Chapter 1

I was at my wedding rehearsal, standing at the altar across from my fiancé, Holden. Our marriage was meant to be the event of the season, a perfect union of two prominent families.

Then, his future sister-in-law, Jaidyn, crumpled to the floor.

Without a single glance my way, Holden vaulted over a row of chairs, scooped her into his arms, and sprinted out of the hall, leaving me alone and publicly humiliated.

Hours later, his voicemail finally came. His voice was thick with emotion, but not for me. He told me Jaidyn has a secret heart condition and has been secretly in love with him for ten years.

He said the stress of our wedding was too much for her, and then asked if I could be like a sister to her once we were married. A text followed moments later: "Postponing the wedding. Jaidyn needs me at the hospital."

He expected tears. He expected me to wait patiently, to graciously accept being sidelined for his secret admirer. He mistook my love for weakness.

But I am Eloise Bowers. My dignity is not something to be discarded.

I scrolled past his name and called his older brother, Alphons-the man Jaidyn was supposedly engaged to.

"Your brother's wedding is off," I told him, my voice steady and clear.

"But the bride is still a Callahan. I'm at the city hall courthouse. You have thirty minutes."

Chapter 1

The crystal chandeliers of the grand hall cast a warm, golden glow on the white roses lining the aisle. It was the rehearsal for Eloise Bowers' wedding, a union of two of the city' s most prominent families. She stood at the altar, her heart full, looking at her fiancé, Holden Callahan.

Then, a gasp rippled through the guests.

Jaidyn Albert, Holden' s future sister-in-law, had crumpled onto the plush red carpet. Her face was pale, her hand clutched at her chest.

Holden didn' t even glance at Eloise. He vaulted over a row of chairs, his a B-line for Jaidyn. He scooped her up into his arms, his face a mask of panic, and ran out of the hall, shouting for someone to call an ambulance.

Eloise was left standing alone at the altar, the symbol of their future now a stage for her public humiliation. The whispers of the guests were a low hum of pity and speculation that felt louder than any shout.

Hours passed in a silent, empty bridal suite. Her phone finally buzzed. It wasn' t a call, but a long voicemail from Holden.

His voice was thick with emotion, but not for her. "Eloise, it' s Jaidyn. She has a hereditary heart condition. The doctors say any emotional distress can trigger it. She... she' s been in love with me for ten years, can you believe it?"

Eloise' s hand went numb.

"She only agreed to marry my brother, Alphons, when she heard about our arranged marriage. She was trying to be brave. The stress of our wedding was too much for her."

A cold, hollow laugh escaped Eloise' s lips. It sounded foreign in the quiet room.

"Listen," Holden continued, his voice earnest, "when Jaidyn gets out of the hospital, I was thinking... she' s been through so much. Maybe you could be like a sister to her. Once she' s done with this whole acting gig she has lined up, we could all live together. It would be good for her."

The sheer audacity of it was breathtaking. He wasn't just sidelining her; he was rewriting their entire future to include his secret admirer.

A text message followed a minute later.

Holden: We have to postpone the wedding. Jaidyn needs time to recover. I' ll be at the hospital with her.

Postpone. Not cancel. As if this was a minor inconvenience, a rain delay at a baseball game.

Eloise stared at her reflection in the dark screen of her phone. She was Eloise Bowers, of the Bowers family. Her name meant something. Her dignity was not a toy for a fool to discard.

She knew exactly what Holden expected. He expected tears. He expected her to wait patiently, to understand, to graciously accept this bizarre, insulting proposal. He had mistaken her love for weakness.

With a clarity that was almost painful, she scrolled through her contacts, past Holden' s name, and stopped on another.

Alphons Woodward.

Holden' s older brother. Jaidyn' s supposed fiancé.

She pressed the call button. He answered on the second ring, his voice calm and low.

"Alphons."

"Eloise. Is everything alright? I heard about what happened."

"Your brother' s wedding is off," she said, her voice steady and clear, devoid of any emotion.

There was a pause on the other end.

"But," she continued, a faint, sharp smile touching her lips, "the bride is still a Callahan. I' m at the city hall courthouse. I' ll give you thirty minutes."

She didn't wait for his answer. She stated her terms, a challenge laid bare.

"The bride is still a Callahan," she repeated softly to herself, her eyes glinting. "Let's see which one."

She hung up the phone, her decision made. She would not be the woman left waiting.

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