Grayson Beaumont.

The name that imprinted itself in her head for the rest of the day.

' He's the CEO? A Beaumont? Does Tyler have a brother? But why have I never heard of him?' Her brow furrowed deeply. ' No, there's no way Tyler has a brother and I'm not aware of it. I know everything about Tyler, his likes, his dislikes, there's nothing I don't know about him. And how come will he have a brother but never mention him?'

She reasoned to herself. ' Maybe... he's a cousin. That must be it, if they're cousins then that explains why he's a Beaumont cause Tyler told me the company belongs to him so yeah, Beaumont's family owns the king's company...'

" Tessa!"

The call snapped her out of the thought, and she turned to look at everyone at the table looking at her.

" Are you okay, Tessa?" Ciara, Mrs. Beaumont asked worriedly.

Tessa quickly put on a smile and nodded, adjusting herself in her seat. " I'm totally fine."

" You seem lost in thought for a second."

" No, it's.. It's nothing." She assured, swallowed as she looked across everyone at the dinner table. All were beautifully dressed according to the occasion. The evening was looking so perfect, expensive wine placed on the covered table, a delicious meal that spread across it, and the nice and expensive perfumes everyone was putting on.

" Was it.. because he's not here?" Ciara added, looking guilty, " I'm so sorry about, he had some business to take care of which is why he won't be present."

Tessa nearly scoffed. ' Of course he has. Tyler always has one or two businesses to take care of, even though I'm damn sure he's at the club picking another girl for the night.'

She said in her mind but the thought made her heart clench.

' Even on our family dinner night?' Her eyes fluttered as her finger curled slightly against the fork in her hand.

Blake, Mr. Beaumont cleared his throat, turning to her. " I'm sure you must be used to it by now, heard you two know each other?" He asked, sounding amused but it didn't surprise Tessa that the parents didn't know that she and their son were best friends. They were hardly around just like her parents, always going overseas for business.

Her eyes lowered realizing how much they've not been present in their lives. Even her parents don't know what her best friend looked like. They're only recently around because of the issues their company is facing.

Though she lacked nothing, except for their presence.

" Yes." She nodded. " Don't worry, I'll give him a call."

" Okay."

Laura slowly reached out her hand and gave her a little squeeze. Tessa smiled as an assurance to her mother's worried gaze.

Everyone resumed eating, chatting, and laughing except Tess.

" Oh, that reminds me. I heard you're interning at our company." Ciara said, grinning.

" Uh.. yes, I started yesterday."

" Great. So, how was work today?"

' Oh don't even get me started, with that annoying dickhead that's the boss, making my day such a miserable one. Should I tell you how arrogant and infuriating he is? or how I already despise my to-be brother-in-law already?'

She wanted to say, but instead, she forced a cheeky smile and replied. " My day was absolutely FANTASTIC."

" Oh, that's great." Everyone giggled, not catching the irony in her words.

Tessa heaved deeply. ' I wish to never see him again.' she said to herself.

The rest of the night pass slower than she wanted, her body aching with exhaustion. After cleaning the whole dusty room, Tessa badly wanted to go back to her bed and have the longest sleep ever.

" Tonight was great." Her mother said to her after they'd returned home but she could only respond with a smile that didn't come from the heart before walking upstairs.

She began texting on her phone as soon as she closed her room door behind her.

" You weren't at the family dinner." She sent the text to Tyler, sat at the edge of the bed, and waited for his response, which came after a minute.

" Yeah, had some business to take care of." He replied.

She scoffed. " Business? What business is more important than your presence there tonight?"

" You should understand love, it's not important I'm there, is it?"

Her lips quivered. ' It's our wedding dinner night ' she wanted to type but couldn't. Her nose burns along with her eyes.

It hurts so much that she knows what business he was talking about, but to think he believes partying and flirting around was more important than being with her made her heart squeeze so tight it hurt.

" Where are you?" She asked for confirmation.

" At the club with Conrad." He replied.

" I knew it." She said to herself.

