Chapter 1

On the eve of my wedding, I discovered my fiancé, Parker Carroll, whispering with the woman he had always loved, Danna Cooke, inside what was meant to be our new home.

Hidden beneath the eaves, I watched them—two lovers entwined, clinging to each other as if the world beyond that moment did not exist.

Danna's voice trembled as she said, "Parker, after you're married, will you fall in love with Victoria?"

A flicker of disgust crossed his face. "Danna, of all people, you should know me better than that. I could never love the daughter of the woman who killed my mother.

"Don't worry. I'm only marrying her to break her. Once she enters the Carroll family, I'll make sure she's dead within a month.

"When she's gone, I'll give you a grand wedding. And this time, we'll never be parted again."

*****

"Do you still want to marry him?" asked my father.

I looked at the pale, gaunt man before me, raised an eyebrow, and let out a soft laugh. "Why not?

"Not only will I marry him, but I'll hold onto the title of Mrs. Carroll for the rest of my life, so those two will never have a chance to be together—not in this lifetime, or the next."

"You truly are my daughter," the King said.

But his laughter quickly dissolved into a violent coughing fit, blood splattering onto the floor as his eyes turned crimson with pain.

I watched coldly as the attendants scrambled to help him, a strange sense of unreality washing over me.

Fate truly loved its little twists. Who could have imagined that the man on the throne was, in fact, my father?

Today, I'd sent my snagged wedding dress out for repairs. When I returned to my room, he was already sitting there, looking completely at ease.

There was something about him. He carried himself with such grace and authority, like he was from another world. I stood my ground, keeping my guard up. "What business do you have here?"

He stared at me for a long moment and then drained his glass in one go.

"I am the King," he said, his voice steady and commanding. "And you are my long-lost daughter, the princess who has been living outside the palace. Today, I've come to bring you back home."

I took a step back, not buying it for a second.

My mother was the most famous courtesan in Haldenor Kingdom, spending over a decade at the Courtesan House. Her patrons were countless, including many royals and nobles.

If anyone else had come to claim me as their child, I might have believed them a little. But him? Not a chance.

He was the King, with a harem full of beautiful women. If he wished, any woman in the kingdom could be added to his harem.

I couldn't believe for a second that he would ever allow the woman who bore his child to be forced to live as a courtesan, entertaining guests just to get by.

Most importantly, my mother always said my birth father was long gone.

Even though I had my doubts, there was no room to refuse. So I just accepted the role of princess by default and told him I was getting married tomorrow. If he had time, he could attend the ceremony.

I figured he was only claiming me now because of the marriage alliance with the Southern Tribes coming up at the end of the year.

The King of Haldenor Kingdom had few heirs—just one son, and the princesses were still children, not fit for a political marriage.

But even so, someone like me, born to a courtesan, shouldn't even be considered. Aside from that, I couldn't think of any other reason for his sudden appearance.

When I told the King I was about to get married, he scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. "You're really going to marry that cold-blooded idiot Parker?

"Honestly, I think you still haven't recovered from nearly drowning as a child. Your eyes must still be waterlogged if you can't see through him."

His words annoyed me.

Parker and I had known each other for ten years. When we were kids, he caught a chronic cough after jumping in to save me from drowning, and he had never fully recovered.

Just recently, Parker broke with his father for my sake and was on his knees all night in the Carroll family Shrine.

Compared to this King I'd never even met, I'd obviously side with Parker.

The King seemed to see right through me, a mocking smirk curling at his lips.

His face was almost colorless, but his lips were a vivid, unsettling red. Those slanted, phoenix-like eyes held a cold, menacing aura.

"You think I'm wrong?" he said. "I never wrong anyone."

He summoned his shadow guards, who picked me up as if I weighed nothing.

Just as I was about to struggle, he drawled, "Take my princess to her bridal chamber. Let her see for herself who the fiancé she's been longing for is so entwined with right now."

I frowned, my mind racing with countless thoughts, but in the end, I obediently followed the shadow guards to the Carroll family.

The moment I pried open the tiles, Parker's ugly truth was exposed in full view.

Rage erupted from deep within, scorching through my entire body until I was trembling with fury.

Killing him would be letting him off too easily.

So when the King asked if I still wanted to marry him, I nodded without a second thought.

In the end, I never got to wear that wedding dress with the snagged thread because my so-called father happened to spot the patch.

In a sudden fit of rage, he grabbed a pair of scissors and slashed at the dress, his face twisted with fury, brows pulled tight.

The maids and servants nearby all dropped to their knees, trembling in fear.

I was puzzled.

The Carroll family had sent over the dress. Parker said his mother had painstakingly sewn it herself, every stitch done by hand. I'd never really commented on it.

But seeing the King's expression twisted with rage, it was clear there was some history behind that wedding dress that I had no clue about.

People said the King was unpredictable and ruthless—a tyrant to his bones.