just happened. At the peak of it all, he muttered her name against her ear over and over, as though he feared she might disappear if he stopped.

......

Morning came quietly, and when Lainey finally stirred, her body ached as if every part of her had been pulled apart and carelessly pieced back together.

Slowly, her eyes opened, and she noticed that the man beside her had not yet woken up. Without thinking, she lifted her hand and gently traced the outline of his face.

There was no denying how striking he looked.

Looking back now, she couldn't understand how someone like Larry had ever clouded her judgment.

Once she finished dressing, she paused for a brief second to look at Bryan, and then she walked away without any hesitation.

Not long after she left, the man lying on the bed opened his eyes.

In a quiet, restrained tone, he spoke. "Lainey, you're the one who started this."

The warmth in Lainey's eyes disappeared the instant she stepped out of the hotel, replaced by a cutting, icy resolve.

Bryan's matter had been settled. Now, it was time for her to return to the Miller residence and reclaim everything that should have been hers in the first place.

The moment she entered the Millers', her gaze landed on a middle-aged woman sitting stiffly on the sofa. She was dressed with elegance, her makeup flawless, yet her expression burned with barely restrained fury.

It was Larry's mother, Rita Miller.

As soon as Rita saw Lainey walk in, her face tightened, her brows knitting together.

There had been too many people at the wedding earlier, making it inconvenient for her to cause a scene. But now that Lainey had returned, Rita clearly had no intention of letting things slide.

She rose abruptly and strode toward Lainey, her voice slicing through the air with accusation. "Have you completely lost your senses? So my son asked Charlee to be your bridesmaid. Was that any reason to throw such a tantrum? You've disgraced my entire family!"

Lainey gave a cold, sarcastic laugh. "Let me ask you this—if your fiancé showed up with his first love, dressed better than you, and said she'd be your bridesmaid... could you tolerate that?"

As soon as she said it, a sharp ache tore through her chest, spreading until even breathing felt difficult.

Her eyes flushed red, her voice trembling with suppressed hurt. "You keep saying I humiliated your family, but has Larry ever treated me with even the slightest respect? When he lacked funding, I drank until I was sick just to secure investors for him. When he had no connections, I handed over every resource I had. When someone came at him with a knife, I stepped in front and took the hit myself. And after everything, he brought his first love to our wedding and insisted she be my bridesmaid. Rita, I'm not the one who brought shame to the Miller name. Your family failed me."

She met Rita's gaze directly, her eyes filled with undisguised hatred.

For a brief moment, that look unsettled Rita.

But the hesitation lasted only a second before anger and humiliation surged back. She raised her hand high, her voice turning shrill with fury. "You bitch! How dare you badmouth my son? I must teach you a lesson right now!"

Her hand came swinging down toward Lainey's face. But Lainey's eyes turned steely. She intercepted the blow midair, gripping Rita's wrist firmly before striking her across the face with equal force.

The crack echoed loudly through the room.

Rita's cheek swelled almost at once.

However, before she could even cry out, a man's cold, impatient voice cut through the tension. "Have you had enough?"

Larry stepped inside, his face clouded with irritation. "I know you were unhappy about Charlee being chosen as your bridesmaid. Fine, next time she won't be. If you apologize to my mother right now, I might still accept you as my wife."

Then Charlee spoke, her voice soft and fragile, almost trembling. "Lainey, no matter what happened, she's still Larry's mother."

Lainey walked straight toward her, each step steady, her gaze sharp as it settled on Charlee's pale, delicate features. "Charlee, do you feel no shame at all?"

Charlee pressed a hand to her chest, as if deeply wounded by the accusation. "How can you say something like that to me? I already feel terrible. Larry... maybe I really am someone people can't stand. I don't see the point in living anymore..."

Larry immediately pulled her into his arms, his face filled with concern. When he looked back at Lainey, anger flared in his eyes. "Charlee just gave up on the idea of ending her life. How could you say something like that to her? If she—"

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Lainey turn and walk into the kitchen. Moments later, she reappeared, a knife gripped firmly in her hand.

The instant Charlee's eyes fell on the blade, the color drained from her face, and her knees nearly buckled beneath her. "Larry..."

Larry reacted at once, stepping forward to shield her. "I'm telling you now, Lainey... don't even think about laying a finger on her."

Lainey's gaze dipped, the storm in her eyes carefully concealed as she pressed it down, replacing it with a chilling smile.

"Relax, Miss Foster. There's no need to panic. I'm not here to harm you. Consider this a wedding gift. Since you're so fond of threatening to end your life, I thought I'd save you the trouble. With this, you won't need to rely on sleeping pills anymore. One quick move, and it'll all be over in an instant."

With a sharp motion, she drove the knife down onto the tabletop.

The sudden impact made Charlee's last bit of strength give out entirely, and she crumpled onto the floor.

Lainey didn't spare them another glance. She turned away as if none of it concerned her and walked into the bedroom she had once occupied in the Miller household. There, she gathered everything that belonged to her, along with the keepsakes her grandmother had left behind, packed them up, and stepped out again.

She had just reached the door when Rita's piercing voice rang out from behind her. "Stop right there! What exactly do you think you're taking with you? Do those things even belong to you?"

Rita's cheek was still swollen from Lainey's slap. There was no way she'd just let her leave after that.