" I'm sorry Tessy, that I couldn't be there tonight, I promise, I will make it up to you."

" How? How will you make it up?" She asked, tears forming in her eyes.

Even though she was angry, upset, and hurt, she still wanted to know, what he would do to make her stop hurting, to make her really believe he could actually belong to her, and her alone.

" Will a kiss be enough?" The message came in.

Her heart skipped and raced at the same time. Her cheeks turned pink and a smile immediately spread across her face.

' A kiss? He would kiss me?' her mood instantly elevated from zero to one hundred. She bit her lower lip, smiling.

' God,' she called in her mind, grinning, and remembering how many times she'd wished him heartbreak with other girls, maybe then, he'd give her the attention.

But now, he's talking about a kiss.

" I'll take your silence as a yes, Tessy." Another message came in from him, snapping her out of her excited trance. " So get your lips ready for me."

Her cheeks reddened. Her fingers hovered over her phone but her brain was short-circuited, not knowing what to type back.

Her heart was racing so fast that it nearly burst out of her rib when her room door was suddenly pushed open.

" Ah." She jumped, then heaved heavily seeing her mother. " Mum, knock please, I should have moved out." She grumbled and ran her fingers through her hair.

She didn't bother to move out since her parents were barely around.

" Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

" No, you.. startled me."

Laura smiled. " I just came to tell you that the wedding shoot will be taken on the wedding morning."

" Hm? Why?"

"Beaumont's busy schedule, ..or we could.."

" Oh no, it's totally fine, we could take it that morning." She quickly accepted and dismissed her mother.

But little did she know, that-that would be the wrongest decision of her life. That one statement of acceptance, would be stamp to the most painful moment of her life.

The most anticipated day was finally here, yet the morning felt unreal. The room buzzed with stylists, makeup artists, photographers adjusting their lenses, and assistants moving around with bouquets and fabric.

White.

Everything was white. White curtains, white roses, white dress.

Tessa stared at herself in the mirror, her fingers lightly brushing the delicate lace on her shoulder.

Her wedding day.

Her lips curved shyly at her reflection. She hadn't seen Tyler since that flirty chat, but she told herself it was normal; he was probably busy with wedding preparations, knowing how stressful and chaotic they could be.

Then her mind remembered the kiss. Her heart fluttered, her cheeks warmed at the memory of his text.

[ " Get your lips ready for me."]

She pressed her lips together softly, almost unconsciously.

Maybe he wanted today to be special, maybe he wanted their first kiss to be as husband and wife, and the mere thought alone made her chest swell.

" It's time." One of the photographers announced. " Is the groom ready?" He asked.

" Yes, he'll be in soon," Ciara answered from outside.

Tessa's pulse began to race, and her heart was beating almost faster than her breath.

This was it. Finally.

She blushed, eyes fluttering nervously as the door slowly creaked open.

Her breath hitched.

The room went quiet.

Polished shoes stepped in first.

Then a black tailored suit. Broad shoulders. Commanding presence. Aura so magnificent everyone's breath stuttered.

Her smile began forming...and...froze.

It wasn't Tyler who came in.

Her brow knitted together slowly.

Grayson Beaumont. Dressed in a groom's suit.

Her brain didn't immediately process it. It simply refused.

She blinked once. Twice.

Maybe she was nervous, maybe her eyes were playing tricks. But he kept walking forward. Calm. Composed. Like he belonged there, like this was his place.

Her heart began to pound, but not from excitement.

" What .." her voice came out thin. " What are you doing here?" She looked behind him as if waiting for Tyler to come in or if he was hiding behind him.

Murmurs about Grayson's hotness began to spread through the room, but no one moved to correct anything.

Grayson stopped a few steps away from her. His sharp gaze traveled over her, not lustful or soft, it was assessing, possessive, and certain.

Her fingers curled against her bouquet. " Why are you here? Where's Tyler?" She asked quickly, voice shaking.

" Hi, Miss Tessa Monroe." His voice came out soft, unhurried, with a tiny smirk that was so haunting.

Her chest skipped like a nightmare had come for a visit.

