I didn't know how long I had been standing in the rain...

Not until Andy finally walked out of that room.

When he saw me, he immediately put some distance between himself and Sonia, who was following behind him. He approached me with his familiar, gentle smile, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Why are you standing out here in the cold? Aren't you worried you'll catch a cold?"

He took off his jacket and put it over my shoulders.

"Come on, the family dinner's about to start. Don't keep the Don waiting."

The car took us into the family estate. Andy held my hand as we walked into the hall.

"Where have you been these past few days? You didn't even send me a message," I asked quietly.

"You've always wanted a custom dress from a master designer, right? I went to Manil to find him in the past few days. I left in such a hurry, I forgot to tell you," he replied.

I looked up at him. "So, where's the dress?"

The smile on his face was as perfect as ever. "It's not ready yet. Maybe we'll just save it to use as your wedding dress."

I managed a smile, but it never reached my eyes.

The dance began.

Sonia showed up fashionably late.

The moment she appeared at the entrance, the entire hall fell silent. She was wearing the wedding dress I had always dreamed of, stunning and radiant. It was so beautiful that everyone was left breathless.

As soon as Sonia spotted Andy, she hurried toward us. In her rush, she stumbled and twisted her ankle, falling to the floor and scraping her knee.

"How can you be so careless!"

Andy couldn't hold back anymore and rushed over. He took out his handkerchief and gently wiped the blood and dirt from Sonia's knee.

It was the handkerchief I had knitted for his birthday last year. He had never let it out of his sight. Now, it was stained with another woman's blood.

"I'm fine, Andy... It just hurts a little," Sonia said, her voice shaky as she sobbed.

Right then, the music started. All around us, the other couples began to lead their partners onto the dance floor.

Andy met my eyes, offering just the right amount of apology. "Leona, I'll take Sonia to get her wound treated first. Wait for me. I'll be back soon to dance with you."

He left me with those words as he helped Sonia up before quickly leaving the hall with her.

Couples after couples began their dances in each other's arms.

I sat alone in a corner, my hands clenched tightly in my lap. No one came near me. I could feel the stares. Some were sympathetic, some pitying, but most were sneering at me.

"Wow, even being the Don's adopted daughter couldn't help her keep her fiancé?"

"I heard a long time ago that it was a political marriage. She was just a pawn to keep Andy in the Family."

"How pathetic... Andy dumped her in front of everyone. He must really have had enough of her."

Their whispers pierced my heart.

I stood there the whole night, and Andy never came back.

The next morning, he rushed into my room, only relaxing when he saw I was there.

"Sorry, Leona. There was trouble at the casino on the West Side last night, and then my car broke down. That's why I couldn't go join you."

I didn't hear a word he said. My eyes were fixed on the silk scarf around his neck...and the faint reddish marks it barely covered.

...Were those what I thought they were?

I reached out, wanting to touch the scarf. Andy immediately jerked back, pulling it tighter.

"Does the scarf look strange? It's part of a blessing ritual for our marriage... It was supposed to bring happiness. I have to wear it before the wedding, so I can't take it off."

He lied so smoothly, as if it didn't need any effort to make things up at all.

I lowered my eyes and clenched my fists, barely holding back my tears. "It does look a little odd. It's crooked… Let me fix it for you."

"Don't touch it, or the blessing won't work!" His voice suddenly rose, eyes darting away from mine. "Anyway, don't you still need a pearl necklace to go with your dress? I've already booked the bay that produced the best pearls. Let's go pick out some pearls ourselves."

After changing the subject, he quickly turned and went outside to wait for me.

I tilted my head back and squeezed my eyes shut, but the tears still fell.

When I had changed and gone out, Andy had made sure the scarf covered his neck in its entirety.

As soon as we arrived at the bay, I heard shouting from the beach in the distance.

I looked up, and there was Sonia again.

Tears rolled down Sonia's cheeks as she stood surrounded and shoved around by several women.

Andy's fists clenched instantly as he watched the scene unfold. In the end, he didn't step in. Instead, he turned and looked straight at me.

I knew that look all too well. He wanted me to step in for Sonia again.

Ever since word got out that Sonia had caught Jason Marino's attention, she had become the prime target of every woman hoping to become his wife.

Once, they locked her in a basement wine cellar. I was the one who got her out. Andy wouldn't stop praising me. After that, any time Sonia got into trouble that Andy couldn't handle, it was always up to me to deal with the mess.

And now, he was using me as her shield once again.

"Still wearing a corset on the beach? Who are you trying to impress?" one of the women sneered. "Take it off. Let's see just how slim your waist is and how you got Jason's attention!"

"Please... Not in front of everyone..." Sonia's voice trembled as she hugged herself.

"Acting all innocent now? Weren't you showing off your waist at the club, trying to get every rich man to look at you? And now, you're acting all shy in front of us?"

"So? Are you taking it off, or do we have to help you?"

Seeing Sonia cornered with nowhere to run, Andy gave me a hard shove from the back. "Leona, get over there and make them shut up!"

The push nearly sent me sprawling on the sand. The humiliation burned hot up my neck.

But all his attention was focused on Sonia. He didn't even glance at me.

I shook my head at myself and walked over. As soon as Sonia saw me, she darted behind me.

"Leona, help me!"

I glanced at the women across from us and said coldly, "Do you really want to force Jason's fiancée to strip in public? Aren't you worried he'll come after you after this?"

