Chapter 1
On the day of my wedding to Kael Thorne, he abandoned me, riding off to the Croft family to save Elara Croft, who was about to take her own life.
He held her tightly, his face filled with relief and happiness at having her back.
I was certain that, just half an hour ago, he had been in time travel, just like me.
Back then, on the night of my wedding to Kael, word came that Elara had ended her own life.
Kael's expression turned cold in an instant. He abandoned me and rushed to the Croft family, but he was still a step too late. Elara was already dead.
From then on, the two of us turned against each other, our marriage falling apart until we were nothing but strangers.
I hated Kael to the core. He never loved me, so why did he insist on marrying me?
Kael grew bitter toward me, blaming me for being the eldest sister and tormenting Elara every chance I got.
After Elara died, Kael drank all day, deliberately ruining himself until he became a walking corpse and met an early end.
In the third year of our marriage, he dropped dead from overindulgence in bed with the most sought-after courtesan at the brothel.
I squandered our vast fortune, feasting on the finest delicacies, dressing in silk and satin, and traveling the world to see all its wonders.
I lived to be eighty-eight and passed away peacefully.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on my wedding day.
*****
The timing of my time travel was wrong. If I suddenly tried to call off the marriage, neither the Thorne nor the Croft families would ever agree.
After a moment's thought, a scheme came to my mind.
The person Kael truly loved was Elara.
If he knew that Elara was about to commit suicide, he'd drop everything and rush to save her.
If everything went as planned, this wedding would be canceled.
Elara had been so gloomy since yesterday. I wondered how she was holding up now. I opened my mouth and wanted to say something.
Suddenly, a cold draft swept over me. Someone roughly yanked off my veil.
I locked eyes with Kael, his gaze as cold as ice.
With just a glance, I knew Kael had time-traveled too.
"Seraphina, this time, I will never marry you!" he spat.
Marry me? Seemed he had already forgotten how he died back then.
He spent his days drowning in brothels, chasing after pleasure with every courtesan he could find.
In the end, he died from chasing pleasure, and when they dragged him out, he was butt-naked for everyone to see.
What a filthy, stinking mess, as I'd ever waste my time on someone like him.
As soon as I got back to the Croft family, I heard Maren Cross crying her lungs out.
"Elara, my sweet girl, why are you doing this? If you die, what am I supposed to do?" she sobbed.
Kael's voice came through, filled with relief and excitement. "Elara, I promise, I'll keep you safe this time."
In the reception hall, my parents, Gideon Croft and Cordelia Croft, sat at the head of the room, their expressions grim and tense.
Kael held Elara in a tight embrace, acting as if everyone else had vanished.
He said, "Gideon, Cordelia, I want to marry Elara."
Gideon's face turned furious. He snatched up his cup and smashed it on the ground. "Kael, this is outrageous," he snapped.
Cordelia's face fell as she said, "Kael, your marriage to Seraphina was decided when your father, Alex Thorne, was alive.
"Today is your wedding day. How could you break the marriage and try to marry Elara?"
Kael looked at her with a cold arrogance and replied, "The only one I love has always been Elara."
He paused, then added, "Besides, the contract just says I have to marry a Croft daughter. It never said if she had to be Seraphina or Elara."
Maren sobbed, gazing at Gideon with tearful eyes.
Gideon fell silent.
All these years, as long as Maren started crying, Gideon's resolve would melt away, and he'd forget all about his principles.
Cordelia was so angry that she turned her face away. When she spotted me walking into the hall, her face was full of concern.
"Seraphina," she called out and gestured for me to come stand beside her.
The very first thing Kael did after coming back was rush straight to the Croft family to stop Elara from committing suicide.
He was still wearing his vivid wedding attire.
At this moment, it stood out like a slap in my face, so painfully bright.
When Kael saw me, anger flickered in his eyes. She snapped, "Seraphina, I only love Elara. You can't force me to marry you!"
I knelt before Gideon and Cordelia, saying, "Dad, Mom, Kael's actions are not only ruining my reputation, but also trampling on the honor of both the Croft and Thorne families.
"I'm not unreasonable. Since he likes Elara, let them have their way. But eventually, I'll have to marry someone else as well.
"I want to go to our southern estate to recover for a while, until the gossip dies down. The cost for medicine and travel won't be cheap."
Kael let out a cold laugh and said, "Seraphina, you are always so greedy. I will cover your medicine and travel expenses."
I lowered my gaze, thinking for a moment. Then I said, "On our wedding day, Kael suddenly called off our wedding without warning, and now he wants to marry Elara instead.
"With so many guests around, you can bet the rumors will fly about Elara snatching my groom right out from under me. I'll need to hire some playwrights and get plenty of pamphlets printed to change the story. None of that comes cheap."