Chapter 1 His Bride

Liilth's Pov

This was not how my story was supposed to begin.

I stood in front of the mirror and realized I was about to lose my life.

Not in death, but in marriage.

I was marrying the man who was supposed to be my sister's husband.

And yet, here I was. Dressed in white. Ready to walk down the aisle with him. My hands shook as I stared at my reflection. My eyes were red and swollen from crying. At this point, I didn't want hope. I didn't want comfort. I just wanted the ground to open and swallow me whole.

I didn't even know my father was still in the room.

"Stop the tears, Lilith," his voice came suddenly. "You're a grown woman."

I flinched and turned to him. My hands were shaking. My heart was racing.

"Dad," I said, my voice barely steady. "We can still stop this. Please. We can still stop this."

He looked at me like he didn't recognize me. Like I was being dramatic over nothing.

"We've talked about this so many times, Lilith," he said. "You can't come here and hesitate on your wedding day. You had months to prepare for this. Now you have to go through with it."

"Wedding?" I whispered, the word tasting bitter in my mouth. "You call this a wedding?"

I stepped closer to him. "Father, please. You know he hates me. He can't even stand the sight of me. He thinks I'm a killer."

My father looked away.

For a moment, I thought he wouldn't answer. Then he turned back to me.

"But you are," he said.

That was all it took.

One sentence. A reminder of what happened.

One reckless night. One mistake. My sister was gone, and I was the one left breathing. They never let me forget it. They never would. Maybe it wasn't fully my fault. Maybe it wasn't anyone's. But in this house, the blame had already chosen me.

"Get ready," my father said coldly. "Come downstairs."

Then he walked out.

I stood there for a long time. I didn't know what to do. I looked at the wedding dress again and felt sick. My legs gave up, and I went back to the bed and sat down. Tears streamed down my face. I didn't care about my makeup anymore. I didn't care how I looked.

Nothing mattered.

The door opened again.

"Come," my mother said. "You need to go now."

I looked up at her. "Please, Mom," I begged. "Tell Dad I can't do this. Please."

She didn't even try.

"I can't do anything for you," she said. "Leave it. You should come now."

Then she turned and left.

I felt like a stranger in my own home. This house used to be full of love. One day changed everything. One day shattered us all.

I wiped my face, exhausted. "Can everyone just leave me alone?" I whispered to the empty room.

That was when the door opened again.

And this time, it was Emily.

She came in quietly and sat beside me on the bed.

"Oh my God," she said softly. "Lilith... you don't need to cry anymore."

Not cry anymore??? I do! I fucking do!

The tears kept coming. One after the other. My chest hurt. My throat burned. I cried until my body felt weak, until my head started to ache. Emily pulled me into her arms and held me tight.

I tried to smile through the tears. I really tried.

Emily looked at me and shook her head. "You don't have to pretend you're happy," she said gently. "Just wash off this fake smile. We can still go ahead with the plan. We can still run from here."

"I can't," I whispered. "I can't."

"He came here last night," I continued.

"Who?" she asked.

"Killian," I replied. "My soon-to-be husband."

"He warned me," I continued, my voice shaking. "He choked me. He threatened me. I don't even know why he stopped. Maybe because he's still human. Maybe because he didn't want blood on his hands before the wedding."

Emily's eyes filled with fear. "Lilith... we can't stay. We have to run."

I shook my head slowly. "No."

I stood up and wiped my face with a small handkerchief. I didn't care how my makeup looked. I didn't care about anything anymore.

"This marriage is for the betterment of both families," I said quietly. "If I run now, everything my father has worked for will fall apart."

Emily stood up too. "At what cost?" she asked. "At what cost, Lilith?"

I swallowed hard.

"If I hadn't done what I did," I said. "If I hadn't made that stupid mistake... I wouldn't be here. But I did. So I have to bear it."

She stepped closer and held my hands. "You don't," she whispered. "If you change your mind, just tell me. I'll come with you. We'll run away. We'll start over."

I looked at myself in the mirror again.

What was I even running from anymore?

"No," I said softly. "I have to go now. Everyone is waiting."

Emily gave me a small smile. It was meant to comfort me. It didn't.

We were about to walk toward the door when it opened again.

"My dear," my mother said. "You have to come now."

I nodded slowly.

As I stepped past her, she adjusted my veil gently and said, "It's time."

We walked downstairs and headed straight to the venue.

When I stepped outside, my heart sank.

The place wasn't full. Just a few important guests. Most of them were from Killian's side. I didn't recognize their faces. It felt like a political agreement, not a wedding.

I had imagined something else once.

A man who loved me.

A kiss that would steal my breath.

A life that felt safe.

Instead, I was walking toward a man who hated me to his core.

I stood in the middle of the garden, surrounded by flowers and soft candlelight. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it.

Then my father walked up to me and extended his elbow.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

What was I supposed to say? No?

I didn't have a choice.

"Yes," I said.

He took my hand, slipped it through his arm, and we began walking down the aisle.

Killian did not even spare me a glance.

His eyes were fixed straight ahead. His face was hard and cold. He stood there like a statue. He stood there like a statue, emotionless, under the floral arch where the ceremony was being held.

That was the first sign.

The first sign that this marriage was never going to be anything close to a fairy tale.

When I finally reached the altar, I stood in front of him and looked up.

He was breathtaking.

Killian looked like he had stepped out of a fashion magazine. Sharp jawline. Cold blue-gold eyes. Broad shoulders. Confident posture. Perfect in every way the world admired.

A perfect man in the eyes of everyone.

But to me, he was something else.

He was the man who hated me.

The man who saw me as a monster.

The man who was going to destroy me.

The priest began to speak. His voice was calm and steady. The words floated around us, but they barely reached me. Everything felt distant. Unreal.

Then the priest turned to him.

"Killian Williams," he said. "Do you take Lilith Miller to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love and to cherish, from this day forward, till death do you part?"

For the first time since I stepped into the garden, Killian looked at me.

His eyes met mine.

There was no love there. Just hatred.

"I do," he said.

The words felt like a blade cutting into my chest.

The priest turned to me.

"Lilith Miller," he said gently. "Do you take Killian Williams to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

I looked at Killian. He was still staring at me, still cold, still angry.

What choice did I have?

"I do," I said softly.

"You may now kiss the bride," the priest announced.

My breath caught in my throat.

Then Killian spoke.

"The bride won't be kissed by me."

Gasps spread through the crowd. I felt every eye turn toward us. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Killian stepped closer.

He lifted my veil slowly. His fingers brushed my skin, and I froze.

He leaned in, close enough for only me to hear.

"Forget those vows I made," he whispered. "I will break you. I will make you miserable. I will destroy you. And I will make sure you regret what you did every single day of your life."

My chest collapsed.

Before anyone could react, the priest forced a smile.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," he said quickly.

Applause followed. Cheers. Forced happiness. Laughter.

I didn't know what I felt anymore. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to disappear.

But at that moment, I felt a gaze locked onto me from the crowd.

He has dark gray eyes. He was watching me like his life depended on it.

Who is he?