The leader was a Capo's daughter, and she nodded politely at me. "Leona, we're not trying to be mean. We're just curious, that's all. She's not as innocent as she looks. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"That's right, Leona. We've seen her coming out of hotels with that Consigliere more than once. Aren't you worried at all?"

Sonia instantly grabbed my arm and shook her head. "No, Leona, don't listen to them!"

She clung to me and pulled me backward step by step. I couldn't break free no matter how I tried.

"Don't believe her? I think you just don't want to admit it!"

"Just yesterday, I saw you and Andy going into a hotel together..."

Before the woman could finish, Sonia yanked hard on my arm and threw herself backward into the sea with a scream, timing it perfectly when a big wave hit.

"Sonia!" Andy's shout cut through the air. He rushed past me and dove straight into the water.

A moment later, he came up to the beach, carrying a soaked and trembling Sonia in his arms. "Sonia, are you all right?"

Sonia looked stunned, staring at me in disbelief for several seconds before finally saying, "Leona, why did you push me? Did you really believe what they said? I never thought you were someone who can't tell right from wrong!"

Andy shot me with a cold, dangerous glare. "Leona, I told you to help her! Not push her into the sea!"

In Sonia's eyes, I caught a flash of smugness for just a split second. Only then did I realize why she had been dragging me backward the whole time.

"She jumped in herself," I said calmly.

Sonia quickly interrupted, "Yeah... Leona didn't push me. I just lost my balance..."

She trembled like a victim, as if I had threatened her into changing her story.

Andy pulled her tightly into his arms, his eyes burning with fury. "I saw everything! You pushed her. Don't lie to me."

The disappointment in his voice hit me hard. I realized this had all been Sonia's plan. No matter what I said, he would never believe me.

"If anything happens to her, you'll answer to me!" Andy snarled.

With that, Andy ignored everyone around him, scooped Sonia up in his arms, and walked toward the parking lot.

As they left, Sonia, curled up in Andy's arms, looked back and shot me a triumphant smile.

I wasn't the only one who saw that provocation Sonia had shot my way.

The Capo's daughter saw it too. She gritted her teeth and hissed, "I knew she did that on purpose!"

She glanced at me with disdain. "Leona, she stole your fiancé! Aren't you going to..."

But she stopped—she realized that when a man's heart was clouded, nothing you say would make a difference.

When I got home, I had barely sat down when Andy burst in. He grabbed my wrist, trying to drag me out. "You scared Sonia. You're going to apologize to her right now!"

Hearing that, I pulled my hand free and met his cold gaze. "I already told you, I didn't push her. Why should I apologize?"

"I only believe what I see. Don't make me angry, Leona."

With that, he pulled something from his pocket. My father's signet ring, representing his status in the Family.

It was my father's keepsake, engraved with his name and the date he died. When we got engaged, I gave Andy that ring. It represented my trust, my heart, and everything I had.

My heart sank.

"Are you threatening me with that?"

"It's not a threat," he said flatly. "If you apologize, things can go back to the way they were."

A bitter, broken laugh slipped out, tears rolling out of my eyes.

I had been so foolish. I handed over to him the thing that mattered most to me just so he could use it against me now. I quickly turned away, wiping my tears before he could see.

"Fine. I'll apologize. But after that, you give me the ring."

Andy seemed to hesitate, but finally nodded.

To help Sonia recover, Andy had just bought her a new villa.

When I went in, Sonia was curled up in the corner of Andy's bed. The moment she saw me, she started shaking like I was some kind of monster.

"I'm sorry." After I said that, I looked at Andy, waiting for him to keep his promise.

But he just stared at me coldly. "That didn't sound sincere. Bow to her."

I froze, the feeling of disbelief choking me.

Still, I turned and bowed deeply to Sonia, repeating, "I'm sorry."

Sonia made a show of trying to get out of bed to help me, but Andy stopped her. "She owes you this. Just stay put. The wedding's coming up, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

He wasn't even going to hide it anymore.

I straightened my back and didn't look at him. I went straight for his suit pocket, snatching my father's ring and gripping it tight as I walked away.

He called my name, but I never looked back.

After that day, we never saw each other again... Not until the wedding.

Right before I got in the wedding car, I received a "thoughtful" message from Andy.

"No matter what happens, don't panic. Wait for me to come get you. Stay put."

I didn't reply.

According to their plans, the two bridal cars would switch in the tunnel.

About an hour later, I could feel the route change.

Andy's plan was working perfectly.

My car pulled into Jason's estate, stopping in front of a lawn covered in roses. Someone opened the car door, and I gathered up my dress and stepped out.

A ripple of shock ran through the crowd.

"Wait, isn't Sonia supposed to be the bride? Why is it someone else?"

"Who is she? What gives her the right to stand there in a wedding dress?"

"She must be another desperate woman who wants to marry Jason... I've seen it a hundred times!"

I could feel all the stares. The doubt, the scorn, the sneers falling on me from every direction.

Just then, Jason made his move. Dressed in a sharp tailcoat, he walked toward me.

He didn't look the slightest bit bothered by the bride switch. In fact, I could see he was smiling faintly, as if he was amused.

"You don't look surprised at all," Jason said.

"You don't seem that shocked, either," I replied, forcing myself to stay calm.

His smile widened, sharp and captivating.

He turned to the stunned guests and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, there's nothing wrong with the bride. Leona Foster is indeed my bride!"

Before anyone could react, he dropped to one knee and held out a dazzling diamond ring.

He looked up at me, his eyes burning with such passion.

"Leona, will you marry me?"

I looked him straight in the eyes and slowly gave my answer.