On the night before the wedding, my fiancé’s female best friend, Marisol Vance, sent me a set of photos.

In the photos, she wore the custom haute couture wedding gown I had commissioned, leaning into Lucian Drake’s arms, with a caption meant to provoke me: [Borrowing your groom and your dress for a moment—after all, Lucian said I look better in this than you do.]

Soon after, my social feed was flooded with their so-called wedding photos.

In the images, the two of them staged a mock kiss, the caption reading: [More than friends, not quite lovers. If we had been born ten years earlier, there would have been no place for anyone else.]

I held up the photos and confronted Lucian, yet he played his game indifferently, then tossed his phone aside, his face full of impatience.

“I told you, it was just for fun—a way to commemorate our youth. Can you stop acting like a shrew? She was just diagnosed with depression. What’s wrong with me comforting her?”

Looking at his self-righteous expression, I smiled.

“Fine. Since your bond is so unbreakable, I won’t play the villain.”

That very night, I drafted a withdrawal agreement and halted the arrangements I had been making with a top-tier overseas medical team for his mother.

“The wedding is off. Don’t expect me to keep patching up your bankrupt company, and don’t expect me to save your mother either.

“Your youth is precious—I hope you can afford to pay the price to keep it so.”

On the night before the wedding, my fiancé’s female best friend, Marisol Vance, sent me a set of photos.

In the photos, she wore the custom haute couture wedding gown I had commissioned, leaning into Lucian Darke’s arms, with the provocative caption: [Borrowing your groom and your dress for a moment—after all, Lucian said I look better in this than you do.]

Soon after, my social feed was flooded with their wedding photos.

In the images, the two of them staged a mock kiss, the caption reading: [More than friends, not quite lovers. If we had been born ten years earlier, there would have been no place for anyone else.]

My fingers tightened around my phone, turning faintly pale, and before I could reply, the comment section was already filled with their mutual childhood friends egging them on:

[Marisol and Lucian are the perfect match!]

[This is what divine friendship looks like—I’m so jealous I could cry!]

[Evangeline won’t mind, right? Everyone knows Lucian is loyal above all.]

I grabbed my car keys and drove straight to Lucian’s apartment.

Along the way, fragments of the past seven years flickered through my mind.

I was the only daughter of Cross Industries, while Lucian had been nothing more than a poor boy whose ventures failed time and again.

For him, I had fallen out with my family, used the Cross’s resources to pave his way, and even called in personal connections to bring in a top overseas medical team when his mother fell gravely ill.

I had thought I was nurturing love, never realizing I had been feeding a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The moment I pushed open the apartment door, Lucian was sitting shirtless on the carpet, absorbed in his game, not even turning his head at the sound.

As for Marisol, when she saw me enter, she showed no trace of panic.

She smiled but it did not reach her eyes.

“Eva? What are you doing here so late?”

When Lucian saw the look on my face, his brows immediately drew together.

“The wedding is tomorrow. Shouldn’t you be resting at home instead of coming here to check up on me?”

I looked at him coldly and raised my phone, the intimate wedding photo displayed on the screen.

“Aren’t you going to explain this?”

Lucian glanced at it, then casually tossed his phone onto the sofa, his face full of impatience.

“Are you done yet? I told you, it was just for fun, a way to commemorate our youth. I’m marrying you tomorrow, so why are you arguing with a patient?”

“A patient?”

I was so furious I laughed instead, pointing at Marisol, whose flushed complexion and hurt gaze betrayed no sign of illness.

“Does she look like a patient to you?”

“Marisol was just diagnosed with severe depression!”

Lucian shot to his feet, stepping in front of Marisol as he shouted at me with righteous indignation.

“The doctor said she’s emotionally fragile right now—she needs companionship, she needs her wishes fulfilled!

“She just wanted to wear a wedding dress once, to experience what happiness feels like.

“She’s afraid she won’t have another chance. What’s wrong with me indulging her?”

The more Lucian spoke, the more justified he felt.

Then he pointed at me and began to berate me.

“Can you stop being so narrow-minded and shrewish? Marisol is my closest friend. She’s been so distressed she’s thought about dying, and all you care about is a stupid dress?”

At that moment, Marisol shrank back slightly on the sofa, tears welling up.

She timidly tugged at Lucian’s sleeve, her voice trembling with sobs.

“Don’t blame Eva, it’s all my fault… I don’t deserve to live… I shouldn’t have had such selfish hopes…

“I’ll take it off right now, Eva. Please don’t be angry, I’ll leave immediately…”

As she spoke, she made a show of reaching for the laces at the back of the wedding gown, her hands trembling as if she were utterly fragile.

Lucian was heartbroken at the sight; he grabbed her hands to stop her, then turned to glare at me viciously.

“Take it off? Leave it on! Eva, look at yourself—where is your grace, your dignity? If you keep pushing Marisol like this, then don’t bother with the wedding!”

Watching him look ready to fight me over an outsider, I suddenly found it almost laughable.

This was the man I had loved for seven years, the man I had supported with everything I had.

I took a deep breath, and in that instant, the surging anger and grievance within me cooled into something distant and still.

“Fine.”

I looked at Lucian, the corner of my lips curling into a mocking smile.

“Since your bond is so unbreakable, and you’re so eager to commemorate your youth, then I won’t play the villain.”

Lucian froze for a moment, clearly not expecting me to give in so easily.

A flicker of satisfaction passed through his eyes, and his tone softened slightly.

“That’s more like it. Be a little more generous. Don’t worry, tomorrow’s wedding will go on as planned. I’ll still marry you.”