" Is this some kind of joke?" She looked around but everywhere was silent.

Ciara and her parents stepped inside just then, smiling and grinning like something was not wrong. No one looked shocked, nor surprised.

" Where is the groom?" She demanded, panic cracking through her tone.

The Beaumonts furrowed their brow in confusion.

" What are you saying? That's your husband-to-be." Ciara pointed.

" No. No. Where's Tyler?" She raised her voice.

Grayson's jaw tightened slightly, but his voice, when he spoke, was calm. " I am the groom."

The words didn't register. She let out a small, breathless laugh.

" No." She shook her head. " No, you're not. Tyler is the groom." Her throat began to burn. " This is my wedding. To Tyler."

Grayson stepped closer, close enough she could see there was no humor in his eyes, only decision, inevitability.

" Tyler was never going to marry you."

The sentence shattered something inside her. Her ears rang, her fingers loosened and the bouquet slipped out of her hand.

" What are you saying?" She whispered, her heart beating painfully hard against her ribs. " No." She shook her head again, more frantically. " No, he.."

The kiss.

She thought, her chest tightened so violently she almost couldn't breathe. She grabbed onto the edge of the dressing table to steady herself.

"This is wrong," her voice broke. "This is wrong. Call him. Call Tyler. He's probably late, he always.."

" Tessy." Tyler's voice ripped out of the people standing, watching. Her glassy eyes moved and landed on him standing beside Ciara.

His face was twisted with worry.

Her mind heaved heavily in relief as if the worst prank was finally over.

He rushed to her side, grabbed her wrist, and turned to Grayson.

" Give us some minutes." He said and dragged her out of the room before anyone could stop him.

" What's going on?" Ciara asked Grayson in confusion, but he gave no response, he stood still, calmly, with his hands perfectly tucked in his pocket.

" No one has changed." He muttered to himself.

***.....

" What's going on? Why is your cousin here as the groom?" Tessa asked the moment they stepped into the empty hallway, her voice already shaking. She needed him to laugh and say it was all a mistake.

Tyler chuckled softly. " Cousin? Who said Grayson was my cousin?" He asked.

" He.."

"..is my brother." He cut in. " My elder brother. Same father. Same mother."

Her stomach dropped.

" What?! But..but you never mentioned him."

" He's not relevant, and moreover he's barely around so what use is it mentioning him?" He shrugged like it was nothing.

" well it mattered now," her body shivered, her fingers curled into her dress. "So why is he here?"

Tyler tilted his head, studying her like she was something fragile and fascinating. "Come on, Tessy," he said gently. "That's the man you're marrying."

Silence.

"What do you mean the man I'm marrying?" Her voice cracked.

"Weren't you told you're marrying a Beaumont?"

"Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont's son. And the only son I know is you."

Tyler stared at her for a long second. Then something almost amused flickered in his eyes.

A slow breath left him. "Oh, Tessy..." he murmured, not shocked, not confused, just watching her unravel.

"But we never talked about marriage," he continued calmly. "We talked about the wedding. The arrangement. You assumed."

Her trembling lips parted, her heart squeezed so painfully she wanted to yell as if it would stop this nightmare.

Trembling, she said. " I never use the word 'us' because I never wanted you to be uncomfortable, or pressured." Her shaking voice said. " But you knew."

Tears blurred her vision.

He didn't deny it.

"You knew it wasn't you I'd be marrying," she choked. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Tyler held her gaze. "Because you were happy," he said quietly. "And I liked that you were happy... with me."

She let out a broken laugh.

"Tessy," he stepped closer, lowering his voice.

Her tears fell freely now. "You know how I feel about you, didn't you?" she demanded. " You knew I thought it was you and you didn't say anything." Her lips quivered.

He exhaled slowly."I know," he admitted. No hesitation. "I know you love me."

Her breath hitched.

"And I'd be lying if I said I don't feel the same way about you," he continued, voice smooth. "I do. You matter to me. More than anyone."

Hope flickered in her eyes.

