Cutting Kaitlin off before any word of the collaboration could even cross her lips, Andrew declared firmly, "The deal still stands. We're getting married immediately. Expect me there in thirty minutes."

Hanging up with a practiced flick of his wrist, he turned to meet Doris' wide-eyed, speechless gaze and explained, "Grandma, that setup of yours never showed. Luckily, I found a replacement-a manager over at Pioneer Group. She's sharp, stunning, and honestly, she's exactly the kind of woman you've always wanted for me."

Scrolling through his phone, he retrieved a photo of Kaitlin and held the screen out for her inspection.

Despite the flat lighting of a basic ID picture, Kaitlin's elegance was undeniable, her features aligning in a rare, poised harmony that caught the eye immediately.

"Perfect! I'm coming to the hospital with you," Doris announced, her face lighting up with a radiant, disbelieving joy that demanded physical proof.

Gently guiding her back down into her chair, Andrew urged, "Slow down. She's quite shy. Let's get the paperwork squared away first, and then I'll bring her over. We can dive into the wedding plans after that."

...

"Keep in mind that once your signature is on that paper, there's no undoing it," Andrew remarked, his voice as cold and transactional as a board meeting. "Are you absolutely certain about this?"

Nodding with a look of deep sincerity, Kaitlin took a moment to truly look at him, suddenly struck by the sharp, captivating pull of his features.

"My mind is made up, and the contract is already signed-I'll get it to you soon. I do have one request for the wedding, though. I want it on the fifteenth of next month, and I want it to be a massive affair that the whole of Zluasey talks about. Is that asking for too much?" She felt unsure. In the end, this was only a marriage of convenience, so she had no reason to expect an elaborate wedding.

To her complete astonishment, Andrew didn't even blink before answering, "Consider it done. Let's go get your gown and jewelry custom-ordered right now."

Entering the largest bridal boutique in Zluasey, Kaitlin immediately spotted Hugh sitting in the lounge area as soon as she opened the door.

Clad in a perfect suit, he was busy flipping through a magazine until the sound of the door caused him to glance up.

Kaitlin hadn't expected to run into him, and her emotions wavered for a few seconds before she quickly composed herself. Andrew was still in his car on a business call, leaving her to begin browsing styles on her own.

Looking at her with icy eyes, Hugh spoke with pure arrogance. "Kaitlin, have you no shame? Why are you following me here?"

Admittedly, his cruel words still caused a small, familiar ache deep in her chest.

Clenching her fists, she stood her ground. "You have a lot of nerve. Why would you assume I am following you?"

"What other reason would there be? You plotted against Rosalie just to force me to remember a past that I find disgusting."

He viewed their shared history as something revolting and completely beneath him.

Kaitlin fired back with her own contemptuous tone. "You are right about one thing. It is disgusting, but I am referring to you."

Hugh's expression darkened at once. He rose to his feet and closed the distance between them, step by step. "Don't push your luck, Kaitlin. I don't have the patience for you. If Rosalie sees you and gets upset, you won't like what comes next."

Laughing coldly, she brushed off his threat. "I am not obligated to follow your rules. I am here to pick out my own wedding dress."

He let out a derisive laugh, tightening his grip on her wrist. "A wedding dress? You're still holding on to the fantasy of becoming my wife? The only woman I will ever marry is Rosalie-the one who stood by me through everything, not a vicious, scheming woman like you."

"Hugh, who are you talking to?" A soft, sweet voice rang out as Rosalie's delicate face came into view.

Upon seeing Kaitlin, Rosalie's smile vanished as she stared at Hugh's hand gripping Kaitlin's wrist with a look of pure sorrow.

Disdainfully, Hugh shoved Kaitlin's hand away and hurried over to put a protective arm around Rosalie's shoulder while whispering to her.

Rubbing her sore wrist, she watched him care for the other woman and realized she felt no emotion at all.

Examining the gown Rosalie was wearing, Kaitlin frowned. "Miss Douglas, aren't you getting a custom dress? Or do you just enjoy taking things that others have already thrown away?"

The gown Rosalie currently wore was no ordinary boutique find; it was a custom masterpiece Hugh had commissioned from an elite designer a year ago, specifically tailored for Kaitlin's frame.