Lainey tipped her head slightly, her gaze settling on Rita with a calm, almost amused look. "Rita, are you sure you want to go down this road?"

Rita mistook that composure for weakness. Lifting her chin, she drew herself up arrogantly. "Of course! Who knows what you've hidden away? Open your suitcase. I'm going through it myself."

Larry stayed completely uninvolved. He remained beside Charlee, holding her close as if nothing else in the room mattered, whispering reassurance to her.

At that sight, whatever lingering ache remained in Lainey's chest vanished, replaced by nothing but cold hatred.

Her expression turned indifferent. Without a word, she crouched and pulled open the zipper of her suitcase. "Go ahead. Look carefully. See if there's anything in there that belongs to your family."

Rita wasted no time. She immediately began rummaging through the contents, turning everything upside down without the slightest regard. Clothes were tossed aside carelessly, the suitcase quickly becoming a chaotic mess. As if that wasn't enough, she deliberately flung a few of Lainey's undergarments onto the floor, her actions dripping with insult.

Lainey stood there, watching silently. Then she lowered her eyes and sent a quick message to her assistant, Rose Ford.

"Come to the Millers' with a few bodyguards. Bring some empty suitcases."

The reply came almost instantly.

"Are you finally done tolerating them? Leave it to me. I'll be there in ten minutes."

A faint, almost ironic smile curved Lainey's lips.

Rose had told her more than once that the Miller family wasn't worth her patience, especially Larry. Back then, she hadn't listened. She had given everything she had, thinking effort would be enough.

Now she looked up again. Rita was still searching with a smug expression, while Charlee stood nearby watching like it was entertainment.

Lainey spoke again, her voice steady. "So? Finished yet? Did you find anything that belongs to you?"

Rita gave the suitcase a disdainful kick, her lips curling. "There's nothing useful in here. Just trash."

Her eyes were full of scorn as she added, "Now pick it all up and clean this mess before you leave."

But instead of complying, Lainey walked over to a nearby shelf and picked up a porcelain vase, turning it slowly in her hand.

She said quietly, "Not everything here belongs to you." She held it up slightly. "I bought this vase two months ago. Three million. Since I paid for it, I'm taking it away."

Her hand then pointed toward the wall. "That painting and the clock over there... I purchased both three months ago. Ten million altogether. They're coming with me too."

Rita's expression twisted in disbelief. "Are you serious? You gave those to us! You can't just take them back now!"

Larry's brows pulled together as well. "My mother is attached to that painting. You're not taking it."

Charlee, still playing the role of the fragile victim, added softly with a wounded tone, "I always thought you were someone generous. Why are you suddenly acting so petty?"

With the three of them speaking one after another, the situation was quickly twisted—making it seem like Lainey was the unreasonable one causing all the chaos.

Just then, Rose showed up, accompanied by a group of bodyguards. Lainey immediately gestured around the living room while issuing instructions one after another. "The Hermès fruit bowl—mine. Pack it. The Tiffany tea set—mine. Take it. The Chanel curtains—also mine. Take them down."

Her gaze shifted to the living room sofa. "And this sofa cost me two million. That goes as well."

Rose looked almost energized, as if she had been waiting for this moment. With efficient coordination, she and the bodyguards began clearing out everything Lainey had originally financed, one item after another.

Larry's expression turned increasingly dark. "So this is your revenge? You're really tearing this entire house apart just to get back at me?"

Lainey didn't respond immediately. Instead, she calmly bent down and started collecting the rest of her belongings from the floor. Only after finishing did she speak. "I wasn't planning to argue over a few things I once bought." She paused briefly. "But your mother insisted on making a scene out of it. So now she gets to see what it looks like when I stop holding back."

She zipped up her suitcase and stood upright again, her gaze landing on Rita with a faint, almost unsettling smile. "Well, Rita, satisfied now?"

The words hit like a final blow. Rita's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed on the spot.

The moment Lainey turned to leave, panic erupted behind her.

"Mom!" Larry shouted.

"Mrs. Miller!" Charlee cried out as well.

Seeing Rita faint, Charlee immediately seized the opportunity, her voice dripping with concern and accusation. "Larry, this is too much. Lainey actually took everything and stressed Mrs. Miller into collapsing. How can she be so disrespectful to you and your family?"

Larry laid Rita down on a chair, his face tight with anger as he straightened up again. He turned toward Lainey with a cold, cutting stare. "Go ahead then," he yelled. "Walk out now if you want. But when Nova Tech's launch succeeds in a few days, don't expect to come back. Even if you crawl on your knees, I won't let you near this family again."

At the mention of Nova Tech, something shifted in Lainey's expression. That company's AI division was the backbone of the Miller Group's upcoming success. In her past life, she had attended that very launch—not as a guest, but as Larry's hidden helper behind the scenes.

When Bryan had attempted to expose Nova Tech's fake technology, she had interfered and sabotaged Wilson Group instead, forcing him to step back. She had even handed over her own company's research just to secure Larry's success.

That single event had made Nova Tech explode in value, earning Larry unimaginable profits.

This time, things would be different. She would not help him.

And she would make sure Bryan didn't lose either.

A confident curve appeared on her lips. "Alright. Then we'll see how that turns out," she said softly.