He swallowed, stared right into her eyes as he held her shoulder, and said. " But I won't marry you."

Something shattered in her.

" I don't want to lose you, Tessy." he continued. " Not for anything. If we date-we could break up, if we marry-we could divorce, and I'd rather have you always...than risk losing you completely."

Hot tears dropped down her cheeks. Her fists clenched so hard as she stared back at him.

" So you're saying you love me?"

" I do." He nodded, trying to look as sincere as possible.

" Yet, you'd let me marry your brother?"

" No one cares about me, Tessy. No one ever chooses me." His voice softened. "Everyone chooses him. But as long as you're still mine... in the ways that matter... I don't mind."

" Well, I do! I won't marry anyone that's not you, no I won't!"

For a split second, satisfaction flashed across his face, he smiled and made to reply when Laura's voice cut through the air.

"Tessa." She stepped forward and grabbed Tessa's arm firmly. "I need to speak to my daughter."

" Sure." He nodded and left to give them some privacy.

She glared at him as he walked away. She had heard most of their conversations and couldn't help but get annoyed about him not telling Tessa the truth about who she was marrying.

" Tessa, sweetheart." She called softly, turning back to her daughter.

" Mum, I'm not marrying him." She shook her head, shaking with tears smearing her makeup.

Laura gently held her hands. " I'm sorry sweetheart, what I just saw made me realize you did not know who you were marrying. The moment we told you his family name you immediately accepted and said you knew him."

She shook her head. " Well, it's not too late, let's just cancel the wedding."

No response.

She looked at her mother, "What?"

" We can't," Laura told her remorsefully.

Tessa pulled away. " What do you mean by we can't?"

"This marriage will save us." Colton, her father said from behind where he was standing.

"Save us?" she laughed brokenly. "By selling me?"

Her father's jaw tightened. "Watch your tone. This is all because of your mistake, you were the one who claimed to already be best friends with the groom."

Her tears fell faster now.

" Colton," Laura called cautiously but he ignored her.

"If you call off this wedding, the Beaumont deal collapses. We are on the verge of bankruptcy, Tessa. Do you understand that?"

She stared at him.

"We will lose everything."

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. "So I'm collateral?"

"It's not like that." Laura tried to convince.

"It is exactly like that!" she cried.

Her mother's softened voice said desperately."If this deal doesn't go through today, we're finished. The houses. The company. Everything."

Her mind spun.

Her whole life, the comfort, the status, the stability - balancing on her answer.

" But how can I marry someone I know nothing about when my heart beats for someone else?"

"You have no choice," her father said finally, coldly.

That was it.

No choice.

Twelve years of loving her best friend all for nothing, the day he finally confessed his feelings for her was the same day she had to marry his brother, her boss. Not for love, but for money.

She turned away from everyone and wept bitterly.

" I do."

Tessa didn't recognize her own voice. It sounded distant, mechanical, like it belonged to someone else standing at the altar in her white dress.

The church was filled. Cameras flashed. Guests smiled. Applause echoed softly. But she felt nothing but ache in her chest, a pain that refused to die.

Her hands were cold in his.

Grayson Beaumont. Her husband.

Even the word felt foreign and heavy. Her eyes still burns but she has not cried since she agreed, nor screamed, or fight. She just trembled slightly as if internally wanting to disappear, wanting everything to end.

The priest waited for the applause to die down before reciting the husband's vows, but Grayson's eyes were fixed on her.

None of her sniffles escaped him. Not her slight tremble. Not her brimming eyes.

She didn't want this wedding, he could tell, but then he remembered something.

********(Flashback)*****

" You talk like you actually care about me," Grayson smirked as he glared at his parents in disbelief.

" We do, Grayson, and this is us doing you a favor." Ciara flared.

Favor. That's what his mother called it.

" A wife will stabilize your image. You need a family man's reputation. We're thinking of you."

He almost laughed. " Or you just need something to help you feel less guilty."

" Grayson," Blake called.

" Does anyone even know I'm your son?"

" Everyone knows. Everyone in the company knows that .."

