Chapter 2

"Do you, the groom, take this beautiful bride standing beside you, for richer or poorer..."

"I... I do." The woman's voice came through the veil and mask, muffled and carrying a hint of barely perceptible nervousness.

The guests below were all praising how deeply Leah loved me—even with a severe cold and wearing a mask, she insisted on completing this wedding of the century. She was practically the epitome of devoted love among the elite.

"Wait a moment."

The woman before me had evasive eyes, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

I let out a cold laugh and asked, "Leah, you don't look well. Did you forget to take your medicine because you were too busy with the wedding?"

She coughed nervously twice. "Yes, I..."

I signaled the officiant to halt the ceremony and pulled the bride into a private lounge.

The phone on the table happened to vibrate—over a dozen unread messages, all from Michael.

[Gonzalez, you've figured out the bride is fake, haven't you? Surprise! Michael and I are watching your wedding livestream from the Maldives.]

There was even an attached photo: Leah intimately leaning against him, both wearing matching beach couple outfits, their faces radiating sweet happiness.

[Oh, I forgot to mention—this was my idea. You stole my position, so I'm stealing your woman. This wedding is just a game she's playing to amuse me.]

I remained expressionless, quickly typing out a response.

[Is that so? Well, believe it or not, with just one word from me, she'll come crawling back like a dog begging me to take her.]

The "typing..." indicator on the other end flickered for a long time without producing a single word.

Perfect. The fish had taken the bait.

I pocketed my phone and turned to look at the anxious substitute beside me.

She looked at me awkwardly. "Actually, I... I..."

I patted her shoulder. "Presley, don't be nervous."

She instantly relaxed, her pupils dilating in shock. "You already knew?"

After a moment of silence, she seemed to make some kind of decision. Taking a deep breath, she looked at me with intense eyes.

"Gonzalez, Leah doesn't deserve you. Today she's deliberately conspiring with Michael to humiliate you. If you feel degraded, I'll take you away right now!"

After my death in my previous life, I learned that Presley had secretly loved me for years.

When she heard about my death, she was the only one who refused to believe I had committed suicide.

Later, she discovered Leah was the killer. Unable to find evidence, she dragged Leah to her death on the anniversary of my passing, taking them both down together.

Thinking of her tragic end in my previous life, my fists clenched tight, a flash of fierce determination passing through my eyes.

Seeing my cold expression, Presley thought I was forcing myself to stay composed. She reached out worriedly to touch me.

I grasped her wrist instead, looking at her seriously. "Presley, listen carefully. This wedding must happen today, but I only want to marry you."

When we returned to the ceremony hall, the officiant wiped away cold sweat and announced with a smile, "Now, will the bride and groom please exchange rings."

I picked up the women's diamond ring and pushed it onto her finger, but it stuck firmly at the knuckle.

She tried awkwardly to force it on, but I pressed down on her hand.

The guests below began whispering among themselves.

"What's going on? Is the ring the wrong size?"

"How could they get something this important wrong? This is Mr. Wilson's biological son—is the Leah family really this careless?"

Below the stage, Leah's parents' faces instantly turned extremely ugly. They exchanged glances, filled with panic.

It seemed they had known all along about Leah running away from the wedding to be with Michael, but they conspired to hide it from my family.

My mother's brows furrowed tightly, and my father's face turned even colder.

I gave my parents a reassuring look, signaling them to remain calm.

Then, under everyone's shocked gaze, I lifted Presley's veil and removed her mask.

"Oh my God! The bride isn't Leah!"

"Then where's the real bride?"