During its creation, he had been obsessed, checking in with the designer every other day to oversee everything from the silhouette's taper to the exact geometry of the gemstone embellishments.

At the time, he had vowed to give Kaitlin a wedding that would spark envy in everyone who saw it-yet here was that same promise, draped over Rosalie's shoulders.

"I'm so sorry... I had no idea. I just found it gorgeous and wanted to put it on. I'm so sorry, Hugh," Rosalie stammered with a faux-apologetic air, though the look she shot Kaitlin was pure, concentrated venom.

The slight was entirely calculated; Rosalie had never moved past the humiliation of being rejected by Hugh years ago while he was pursuing Kaitlin.

Now, she wasn't content with simply wearing Kaitlin's wedding dress and being with her fiance-she intended to destroy Kaitlin's life altogether, turn everyone against her, and leave her with nothing at all.

Hugh's expression turned stone-cold. "I gave her permission, Kaitlin. You're on your way out of Pioneer Group, so stop clinging to the past. If you're going to come here and harass Rosalie, then don't expect me to be polite. Apologize to her. Now."

Roughly seizing Kaitlin's wrist, he yanked her forward until she was forced to stand face-to-face with Rosalie.

Meeting his furious glare without blinking, Kaitlin realized that once the rose-tinted glasses were gone, Hugh didn't deserve a single ounce of her affection.

"I'll give her an apology, but only after I've finished one more task."

She brushed past them and requested a pair of heavy fabric scissors from the startled clerk.

Gripping the shears, she stepped back toward the couple, a chillingly faint smile touching her lips.

Before either could move to stop her, she drove the blades through the silk, slicing the intricate patterns right down the middle.

In a matter of seconds, the multi-million dollar masterpiece was reduced to nothing more than expensive scrap fabric.

As she looked at them, Kaitlin's face showed none of the heartbreak of the past-only the cold, hard edges of a woman who was finally done.

The sharp, metallic snap of the shears finally broke the stunned silence, jolting Rosalie back to reality.

Shaking violently, she let out a piercing scream, her face losing all color as she threw herself into Hugh's arms. "Do something! She's lost her mind!"

Hugh's features twisted with fury; he stepped in front of Rosalie to shield her and shoved Kaitlin.

Nearby, the bridal shop staff watched in paralyzed terror; they had been the ones to hand over the scissors, and they were already panicking about whether they'd be held financially responsible for the ruined gown.

Kaitlin stumbled back from the force of the shove and she began to lose her balance.

She instinctively braced for a painful impact with the floor, but instead felt a firm, warm hand catch her by the waist and pull her upright.

"It seems my timing is impeccable. This is quite the performance," Andrew remarked, his tone laced with dark amusement. "Honestly, Kaitlin, I had no idea your standards were so low. You actually settled for a man like that?"

Andrew was a man who commanded respect, and while his ties to Kaitlin had once been strictly professional, their new personal alliance meant he wouldn't stand by while another man dragged her through the mud.

Kaitlin blinked, her long lashes fluttering as she breathed out a soft, "Thank you."

Hugh tightened his grip on Rosalie, his face contorted with rage. "So, it's you, Mr. Evans. Let's get one thing straight. Rosalie is the love of my life. Kaitlin is just a manipulative gold-digger who plays games to get ahead. You'd be wise to keep your distance unless you want her clinging to you."

Though Kaitlin had heard his insults a thousand times, the cruelty of his words still managed to sting.

Letting out a dry, bitter laugh, she looked at Hugh with the cold detachment one might show a stranger. "I'm sorry for the mess I made. But truly, you two are a perfect match-a man with zero discernment and a woman who is utterly repulsive. I hope you enjoy spending the rest of your lives together."

Andrew arched an eyebrow, a mocking smirk playing on his lips as he piled on. "Wait, I seem to recall a headline about a Miss Douglas being publicly rejected and left in tears. My memory must be failing me-surely you aren't the same woman who crawled her way into Kaitlin's position as the 'other woman'?"

Hugh faltered, momentarily stunned by the directness of the words.

Since his return from the island, office gossip had been relegated to whispers; no one had possessed the nerve to be so explicit. Even his inner circle had only offered cautious warnings against his cruelty toward Kaitlin.

An inexplicable sensation surged through him again, unsettling his resolve.

