Chapter 2
Dylan and I were betrothed before we were even born.
Our families had always arranged for us to spend time together growing up.
At school, if anyone bullied or mocked me, he was always the first to stand up for me.
Whenever Dylan made a mistake and was about to be punished, I was always the first to plead for leniency.
No one had ever doubted our bond until now.
Everyone simply took it for granted that Dylan and I would get married.
I was the only choice for Dylan's wife.
But today, at this crucial event for both the Wood and Gonzalez families, he showed up with another woman.
Bella sat in her wheelchair, a cashmere blanket draped over her knees by Dylan's thoughtful hands.
Her nervous eyes darted around like a frightened rabbit as he pushed her forward.
When our eyes met, Bella immediately put on a flustered, panicked expression.
Exactly like last time.
Even the timing of her teary eyes and trembling lips was meticulously rehearsed.
This was the act that had fooled me before.
I'd always known that aristocratic marriages were about mutual benefit, not love.
Yet her appearance had stirred something in me—something bitter and unnameable.
But twenty years of my family's strict upbringing wouldn't allow me to lose composure now.
When Dylan demanded to break off our engagement, I didn't weep or protest.
Out of respect for our shared history, I only offered calm advice.
"The Woods are in the midst of a fierce succession battle. Miles is watching your every move.
"Miss Moore has no backing. Yes, she saved your life... at a cost.
"But a marriage this mismatched will draw public scrutiny. She'll struggle to gain footing in the Wood family.
"Wait until the dust settles. The alliance between our families won't change, no matter what."
I might as well have spelled it out.
Once he was in charge, who could stop him?
Those words had shielded her, only to set fire to me and the Gonzalez family.
Playing the innocent little bunny, Bella looked at me, her eyes red and brimming with tears.
As she glanced between us, she looked too "timid" to speak.
Unmoved, I kept eating my dessert.
Anna soon arrived, tugging on my skirt.
The party was filled with the city's most influential figures.
All eyes at the party were on us, with hushed whispers never ceasing.
I savored my cake, unhurried.
Let them wait.
If they wanted something from me, they could learn some patience.
Last time, my soft heart doomed us all.
Sipping my drink, I wondered.
How long could Bella keep this up?
Because Bella was acting.
Her "paralyzed legs," her damsel-in-distress act, and even her later "accidental death" were all lies.
I'd seen her walking perfectly fine in the Woods' moonlit garden.
Bella was begging an older woman.
"Grace, I'm just an orphan! Without drastic measures, how could I ever reach the Woods' heights?
"Guilt is the only way to make Dylan cherish me!
"Grace, I love him. I know he is out of my league, but he promised to marry me. I need to accelerate things.
"Please, help me set up one more scheme. If I can save him again, Dylan will never forget me. He'll always feel indebted and guilty toward me."
What an Oscar-worthy performance. She was wasting her talents not being in Hollywood.
She fooled Dylan, and she fooled me too.
She fooled not only the Wood and Gonzalez families, but every elite family in the city she'd ever encountered.
I once asked Dylan bitterly, "We've spent twenty years together. Why did you fall for Bella after knowing her for such a short time?
Dylan said, "I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Everyone I meet sucks up to me, flatters me, or tries to win my favor."
"Everyone flatters me because I'm a Wood.
"Caroline, be honest. If I weren't a Wood, would you still want to marry me?"
His words left me silent. My lack of response was answer enough.
If he weren't a Wood, there'd be no engagement between us, let alone marriage.
And certainly no childhood sweetheart fairytale.
He added, "Only Bella. She saved me without knowing who I was. She sacrificed her legs for me.
"Yet she never resented me. She stayed optimistic, devoted, her whole heart fixed on me. How could I betray that kind of love?"
Truthfully, I was a realist. As the heiress of the Gonzalez family, I had too much to consider.
My family's reputation, my parents' standing.
One wrong move, and I could bring unnecessary trouble to the family.
I would never recklessly throw everything away for something as fickle as love.
But we all overlooked one crucial detail.
Dylan's luxury cars, his designer wardrobe—everything about him screamed wealth and status.
Bella didn't just happen to save him. She picked her target from the start.
She had her sights set on the Woods from the very beginning.