The courtyard fell into a stunned silence. Everyone stared at me in disbelief.

Seriously? Pulling this kind of stunt at my wedding? And what was that about a special day?

Last time around, the two of them had gone off to celebrate it like it was some sacred anniversary. When they came back, they didn't give Sarah so much as a word of explanation. That icy silence between them lasted a lifetime.

'But I'm not Sarah. She could swallow that kind of thing. I can't—not even a little.

'Wanna go celebrate that day? Go ahead. I'll fight you right there and then, throw my things in a bag, and leave this godforsaken island without a second thought.

'Did you think the daughters of the Cameron family are desperate to marry? If it weren't for the elders clinging to some ancient promise, I'd be living my best life right now—no strings, no nonsense.'

"Blake, are you hurt? You can't treat him like this, Joyce. He's a man—how could you just..." Leila's pale face flushed with fury, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Blake.

But Blake had already straightened up. He gave me a long, unreadable glance, then cleared his throat with a light cough and said calmly, "I'm fine."

Then, like nothing had happened, he came over and took my hand. "You're coming with me tomorrow."

I blinked in surprise. Leila looked completely betrayed.

"Blake! How could you?" she cried. "I'm never speaking to you again!"

She burst into tears and ran out, hands covering her face.

Then I felt the heat of his breath by my ear. "Let's finish the wedding first. I'll explain everything later, okay?"

With the nuisance out of the picture and me not quite in the mood to make a scene, the guests stayed quiet, and the ceremony moved along quickly.

Not long after, I was in the bridal room, slapping the mattress hard with my palm.

'What the hell was that earlier? Was that supposed to be some kind of seductive act? Hmph. As if that would work on me.'

Click.

The door opened, and Blake stepped inside. My face darkened immediately.

"I'm telling you now, I can't stand men who don't know where they stand," I said coldly. "If you're planning to have other women clinging to you every other day, then let's just end this right here. Don't waste my time. I'll head home and marry someone better."

He frowned. "My grandfather arranged our marriage. Since I married you, I'll take responsibility."

I scoffed. "Pfft. Blake. Let me tell you—if our marriage works out, great. If it doesn't, we split. When they arranged this marriage, there was no fine print saying I had to be yours for life."

"You…" He looked genuinely rattled, pacing back and forth in the room.

Then he sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for my hand. "Joyce, there is nothing between Leila and me. Never was, never will be. I truly want to make this marriage work."

He held my hand tightly despite my resistance. "I'm not good with words. If there's anything you don't like, just say it. I'll change whatever I can."

Under the warm glow of the wedding room lights, his face was serious and sincere.

My cheeks burned for no reason. I nodded, trying to sound casual. "Fine. I've got a temper. If you can deal with it, then we're good."

Seeing the smile in his eyes made me unreasonably annoyed. I leaned in and grabbed him by the neck, kissing him hard.

Soon, our breathing grew heavier. Blake, worthy of his title as a naval commander, quickly took the lead. His hand moved to my buttons, eyes locked onto mine with a hoarse whisper. "Can I, honey?"

Flustered, I pinched him hard.

Why ask now?

His low chuckle brushed against my neck as he whispered, "My bad…"

The heat of his breath against my skin made me close my eyes.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sudden knocking at the door shattered the moment.

"Blake! Leila left a letter. She's gone!"

Blake's body stiffened instantly. He stood up.

"Honey, get some rest. I'll be back soon."

I glared at him, fury burning in my chest.

"There are tons of people in the unit. Why the hell does it have to be you? Do you have any idea what night this is? It's our wedding night!"

Blake finished dressing and stepped in front of me, holding my clothes in his hands like he intended to help me put them on.

"Come with me, honey."

He paused, voice low but steady. "Leila's parents saved my life. I can't just turn my back on their only daughter. Please come with me. Afterward, you can yell at me, hit me—whatever you want."

I froze for a moment, startled by his words, then pushed him away and dressed myself in silence.

"Let's go," I said, not sparing him a glance as I walked out the door, my face cold.

I hadn't taken more than a few steps when I felt a sudden warmth around my hand. I tried shaking it off, twice, but he wouldn't let go. I glared at him, clearly annoyed.

"Slow down, honey. It's dark."

Ignoring my anger completely, Blake kept his grip firm as he guided us toward the Burgman household.

Since the Burgman family elders had passed away, the army had taken care of Leila, letting her live alone in a large compound. Tonight, it was surrounded by people.

The first to spot her missing was Kristen Marx, who rushed over holding a note, her face lined with worry.

The note said: Blake, I don't want to be a burden anymore. I'm going to join my parents.

Blake's brows furrowed as he read the note. Without hesitation, he began issuing orders, directing everyone to split up and search.

Soon, voices calling out "Leila!" echoed across the island, especially along the shoreline.

Worried something might have truly happened, I joined the search, though I wasn't familiar with this coastal place. I figured the beaches were already swarming with people, so I decided to comb through the more hidden nooks and corners.

That's when I unexpectedly stumbled across something.

Leila turned, thrilled at the sound of footsteps, but the smile fell from her face the moment she saw me.

"You? What are you doing here? Where's Blake?"

Standing atop a rocky outcrop, Leila looked like a painting of resentment.

I let out a small, mocking laugh. "Really? Throwing your life away for a man who doesn't even see you? Is that worth it?"

Her face flushed red, then turned pale. She bit her lip hard before speaking. "What do you know? Blake and I grew up together. My family saved his life. If it weren't for you barging in, I would've been his wife!"

I let out a cold chuckle. "Oh please. If he actually cared about you, there wouldn't have been room for me to 'barge in,' would there? And let's not forget—we were engaged before we were even born. If we're talking about who came first, you don't even make the list. So listen carefully: he was never yours, and he never will be. Blake is my man."

I took a step closer, my voice sharper now. "But if I ever find out he's entertaining other thoughts, I'll break his legs and hand him over to you. Then you two can be miserable together. Not sure you'd even want that, though."

With that, I turned to leave. I'd found her—safe, not suicidal. Just another girl throwing a dramatic tantrum. I didn't have time to waste playing along.

But before I could take another step, she yanked me back and leaned in close, whispering in my ear, "Tell me, if the two of us fell into the sea at the same time, who do you think Blake would save?"

Before I could respond, she suddenly shoved me—hard.

Completely unprepared, I plunged into the cold, salty sea, swallowing mouthfuls of brine.

"Help! Blake, save me!" she screamed.