Chapter 3

I stared at my phone screen, Gabriel's text message blurring through my tears.

*Running a few minutes late. Bringing Dakota along. She has great taste and wants to help.*

The florist's shop bell chimed as I tucked my phone away, forcing a smile onto my face. This appointment—to select my bridal bouquet, the flowers that would accompany me down the aisle—was supposed to be just for us. Another sacred moment in our wedding preparation, now casually shared with Dakota.

Mrs. Chen, the florist, approached with a warm smile. "Ms. Young! So lovely to see you. Are you ready to select your flowers?"

"My fiancé will be here shortly," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "With a friend."

I wandered among the displays, trailing my fingers over delicate petals of peonies and garden roses. Grandmother's garden at the estate had always been my inspiration—the pale pink roses that climbed the stone walls, the lavender that scented the summer air. I'd dreamed of carrying those same flowers on my wedding day.

The bell chimed again, and Gabriel's laugh floated through the shop before I saw him. Dakota was at his side, her arm linked through his as if they were the couple preparing to wed. She wore a cream-colored dress that seemed deliberately bridal, her dark hair falling in perfect waves around her shoulders.

"Izzy, sorry we're late." Gabriel kissed my cheek, the gesture feeling hollow. "Dakota insisted on coming. She helped plan three weddings for her cousins in Madrid."

"How nice," I said, the words tasting like ash.

Dakota didn't bother with pleasantries. She moved directly to the displays, her manicured fingers immediately reaching for exotic orchids and calla lilies. "These would be stunning for the Spanish castle," she announced. "Much more sophisticated than traditional roses."

Mrs. Chen looked between us, confusion evident. "I thought the wedding was at Napa Valley? I had prepared some suggestions based on the garden theme Ms. Young mentioned."

"Change of plans," Dakota answered before I could speak. "Gabriel found the most incredible castle in Seville. Much more impressive than some old vineyard."

I watched in stunned silence as Dakota proceeded to select arrangements—tall, architectural designs with tropical flowers in bold colors that had nothing to do with the soft, romantic garden theme I'd envisioned.

"Izzy, what do you think?" Gabriel finally asked, gesturing to Dakota's selections.

"These aren't what I had in mind," I said quietly. "I was thinking something more traditional. Something that would complement Grandmother's garden."

Dakota laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "Traditional is just another word for boring, darling. These will make a statement."

"I don't want my bouquet to make a statement," I insisted, feeling my voice strengthen. "I want it to have meaning."

Gabriel's expression hardened slightly. "Dakota has incredible taste, Izzy. These arrangements would be perfect for the castle. Your grandmother's garden flowers would look completely out of place there."

"Because I'm completely out of place there," I wanted to say, but the words stuck in my throat.

Instead, I watched as Gabriel and Dakota continued selecting flowers—my flowers, for my wedding—as if I weren't even in the room. Each time I offered an opinion, Gabriel would smile indulgently before deferring to Dakota's "superior taste."

By the time we left the florist, Dakota had selected deep red roses and exotic orchids for a bouquet I would never carry down an aisle I would never walk.

---

The Spanish castle loomed before us, its stone walls glowing amber in the late afternoon sun. Under different circumstances, I might have found it beautiful—the medieval architecture, the sprawling gardens, the views of the countryside. But today, it felt like a monument to everything I was losing.

"Isn't it magnificent?" Dakota spun in a circle, her arms outstretched. "I told you it was perfect, Gabriel."

I followed them through the grand entrance, where the venue coordinator greeted us with champagne and effusive compliments about what a stunning bride Dakota would make. The assumption stung, but not as much as Gabriel's failure to correct her.

As we toured the castle's reception hall, I noticed something glinting at Dakota's throat. My heart stopped.

There, resting against her collarbone, was a necklace I'd never seen before—but I recognized the components instantly. My grandmother's delicate gold bracelet had been redesigned as a chain, and hanging from it was her diamond ring, now serving as a pendant.

My family's heirlooms, transformed beyond recognition, adorning Dakota's neck.

"Do you like it?" Dakota caught me staring, her fingers touching the necklace with deliberate slowness. "Gabriel had it specially designed for me. We agreed these old-fashioned pieces needed upgrading into something truly stunning."

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't speak. Couldn't tear my eyes away from the physical proof of Gabriel's betrayal.

"Izzy," Gabriel said, noticing my expression. "Don't look like that. Dakota needed something special after everything she's been through."

"Those were my grandmother's," I finally managed, my voice barely audible. "They were meant for me to wear on my wedding day."

"You're being unnecessarily jealous," Gabriel hissed, pulling me aside while Dakota continued chatting with the coordinator. "It's just jewelry. Your grandmother has plenty of other pieces you can wear."

Just jewelry. Just a venue. Just flowers. Just ten years of my life.

I excused myself, claiming a headache, and fled the castle. Outside, I gulped the fresh air, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. My phone buzzed in my purse—a text from Van asking how I was doing.

Van. The thought of his steady presence, his quiet understanding, suddenly felt like a lifeline.

Without giving myself time to reconsider, I texted back: *Can I see you? I need to talk.*

---

Van's office was a sanctuary of calm amid the chaos of my life. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, bathing the space in natural light. Unlike Gabriel's aggressively modern office with its chrome and glass, Van's space felt warm—wood and leather, books and plants, lived-in and thoughtful.

"Isabelle." He stood when I entered, concern evident in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

I hadn't realized I was crying until he offered me a handkerchief—a real cloth one, monogrammed with his initials. Such an old-fashioned, considerate gesture.

"Everything," I admitted, sinking into the chair across from his desk. "Gabriel, the wedding, all of it."

Van listened without interrupting as I told him everything—the venue change, Dakota's presence at every appointment, the jewelry that had been in my family for generations now hanging around her neck.

When I finished, he was quiet for a long moment. Then he opened a drawer and pulled out a folder.

"I've been working on something," he said, hesitation in his voice. "I wasn't sure if I should show you, but now..."

He opened the folder to reveal architectural drawings—beautiful, detailed renderings of my grandmother's estate. The main house was restored to its original glory, the gardens expanded, the vineyard thriving.

"You've been designing renovations for Grandmother's estate?" I asked, confused.

Van nodded, his expression earnest. "I know how much it means to you, Isabelle. How connected you feel to that place. I thought...someday, if you ever wanted to restore it to what it once was, I could help."

I stared at the drawings, at the careful attention to every detail I'd ever mentioned loving about my grandmother's home. The rose garden where I'd played as a child. The gazebo where I'd always imagined saying my vows. The small chapel my great-grandfather had built as a wedding gift to his bride.

"You remembered everything," I whispered.

"Of course I did." Van's voice was soft. "It matters to you. So it matters to me."

In that moment, the contrast couldn't have been clearer. Gabriel, who saw my heritage as something to be improved upon, transformed to suit his vision of what was impressive. And Van, who saw the beauty in what already existed, who wanted to preserve what mattered to me rather than replace it.

"Thank you," I said, my fingers tracing the lines of the drawing. "For understanding."

Van's smile was gentle, his eyes holding mine with an intensity that made my heart beat faster. "Always, Isabelle. Always."