The Roselle mansion glows in golden light.
The sun dips low—spilling its final gold across the horizon. Amber and honey slip through every corner, inside and out, like the world itself has decided to celebrate. Like even the sun forgot this is a funeral dressed in flowers.
The gardens have been transformed. Roses everywhere—white, cream, blush. Blooming too perfectly to be natural. Too precise to be real.
A perfect wedding venue. Expensive. Elegant. Cruel.
VIP guests drift between the tables, champagne flutes catching the dying light. Their laughter rises into the evening. Smiling. Talking. Pretending this is joy.
I stand on the wedding dais.
Staring at everything. Seeing nothing.
The perfect groom mask presses tight against my face—tight enough to ache, to grind something deep in my jaw.
I accept greetings. Accept congratulations. Accept the lies they hand me with their smiles.
"Such a handsome groom."
"What a beautiful wedding."
"You must be so happy."
I smile.
Every time.
Because my father's words echo in my head—cold, sharp, carved into memory like a warning.
Ellis. Don't let anyone feel you're not happy about this marriage. No scandal. No rumors. If you show even a hint of it… you'll regret it.
I take a slow breath. Let it settle deep—where my anger waits beneath my ribs, quiet and coiled.
My gaze shifts to my parents.
Mom and Dad—smiling at their precious guests. Welcoming them like this is a garden party, not a transaction.
Their faces smooth. Warm. Innocent.
How selfish.
They look like they've done nothing wrong. Like nothing was taken from me. Like I was never given a choice.
I stare at them.
A hand comes around my neck—squeezing my shoulder. Warm. Familiar.
I don't flinch. Don't need to look. I know who it is before his mind gives him away.
I turn. Slow. Calm.
Sum stands beside me. Perfectly dressed—dark suit tailored to his shoulders, bright smile curving his lips, his eyes running over me from head to toe like he's inspecting a painting he can't quite believe is real.
"Wow." He whistles. Low. Appreciative. The sound travels through the space between us.
"Today, Mr. Charming looks absolutely stunning in his groom outfit."
He touches his chin. Tilts his head. Studies me like I'm something worth looking at.
"Honestly?" A pause. His voice lowers. The playfulness fades—leaving something quieter. Rarer.
"Ellis… you're the perfect Alpha I've ever met."
I stay silent. Let his words settle into the hollow places.
Then—
"Then marry me."
Sum freezes.
Just a flicker of shock—there and gone.
Then he laughs. Soft. Warm. Disbelieving.
"Are you kidding me?"
I look away—out at the guests, the flowers swallowing the garden, the last of the gold fading from the light.
"I'm serious." My voice flat. Empty. "Don't you like Alphas? And I'm the perfect Alpha you ever met."
I glance back at him. "Let's get married."
Sum waves his hand. Dismissive. But his smile stays, soft at the edges.
"Ellis, you're perfect but—"
I look at him.
"But what?"
He reaches out. Squeezes my cheeks—hard enough to make my lips pucker, hard enough to pull me out of my spiral.
"I don't want a husband who always knows what's going on in my mind." He grins, sharp and bright.
"It's kind of weird."
I stare at him.
"Is that so."
He laughs again. Drops his hand. Steps back.
"Ellis, I think the stress finally got to you."
I murmur, quiet—just for him.
"I think so too." A breath. "This damn marriage… I'm talking nonsense."
I take a deep breath. Let the air ground me. Anchor me to something solid.
"Anyway." I look at him. "Where were you?"
Sum shifts. Looks out at the crowd—the sea of unfamiliar faces, distant relatives, business partners. Strangers who came to watch me fall.
"I had something urgent to handle." A pause. Guilt flickers across his face—quick as a shadow.
"I didn't mean to be late. Especially on my best friend's wedding."
Wedding.
My foot.
I don't say it.
Sum scans the guests—eyes moving, searching, hungry for something he hasn't seen yet.
"Ellis." His voice brightens. Curious. Almost eager. "I'm a little excited to see your Beta."
My jaw tightens.
"I heard from Everic." His gaze stays on the crowd. "He said he's beautiful. Wouldn't stop talking about him."
A faint smirk.
"All morning. All night. I think your brother has a crush."
I murmur—low, bitter.
"My whole family is obsessed with him. Like he cast some kind of spell the moment he stepped off that helicopter."
I stare past the crowd.
"They don't see anything else. Just him. Just Silas."
Sum nods, not really listening. His eyes are still on the crowd—searching.
"Everic said his eyes are rare." A faint smile touches his lips. "Like a jewel."
He leans in, shoulder brushing mine.
"I really want to see this 'beautiful jewel.'"
A pause. His voice lowers.
"You didn't tell me he was that beautiful."
I glare at him.
"No matter how beautiful he is—" My voice sharp. Final.
"He's still a Beta."
Sum opens his mouth—
Silence.
Sudden. Absolute.
The violins cut off mid-note. The chatter dies. Laughter dissolves into nothing.
Every head turns. Every gaze shifts toward the entrance.
My eyes follow.
Silas walks.
He holds a bouquet—white roses, ribbons trailing like tears, trembling slightly in his hands. His steps are calm over the scattered petals, each footfall measured. Deliberate. Like he's walking toward his future, unafraid of what waits for him.
He wears off-white, fitted perfectly to his body—every line, every curve, every quiet movement visible beneath the fabric. A bride's veil cascades from his hair, catching the light, floating behind him like wings that forgot how to fly.
The sundown pours over him. Golden. Warm. Almost holy.
He's breathtaking.
His brown eyes shine even through the veil. Unmissable. Unforgettable. Like two flames behind gauze.
Everyone stares.
No one breathes.
Sum stares too—eyes wide, his champagne flute frozen halfway to his lips. A whisper slips from him. Soft. Awed. Uncontrolled.
"Damn." A breath. "He's so beautiful." His voice cracks. "Ellis—"
I don't answer.
My eyes stay on Silas.
And for a moment—just a moment—my frustration fades. My anger quiets. The weight in my chest loosens, like something unseen has slipped free.
He's really… so beautiful.
The thought comes unbidden. Unwanted.
He walks toward me. Step by step. The veil shifting like water. The flowers trembling in his grip.
His eyes find mine through the gauze—hold, search, ask something I can't understand.
A soft smile forms on his lips.
He's smiling.
At me.