My hand was already on the door handle when his voice stopped me.
"Seraphina".
I paused. Just for a second.
Then slowly, I turned back.
Dominic Blackwood was still standing where I had left him, but something about his expression had changed.
The calm confidence he always carried seemed slightly.... cracked. His dark eyes were locked on me like he was trying to understand something that didn't make sense
"What?" I asked quietly.
A tense silence filled the room. Then he said something that surprised me.
"This isn't like you".
I almost laughed. You have no idea. Of course it wasn't like the old me.
The Seraphina he knew would have never dared to do something like this.
That version of me would have stood quietly at the altar, smiling nervously while hoping he might look at her with even a little affection. She would have accepted whatever crumbs of attention he gave her.
But that girl had died on a rainy highway.
And the woman standing in front of him now was someone entirely different.
"You're right", I said calmly. "It isn't".
Dominic studied me carefully.
His sharp gaze moved across my face as if searching for something.
"For years", he said slowly, "you pushed through, trying everything possible for this marriage".
"Yes".
"You insisted on it".
"Yes".
"And now you're suddenly refusing it twenty minutes before the ceremony".
"That's correct".
His jaw tightened.
"Why?"
I had expected that question.
But the truth was something I could never tell him.
Because I died loving you.
Because I already lived the life waiting for me if I marry you. Because I refuse to spend another five years begging for your attention while you protect another woman.
Instead, I gave him the same answer, I had given who asked
"I changed my mind".
Dominic stared at me.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"You can believe whatever you want".
Silence stretched between us.
Then Dominic did something unexpected.
He stepped closer. Close enough that I could clearly see the faint scar near his eyebrow—a small mark I remembered from years ago.
In my previous life, I had once asked him how he got it.
He had ignored the question.
Standing this close to him again felt strange.
Not painful. Just... distant.
Like looking at a memory instead of a person.
"You're not acting rationally", Dominic said quietly.
"Maybe".
"This wedding benefits both our families".
"I know".
"Canceling it damages our reputations".
"I know".
"Then why are you doing it?", his voice lowered slightly.
"Are you trying to make a point?"
I shook my head.
"No".
"Then what?"
I looked directly into his eyes.
"I simply don't want to marry you".
The words came out easily.
Much easier than they would have in my previous life.
Dominic's expression hardened.
"You think walking away from me will make your life better?"
"Yes".
His lips curved into a faint, cold smile.
"That's naive".
Maybe it was.
But it was still better than repeating the life I had already lived.
Dominic crossed his arms.
"You'll regret this".
I didn't answer.
Because maybe I know would.
But at least it would be my mistake. Not a destiny I had already suffered through once. Another moment of silence passed.
Then Dominic spoke again.
"This decision isn't only yours to make".
My brow lifted slightly.
"Isn't it?"
"No".
He gestured toward the ballroom somewhere below us.
"Hundreds of guests are waiting for this ceremony".
"That sounds like your problem".
His eyes darkened.
"You're being reckless".
"And you're being stubborn".
Something flashed briefly in his gaze.
Annoyance. Frustration.
Maybe even curiosity.
"You're different today", he said.
"I noticed".
"What happened?"
I smiled faintly.
"I grew up".
Dominic didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he studied my face again.
Slowly. Carefully.
Almost like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
Finally, he spoke.
"If this is about money, we can renegotiate the agreement between our families".
I blinked.
For a second, I wasn't sure if I had heard him correctly.
"Money?"
"Yes".
"Dominic".
My voice softened slightly.
"You really don't understand".
His gaze sharpened.
"Then explain it".
I shook my head.
"There's nothing to explain".
"You're canceling the biggest wedding of the year without a reason".
"I have a reason".
"Which is?"
I held his gaze.
"I don't love you".
The room went completely still. Dominic didn't move.
For a moment, it felt like time itself had paused.
Then he spoke again.
Quietly.
"You loved me yesterday".
That statement almost made me laugh. He wasn't wrong.
In the timeline he remembered, I had loved him with embarrassing devotion
But that version of me was gone.
"People change", I said.
"Not overnight".
"Maybe you just never noticed".
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're lying".
"About what?"
"About not loving me".
I tilted my head slightly.
"Why would I lie about that?"
Dominic didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he took another slow step toward me.
"You spent years chasing this marriage".
"Yes".
"You wouldn't throw it away without a reason".
I shrugged lightly.
"Maybe I finally realized I deserve someone who actually wants me".
Something sharp flickered across his face.
Jealousy?
No.
That would be impossible.
Dominic Blackwood didn't get jealous. Still, his voice dropped slightly when he spoke again.
"Is there someone else?"
The question surprised me enough that I actually laughed.
"No".
"Then why suddenly decide you deserve better?"
I looked at him calmly.
"Because it's the truth".
Dominic's gaze searched my face again. Longer this time.
Then suddenly he asked something unexpected.
"Is this about Vanessa?"
The name hung between us.
Vanessa Crowe.
The woman who had always stood between us in my previous life.
I forced my expression to remain neutral.
"No".
"You're lying again".
"I'm not".
"Vanessa has nothing to do with this marriage".
I didn't respond.
Because arguing about Vanessa would only lead to a conversation I didn't want to have. Dominic noticed my silence.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"You're being unreasonable".
"And you're being defensive".
His jaw tightened.
"Seraphina".
"Yes?"
"If you walk out of this wedding…"
He paused slightly.
"...our families will never forget it".
"That's fine".
"You'll lose the Blackwood family's support".
"I'll survive".
"You'll damage your father's reputation".
That one stung a little.
But not enough to change my decision.
"My father will recover", I said quietly.
Dominic stared at me.
"You're willing to burn every bridge just to avoid marrying me?"
"Yes".
The silence that followed was heavy.
Finally, Dominic exhaled slowly. Then he said something I never expected to hear.
"Fine".
I blinked.
"...What?"
His voice was calm again.
Cold. Controlled.
"If you want to cancel the wedding, then cancel it".
For a moment, I simply stared at him.
I had expected anger, threats or even heated arguments.
Not... acceptance.
Dominic turned slightly toward the window.
"I have no interest in forcing someone to marry me".
I watched him carefully.
"You are letting me go that easily?"
"Yes".
That answer felt strange.
In my previous life, I had spent years trying to escape the emotional prison of our marriage. Now he was opening the door himself.
Dominic looked back at me.
"But understand one thing".
"What?"
His eyes were darker than before.
"If you leave today....", he paused briefly.
"..don't expect me to welcome you back".
I almost smiled.
"Don't worry".
My hand returned to the door handle.
"I won't".
And this time–
I walked out without looking back.