Chapter 1

I was in a business marriage with a well-known heir in Stuawell. But on our wedding day, he ditched me for some minor actress.

The whole upper crust was watching, waiting for me to make a fool of myself and beg the Sutton family for pity.

I wiped away my tears, turned to my future father-in-law. He was a man whose power knew no bounds and who had been widowed for years. I said, "Mr. Sutton, the marriage alliance can't be broken."

He arched his brow, clearly amused. "Oh? And how do you plan to do that?"

I gave a sly smile. "The groom bailed. So, why not just swap him for a new one?"

Later, when my ex-fiancé was dragged back home and saw me sitting on his dad's lap, feeding him grapes, he completely lost his mind.

*****

[Evelyn, I'm sorry. I can't sacrifice my love for the sake of the family.]

The last notes of the wedding march were still hanging in the air, the priest's solemn question lingering, when Harry's text popped up on my phone.

He attached a selfie of himself and the popular starlet Ophelia Grey at the airport. They were both rocking matching sunglasses and grinning brighter than the sun above.

In the background was the flight information for Uswana.

Standing there on stage in my custom-made wedding dress worth millions of dollars, I instantly became the laughingstock of Stuawell society.

Below, the whispers of a thousand guests crawled over my skin like a swarm of ants.

The flashbulbs went off like crazy, freezing my humiliation in time for everyone to see.

"The Collier family's totally lost face now."

"Only Harry Sutton could pull something like this. Ditching the wedding just because he feels like it. That's real guts."

"Poor Evelyn. She thought marrying into the Sutton family would be her big break, but now she's just an abandoned bride."

My dad stood nearby, his face shifting from red to pale, then to ashen. He clutched his chest and fell straight back.

"Dad!" I shouted.

My mom let out a scream, and the whole place erupted into chaos.

I gripped my phone so tightly that my nails bit into my palm, refusing to let myself break down.

Tears threatened to spill, but I ordered myself to keep it together. Crying was the most pointless thing in the world.

With all those pitying, mocking, and gloating eyes on me, I gathered up the heavy wedding dress and made my way down the stage, one step at a time.

My focus wasn't on the chaos in the crowd, nor on my father lying on the floor. It was the seat at the center of the main table.

There sat a man. Harry's father, Robert Sutton. He was the head of the Sutton Group.

He was in his forties, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his presence as steady and unshakable as a mountain.

Even after his son blew up the whole wedding, there wasn't a flicker of panic on his face. He just cradled his wine glass, watching me with those bottomless eyes.

I walked up to him, my heels making no sound on the carpet.

The chaos around us seemed to be cut off by an invisible wall.

I leaned in and whispered in his ear, making sure only he could hear me.

"Mr. Sutton, the Collier and Sutton families' joint project is worth billions of dollars. We can't let it fall apart just because of one reckless kid," I said.

My voice was soft, but steady. "The marriage alliance must continue."

Robert set his glass down, the sound of it hitting the table ringing out sharply.

He turned his head. His gaze was piercing, with a hint of curiosity and some approval.

"And how do you propose we continue?" he asked.

I looked him straight in the eye, meeting those eyes that see right through me. I spoke each word with absolute clarity. "Harry's not up for it, but I am. And you, Mr. Sutton. What about you?"

I wondered if he was going to say yes. Because this was the most outrageous thing I had ever suggested.

The whole hall was dead quiet.

All eyes were locked on our table. Maybe they couldn't catch our words, but they could see my lips move and sense the strange, electric tension hanging in the air.

Robert held my gaze for what felt like ten whole seconds.

Those ten seconds felt like an eternity.

I could feel my heart pounding like a drum, cold sweat seeping through my dress.

This was the biggest gamble of my life.

If I won, I'd go from a joke to a legend. If I lost, the Collier family and I would be doomed for good.

Suddenly, Robert smiled.

It wasn't a cold smirk or a mocking laugh. His smile was full of genuine appreciation and a playful intrigue.

He stood up, and his towering presence instantly made the air feel thick with pressure.

Right there, in front of everyone, he reached out and took my hand.

His hand was broad and dry, wrapping around my cold fingers with a steady, commanding strength.

"The wedding goes on," he said.

His voice wasn't loud, but it flowed through the microphone, ringing out across the hall and hitting everyone right in the heart.

"Only now, I'm the groom," Robert added.

Suddenly, the room erupted. Everyone went wild.

Reporters' cameras flashed so wildly that I was nearly blinded.