Chapter 2

Grant was still gone when I learned he had already bought bracelet number thirteen.

I had stepped out of my bridal suite to look for the wedding planner.

Instead, I found Owen, Grant's best man, pacing in the quiet hallway.

He was standing in the quiet hallway. His phone was pressed to his ear, but the volume was loud enough to hear.

"Grant, you need to get back here right now," Owen said, his voice dropping low. "Claire took off her engagement ring."

The line was quiet for a second.

Then, Grant's calm voice came through the speaker.

"Let her be angry, Owen," he replied. "Sabrina is still a total mess, and I am not finished settling things here yet. Claire will understand. She always does."

I froze in the shadows, my heart turning cold.

Then, I heard Grant speak to his assistant in the background.

"Tell the jeweler to bring out the thirteenth box."

Owen stopped pacing immediately.

"There's a thirteenth?" he asked, sounding completely shocked.

"Just in case," Grant replied smoothly.

He hadn't even missed the actual ceremony yet, but he had already purchased the apology.

"Grant, listen to me," Owen insisted, rubbing the back of his neck. "She doesn't look like she's waiting this time."

Grant's next words carried a chilling amount of confidence.

"She waited twelve times, Owen," he said. He paused for a second. "She'll wait one more."

The call clicked and ended. I stood completely still in the hallway. That single, arrogant sentence formally killed the very last bit of my hesitation.

I didn't make a sound. I turned around and walked straight back to my suite. I gathered all twelve velvet boxes in my arms and walked out to the main venue.

The guests were already seated under the beautiful floral arches.

They murmured in confusion as they watched me walk down the aisle alone, carrying a stack of jewelry boxes instead of a bouquet.

I reached the altar and placed all twelve boxes in a perfect row, right in front of the groom's empty position. Then, I set my heavy diamond engagement ring in the exact center.

I left the velvet boxes open so the little white cards were visible. The whispers in the room grew louder.

People pointed at the dates written on the cards, completely confused. They didn't understand what they were looking at.

They probably wondered why the bride was displaying her extravagant gifts right before the ceremony.

They had no idea they were actually looking at a public record of relationship damage.

Just as the murmurs reached their peak, the heavy double doors at the back of the venue opened. A tall man walked in.

It wasn't Grant. It was Nathan.

He walked steadily down the aisle.

His dark eyes swept over the empty groom's spot before landing on the long row of open boxes. He looked at my bare hand, and then he stopped right in front of me.

"He did it again?" Nathan asked quietly, staring at the jewelry.

I looked up at him with total clarity.

"For the last time," I said.