" They know only recently after I helped with the stocks. I bet they were all shocked to the bones to see that the Beaumonts have two sons. Not one. And now, you're giving me a marriage proposal.. as compensation?"

He smiled bitterly, coldly at his whole life. He had built the cooperation from the inside, while they paraded Tyler as the charming heir.

Tyler, who never attended meetings. Tyler, who partied.

And him?

He was used. When the company began slipping, falling into a critical situation, that's when they made him the CEO.

They called it his responsibility, and the compensation was marriage.

"You never choose me," he told them coldly. "You assign me."

His father's response?

"You don't have anyone else anyway."

That one had landed. Because it was true.

No one. No woman. No fiancée. No emotional attachment. Just work. So they packaged the proposal like a charity.

"We're securing your future. Call it compensation but we're not making up for anything, nor do we feel guilty. We're just doing what's best for you, so you'll be marrying Tessa Monroe."

That name. A name he would never forget.

Tessa Monroe.

He never forgets about her, not for a day. But her? She didn't remember him.

Just like everyone else, she had forgotten about him as if he never existed. Even though everything about her was unforgettable for him, but her? She'd rather choose someone else.

That one act of hers had burned deeper than it should have.

" Sure. I'll marry her."

His parents were shocked to the bone when he accepted. Just like that.

***** ( End of flashback)****

It was his turn. " I do." He said, his voice steady, with no hesitation, but she stood still before him, silent, detached, clearly shattered, not because she was forced to marry him, but because she wasn't marrying his brother.

Something unpleasant stirred inside him.

Resentment.

His jaw ticked.

The priest smiled warmly. "By the power vested in me.."

Grayson didn't wait. He stepped forward, one hand sliding firmly to her waist, pulling her closer before the priest could finish.

A quiet gasp spread through the church as his mouth claimed hers. Not soft, not tender, not cruel either.

It was deep. Claiming. A statement that caused an uproar.

Tessa's eyes widened for a split second before she froze. She didn't respond, resist, or kiss back. She just stood there, cheeks flushed, pulse racing beyond control.

When he pulled away, his gaze held hers. Dark. Unreadable. Possessive.

Shivers ran down her spine, her breath trembled as her lashes fluttered.

Grayson could feel his brother's gaze from the front row, burning, possessive, as if Grayson had stolen something that belonged to him.

But no, he hadn't stolen anything. He had handed it, and this one? He's never giving it back.

His lips curved into a smirk, then he leaned slightly closer towards her.

" You should smile," he murmured for only her to hear. " People are watching."

Her fingers clenched so hard as if she fought the urge to wipe her lips, the lingering feeling of his mouth on hers.

Her jaw tightened, but she forced a small, empty smile.

" Good." He mumbled and leaned back.

Everyone applauded and cheered but the moment she thought no one was watching, she slipped away through the back door.

Away from the noise, away from the moment that snatched everything brutally from her.

That kiss, she was supposed to be sharing it with the man she loved, with Tyler. Not with his brother, not with her boss she despised.

Her breath quivered, panting as her heels clicked hastily across the marble, heading for the restroom.

" Tessy."

She heard Tyler's voice call after her, only then did she stop, breathing heavily. Her ankle hurts from running with heels, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain in her chest.

The moment he got to her side, he grabbed her arms and pulled her to himself, hugging her so tight like she was a treasure he's scared would slip away.

His warmth. His presence. His scent only made her burst into tears.

" It's okay. It's okay, Tessy." He pulled away, held her cheeks in his palms. " I'm here, you still have me. You'll always have me."

She cried brokenly. " No." Her lips quivered. " This.. this is wrong. I don't want to.."

" I know, but Tessy, this would never change how I feel about you. You may be married to my brother but you'd always be mine."

She sniffled. " That kiss.. I thought it would be with you." She said, feeling her heart ripping apart in her throat.

Tyler smiled, tilted her face closer to his, and locked eyes with her.

" We can still have it." He said. " Our kiss."

And his gaze dropped to her lips.