Andrew sat in his room, the once joyous atmosphere of his wedding day now feeling like a heavy storm cloud ready to burst. The letter from Jessica lay in his hand, crumpled from his tightened grip. He read the words again, his face a mask of disgust and betrayal.

“So, she never loved me,” Andrew muttered, his voice dripping with bitterness. “It was all about the money.” He felt a pang of anger rise in his chest, not just at Jessica, but at the situation he now found himself in. To be left at the altar was one thing, but now, his father had arranged for him to marry Eva—Jessica's younger sister.

Andrew knew nothing of Eva’s role in this, only assuming she was just another pawn in the Foster family’s game. “How pathetic,” he thought to himself, his eyes narrowing. “She’s probably just as much of a gold-digger as Jessica.” He felt a wicked laugh bubbling up inside him at the thought of marrying someone he barely knew, someone who was probably just as deceitful as her sister.

Just as he was lost in these dark thoughts, Evander Kane, his closest friend, entered the room. Andrew handed him the crumpled letter, the betrayal evident in his eyes. Evander scanned the note, his face twisting in disgust.

“Jessica… she’s run off to be some kind of supermodel?” Evander sneered, throwing the letter onto the table. “Now you have to marry her sister? Another gold-digger, no doubt.”

Andrew’s laugh echoed in the room, cold and devoid of joy. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, his voice laced with bitterness. “I’ll marry Eva. It’s all the same. At least I won’t be embarrassed in front of the entire city.”

Before Evander could respond, Andrew’s younger sister, Irene, stormed into the room. Her face was flushed with anger, and she immediately began defending Eva. “This has nothing to do with Eva!” she exclaimed, her voice shaking with frustration. “She’s not like Jessica, and you know it!”

Evander rolled his eyes and waved her off dismissively. “Come on, Irene. You’re speaking nonsense. They’re sisters. How different could they be?”

“Enough!” Andrew suddenly shouted, his voice sharp as a knife. He stood up, towering over both Evander and Irene, his frustration boiling over. “This is my problem. I’ll handle it.”

Irene’s mouth opened to argue again, but before she could speak, the door to Andrew’s room opened, and Mia entered cautiously. She was visibly nervous, her eyes glancing between the people in the room before settling on Andrew.

“Please,” Mia began, her voice soft and filled with sincerity. “Don’t hate Eva. She has nothing to do with Jessica’s decision. This wasn’t her choice.”

Andrew’s cold gaze shifted to Mia, his jaw tightening. “And why should I believe you?” he asked, his tone icy.

Mia flinched at his words but gathered her courage. “Because it’s the truth. Eva didn’t know about Jessica’s plans. She never wanted this. She’s still recovering from her accident and… her breakup.”

Andrew’s eyes flickered with surprise, but the coldness in his demeanor didn’t waver. “Heartbroken, you say?” he asked, his voice dripping with skepticism. “So now I’m supposed to marry a fragile, broken woman, all because her sister ran away?”

Before Mia could respond, Evander cut in with a sneer. “Stop speaking nonsense, Mia. Your family’s all the same. Just be glad Andrew’s willing to go through with this farce of a wedding.”

Mia’s eyes filled with tears, her body trembling as she struggled to hold back her emotions. Irene immediately rushed to her side, wrapping her arms around her in a protective hug. “You’re unbelievable, Evander,” Irene spat, glaring at her brother’s friend. “Mia’s right. Eva isn’t to blame for any of this, and you’re too thick-headed to see it.”

Andrew remained silent, watching the scene unfold in front of him. Part of him wanted to believe Irene and Mia, but the bitter taste of Jessica’s betrayal still lingered in his mouth. His mind raced, his thoughts tangled between anger, pride, and confusion.

Mia wiped her tears and continued, her voice shaky but resolute. “Eva just came home from the hospital. She’s still weak and recovering. This marriage… it wasn’t her choice, Andrew. Please don’t take your anger out on her.”

Andrew’s expression remained unreadable as he brushed Mia’s plea aside. “I’ll decide whether Eva is innocent or not,” he said coldly. “Once I find out the truth.”

Irene shot him a sharp look before guiding Mia out of the room. As they left, Irene couldn’t help but glance back at her brother, her frustration boiling over. “You’re an idiot if you can’t see what’s really going on here. At least some of us have enough brain cells to think,” she muttered angrily, her words dripping with sarcasm. “Ugh... so annoying.”

As the door closed behind them, Andrew sat back down, running a hand through his hair. His mind was a mess. The reality of what had happened—Jessica’s betrayal, the forced marriage with Eva—was starting to sink in.

He replayed the kiss he’d shared with Eva on the balcony in his mind. The way her soft lips trembled beneath his, the way she’d cried when he realized she wasn’t Jessica. For a brief moment, a wave of guilt washed over him. Eva wasn’t Jessica. She hadn’t planned any of this. She hadn’t asked for any of this.

But the bitterness still clouded his heart. “I can’t trust any of them,” he muttered to himself, standing up and straightening his jacket. “I’ll deal with this in my own way.”

As the preparations for the wedding continued outside, Andrew stepped out of the room and made his way to the main hall. The guests were still clueless about the drama that had unfolded, happily chatting and enjoying the luxurious venue.

Andrew’s gaze scanned the room until he spotted his father, Leonard King, speaking with Matthew and Camilla Foster. His father’s steely expression told Andrew that he was just as determined to see this wedding happen, no matter who stood at the altar.

Taking a deep breath, Andrew approached the group, his mind made up. “Let’s get this over with,” he said, his voice hard and cold.

Leonard turned to him, his eyes gleaming with approval. “Good. It’s time.”

Eva stood in front of the mirror in a private room, her hands trembling as she stared at her reflection. She was wearing the wedding dress intended for Jessica, but it didn’t feel like it belonged to her. Nothing about this day felt right.

Mia stood beside her, trying to offer words of comfort. “You don’t have to do this, Eva. We can leave right now. No one would blame you.”

Eva shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “I can’t, Mia. If I don’t go through with this, it’ll destroy Dad. The Kings will ruin everything. I don’t have a choice.”

Before Mia could respond, the door opened, and Leonard King stepped inside, his cold gaze fixed on Eva.

“It’s time,” he said simply, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Eva swallowed the lump in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest as she turned toward the door. This wasn’t her wedding, this wasn’t her life—but it was her fate.

And she would face it, no matter how painful it might be.