Chapter 3Choosing a Deceased Fate

Knowing Kai was not only alive but far more brilliant than I had ever imagined filled me with a sense of hope I hadn’t felt in two lifetimes. I began to throw myself into the wedding preparations.

One afternoon, I pushed open the glass door of the bridal boutique, only to be assaulted by a wave of cheap, cloying perfume.

"Ian~ Do I look beautiful in this?" Lily's saccharine voice made my skin crawl. She was standing in front of a mirror, admiring herself in the custom-made wedding gown my mother had designed for me.

Ian gazed at her, his voice soft. "Lily, you look beautiful in everything."

"Oh, stop~ You always know just what to say~" she cooed, twirling around and sending another noxious cloud of perfume into the air.

I forced down my rage and walked toward them.

The moment Ian saw me, his face went rigid. He instinctively stepped in front of Lily, his voice a carefully constructed mask of gentleness. "Sierra, don't misunderstand. Lily's health… she might not… she might not live to see her own wedding day. She just wanted to feel what it's like to wear a wedding dress."

Lily began to cough delicately.

"Take it off," I said, my voice ice.

Lily’s eyes immediately filled with tears. "Miss Stark, I'm so sorry. I was just so envious of you." She clutched at Ian’s sleeve, her body trembling. "It's all my fault, don't be angry with Ian…"

Ian's expression hardened. "You're going to marry me anyway. What does it matter if she tries it on? Can't you just let her have this one moment of happiness?"

"I said, take it off," I repeated, each word a shard of glass. I turned my glare on the terrified shop assistants. "When did my bespoke gown become available for anyone to try on?"

The two assistants scrambled to help Lily out of the dress, leaving red marks on her pale arms.

Lily was sobbing hysterically now. "I'm sorry! I'm worthless! I don't deserve to wear something so beautiful!" She suddenly went limp, her knees buckling.

Ian lunged forward to catch her, then turned to me, his voice a furious roar. "Are you satisfied now, Sierra?"

"Disinfect it three times," I said, my nose wrinkled in disgust. "I don't want a trace of that smell left on it."

Lily covered her face and ran out of the shop.

Ian glared at me, his face a thundercloud, before slamming the door behind him.

That evening, my assistant sidled up to me, her eyes sparkling with gossip. "Miss Stark, you'll never guess what happened! That frail little flower, Lily Reid, got hit by a car today! I heard she broke her leg!"

She gestured excitedly. "If you ask me, it's karma! Everyone knows Ian is your fiancé, but she's always clinging to him, acting all innocent. It’s disgusting!"

I swirled the red wine in my glass, a cold smile touching my lips. "Who told you Ian was my fiancé?"

My assistant's eyes went wide, the fruit platter in her hands nearly tumbling to the floor. "Miss Stark, are you saying…?"

"Have the wedding planner change the groom's name on the invitations," I said, taking a sip of wine. "To Kai Donovan."

"Yes!" my assistant cheered, clapping her hands. "That Ian guy seems nice enough, but he has no boundaries! He and Lily are always together. He's such a flirt."

I had to smile. Even my assistant could see it so clearly. How had I been so blind in my past life? Love, it seemed, was truly a blinding force. I sighed at the thought.

The next morning, as I stepped out of the company headquarters, something was thrown over my head, plunging me into darkness. A burlap sack.

"Who are you?! Let me go!" I struggled, but my attackers were rough, shoving me into a car. My back slammed against the door, and I gasped in pain.

A familiar, paralyzing fear washed over me. The memories of my past kidnappings came flooding back.

"Please! I'll give you whatever you want!" My voice trembled uncontrollably, tears soaking the rough fabric over my eyes.

The only response was a suffocating silence.

Then, a familiar scent drifted into the small space. The sharp, clean smell of Ian’s signature cologne.

My heart sank like a stone. "What… what do you want from me…?"

"Someone wants me to teach you a lesson," a voice said, low and intentionally disguised.

Even though I had already decided never to marry him, the fact that he was doing this, that he was capable of this, shattered something inside me.

THUD.

An iron bar slammed into my leg. The pain was so intense my vision went black. A tearing agony ripped through my chest, but I gritted my teeth, refusing to let him know I recognized him.

I curled into a ball in the corner of the trunk, my silent tears soaking the sack.

The last thing I heard before I lost consciousness was his cold, dispassionate voice.

"Remember this lesson."