I said no more and turned to leave.

Behind me, I heard Lucian comforting Marisol.

“It’s alright now. That’s just her temper—she’ll calm down with a bit of coaxing. Let’s keep playing…”

After walking out of the apartment building, the night air felt cool against my skin.

I got into my car and dialed my assistant’s number.

“Edwin, notify the legal department to draft a withdrawal agreement tonight.

“And contact the medical team currently waiting at the airport in Argenfall.

“Then, cancel Miriam Drake’s surgery arrangements, have the team disband on the spot, and I’ll cover the penalty.”

I ended the call and looked at my reflection in the rearview mirror, my expression utterly devoid of emotion.

'Lucian, I hope that after tomorrow, you can still afford to pay the price.' I said inwardly.

Early the next morning, just as dawn began to break, the makeup artist was applying my makeup, hesitating as if she wanted to say something.

“Are you really not going to wear the wedding dress?”

“Nope.”

I felt disgusted by anything that had been touched by something unclean.

“I’ll wear this suit instead.”

At exactly eight o’clock, it was time for the groom to come fetch the bride.

But downstairs, everything was eerily quiet.

There were no fireworks, and there was no sign of Lucian.

My bridesmaid, Valerie Bohr, rushed in, her eyes reddened with anger.

“Eva, this is too much! That bastard Lucian still hasn’t shown up! I just called the groomsmen—guess what they said?”

I put on my earrings unhurriedly, my tone calm. “What did they say?”

“They said that Lucian had taken the wedding car!”

Valerie stomped her foot in fury.

“They said Marisol suddenly had a depressive episode and was threatening to jump off a building.

“She insisted on riding in that limited-edition limousine to calm down!

“That idiot actually drove it away and even told you… told you to take a taxi to the hotel!”

I let out a soft laugh.

As expected, there was nothing they wouldn’t dare to do.

That limousine had been specially brought out from my father’s garage—a globally limited edition.

Marisol certainly had an eye for luxury.

Even in the middle of a depressive episode, she chose the most expensive car.

My phone rang—it was Lucian.

After I answered, the sound of rushing wind came through, along with Lucian’s anxious voice, “Eva, go to the hotel first and handle the guests.

“Marisol is very unstable right now. She almost jumped from the rooftop!

“A life is at stake, so don’t throw a tantrum at a time like this!”

“Oh?” I applied a bold red lipstick in front of the mirror. “And?”

“I’ll bring the car back in a while! Just take a taxi, or have your family driver send you. Your family has plenty of cars anyway—you won’t miss this one.”

Lucian spoke as if entirely justified; he even dared to sound annoyed at me.

“You’re the bride—you should be more understanding. If anything really happens to Marisol, we’ll carry that guilt for the rest of our lives!”

“Lucian, ” I cut him off.

“Remember what you just said.”

With that, I hung up and blocked his number.

“What do we do now, Eva?” Valerie was on the verge of tears.

“It’s almost time.”

I stood up and adjusted the collar of my suit.

“My family lacks neither money nor cars.”

I took out my phone and called the butler.

“Bring out every car in the garage and mobilize all the bodyguards. Since Lucian isn’t coming to fetch me, I’ll go myself.”

By the time the motorcade arrived at the hotel, most of the guests had already gathered.

When the guests saw me enter alone with a group of bodyguards, they exchanged glances and began whispering among themselves.

I ignored the probing looks and walked straight toward the backstage lounge.

Just as I reached the door, I caught sight through the gap of Lucian sitting on the sofa, holding Marisol in his arms.

She had changed into casual clothes, yet still wore a fragile expression.

Marisol clung tightly to Lucian’s arm, practically pressing herself against him, holding a cup of hot water as she sipped from it in small, delicate mouthfuls.

“Did I cause you trouble again, Lucian? Eva must be angry…”

Lucian lowered his head and carefully wiped the water from the corner of her lips, his tone gentle.

“Don’t overthink it. You’re like this because you’re sick.

“If she doesn’t even have this much tolerance, then she doesn’t deserve to be my wife.”

Meanwhile, Miriam, seated in her wheelchair, not only failed to reprimand her son at the sight, but instead took Marisol’s hand, her face full of tender concern as she wiped away tears.

“Good child, you’ve suffered.

“It’s a good thing that Lucian values loyalty. This is the kind of responsibility a real man should have.

“Evangeline usually seems sensible, so why is she being so unreasonable today, even making a fuss over a car?”

Hearing this, a wave of nausea rose in my stomach.

This was the very woman I had spent the past year caring for.

No matter how busy I was with work, I had made time to visit the hospital, paid heavily for caregivers, and brought in specialists to keep her alive.

The values of this entire family were rotten to the core.

I pushed the door open, the loud crash startling everyone inside.

Lucian instinctively shielded Marisol behind him.

When he saw it was me, his brows furrowed.

“Why are you only here now? Everyone is waiting. And what are you wearing? Where is your wedding dress?”

I swept my gaze coldly across the three people in the room, finally letting it rest on Lucian’s impatient face.

“The dress was dirty. I threw it away.”

I spoke calmly. “Since everyone is here, let’s go. Don’t keep the guests waiting.”

Lucian seemed to relax, as if he thought I had compromised once again.

He stood up, adjusted his suit, and even tried to take my hand.

“Alright, stop sulking. After the wedding, I’ll explain everything to you.”

I stepped aside, avoiding his hand, my eyes devoid of any warmth.

“There’s no need to explain. Let’s go.”