Rosalie bit her lip, tears beginning to track down her face. "Why are you trying to shame me like this, Mr. Evans? Look, I've been into Hugh for a long time, so when he got hurt, I was the one there taking care of him. Since when is loving someone a crime? Just because I care about him, does that mean I should be dragged through the mud and lied about by you?"

At the sight of her tears, Hugh's stoicism crumbled into a desperate need to protect her. "Mr. Evans, don't let a woman like Kaitlin play you. Seriously, she's always pulling this kind of garbage."

Kaitlin felt no urge to engage in their drama. Turning on her heel, she walked away from the duplicitous couple without a second glance.

Once inside the vehicle, she inhaled sharply and offered Andrew a regretful smile as he settled beside her.

"Thanks for sticking up for me back there," she murmured. "But I'm really not up for the dress fitting today. Let's just push it to another time."

Andrew's eyes thinned into slits. He suddenly seized her chin, forcing her face toward his until their gazes were inextricably locked.

His expression was a mask of frigid indifference, underscored by a palpable threat. "You're carrying my kid, so just keep yourself relaxed and focus on the pregnancy. Don't go losing it over trashy people like that. If something goes wrong with the baby because you're stressed, trust me—you won't like what happens next."

An involuntary shudder passed through her. Encountering that wall of icy detachment, she suppressed her emotions and adopted a subservient tone. "I get it."

She was well aware of the brutality Andrew was capable of.

A previous rival who attempted to undermine the Evans Group found their firm bankrupt within weeks; Andrew had ruthlessly acquired their devalued shares before the final collapse.

Crushed by financial ruin, the disgraced CEO had once stormed the Evans Group headquarters, shouting frantic threats.

Andrew had remained completely unmoved, and the man ultimately leapt to his death, leaving a gruesome scene on the pavement below.

The fact that such a scandalous event vanished from the Internet entirely was a testament to the absolute control Andrew exerted over the region of Zluasey.

Resigned to her fate, Kaitlin followed Andrew's orders, delivering her resignation to Pioneer Group before bracing herself for the upcoming wedding.

...

Inside a Pioneer Group office, a young man hurled a gold-trimmed invitation onto the desk, his gaze burning with frustration as he faced Hugh.

"What the hell is your problem? You lost your memory, not your damn mind. How could you actually go to the Douglases and ask for Rosalie's hand? You're seriously marrying Rosalie—what about Kaitlin? Only a year ago, you were swearing up and down that you'd give Kaitlin a proposal she'd never forget."

Hugh looked up at his friend, Killian Jones, with a steady gaze. "I know exactly who I love. And as for Kaitlin, the woman is a total pro at playing people. Don't let her pull the wool over your eyes."

Killian rolled his eyes in disbelief. "What a load of crap. You used to guard that woman like she was the most important thing on the planet. You literally went to war with your parents to marry her—you even moved out and were ready to kiss your inheritance goodbye. And now you're trying to tell me Rosalie is the one?"

Constant reminders of a history he couldn't recall had become a source of deep resentment for Hugh.

Lacking any personal connection to those memories, he had built a psychological wall against them.

"This is the last time I'm telling you. Rosalie is going to be my wife. You'd better start showing her some respect, or don't be surprised when I decide our friendship isn't worth the headache," Hugh threatened.

Killian ripped the invitation into pieces and tossed them at him. "I don't give a damn about your warnings. I'm telling you right now—if you go through with this, even if you end up crawling back to Kaitlin on your knees, she won't even look at you again."

Hugh scowled, his eyes flashing with sharp annoyance. "Are you seriously blowing up at me over some outsider? You'd better remember exactly who helped you get to the top."

Killian hadn't expected their situation to reach this point. He, too, had grown up in an orphanage, and it was only by fighting his way up alongside Hugh that he had made it to where he was today.

He was struck by the unsettling realization that the man before him was a stranger.

His once-loyal companion had transformed into a calculating and detached figure.

A knock interrupted the tense silence. Hugh's brow furrowed. "Come in," he snapped.

The door opened to reveal Kaitlin, her features a mask of stoic indifference.

She stepped forward with composure and placed the document on the desk. "I'm doing exactly what you asked, Mr. Williams. I'm resigning, and I'll make sure to stay out of Miss Douglas' way."