Chapter 6 6

Violet's POV

I rushed toward Leo and sank to my knees beside him. I gently lifted his head and cradled it in my lap.

"Leo, what happened to you?" I cried, brushing the blood off his forehead.

He was cold. Too still. Not breathing.

"Wake up," I whispered. "Please, open your eyes."

But he didn't move. Not even a little.

The room was full of people, but I didn't hear them anymore. Just the sound of my own heart breaking.

My father came up behind me and gently pulled my hand. "Violet, he's gone."

"No!" I screamed, jerking away. "He's not! He's just unconscious! He needs a doctor, not... not this!"

But everyone stayed silent. No one called help. Because it was already too late.

Wesley, Leo's father, stepped closer and said quietly, "It was a car crash. He didn't survive."

My knees gave out.

Leo was dead.

The man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. The man who was going to mark me tonight. My mate. My husband.

He was gone.

Later that night, after the guests had left and the body was taken away, the house felt like a tomb.

I sat alone in Leo's room, still wearing my white anniversary dress, now stained and wrinkled.

I couldn't sleep. I couldn't cry anymore.

The room smelled like him. I touched his pillow. His coat. The pen on his desk.

Then I noticed a black notebook half-hidden behind some books on the shelf.

Curious, I pulled it out.

It was a diary.

Leo's handwriting was on the cover.

My hands trembled as I opened the first page.

"To Serena."

I stared at the name.

Serena?

I flipped through more pages.

"I hate waking up next to her. Every time I look at Violet, I see you. But she's not you. She never will be."

"This marriage is a cage. A deal. A curse."

"Why did fate give me a girl with your face but none of her soul? I don't want her. I don't love her."

Each word hit me like a knife.

"I can never love Violet. I only agreed to marry her for the sake of the pack. I'm not strong enough to fight anymore."

I dropped the diary.

I couldn't breathe.

He hated me.

He never wanted me.

He never planned to love me-he couldn't. Because he was still in love with someone else. Serena.

I was nothing but a replacement.

I sat on the floor, hugging my knees, sobbing. I had loved him with everything I had. I thought we were slowly building something real.

But it had all been a lie.

******

Days passed like years.

It was afternoon.

Sitting inside Leo's car, I remembered him. I was on my way to the cemetery. It had been one month since Leo's death. I still wanted to meet him.

The weather was rainy. The black clouds were darkening the sky.

When I arrived at the cemetery, I stood in front of Leo's grave with a bouquet of roses. I dropped to my knees and cried alone.

My father-in-law, Wesley, had sent his butler who was around his age and a few guards to ensure my safety. When they noticed me crying, they turned around and guarded me.

After about an hour, I slowly stood up and wiped away my tears.

"Now I know why you were always so distant," I whispered.

I looked down at my long white dress before shifting my gaze to Leo's grave. I bit my lower lip and murmured,

My gaze drifted to the ring I was wearing. Just like other jewelry, I would have to take it off. That was the rule.

"You didn't love me. You were forced to marry me. And I was just... the wrong face in the wrong story."

"But even if I was never enough for you... even if you loved someone else... I still loved you, Leo."

I heard the sound of thunder as the raindrops started to fall on my head.

Within a few minutes, heavy rain began to fall.

I made up my mind and tried to remove the ring. I would keep it safe with me.

"Luna, it's pouring. Let's go back. You will catch a cold," the butler said as he turned to face me.

I ignored him as I kept trying to take the ring off my ring finger. It got tight around my finger.

After several attempts, I grabbed it tightly and pulled the ring with great force.

I successfully removed the ring from my finger. However, the ring fell to the ground.

I blinked in the rain as I lowered my head to look at the ring. I saw it rolling in a direction.

It kept rolling until it stopped against a pair of black shoes.

I did not mind as I rushed to the ring and kneeled to grab it.

While grabbing the ring, my fingers brushed against the shoes, drawing my attention to the pair of long legs dressed in black jeans.

My gaze moved slowly upward, eventually reaching a black shirt. As my gaze moved to the person's face, I heard the butler's trembling voice from behind.

"Young Master Daniel!"

As soon as he finished speaking, my gaze met the person's dark eyes.

My breath hitched as I realized the person was none other than my husband's rival, Daniel Collins.

Under the rain, his handsome face with cold eyes pierced me as if I was his biggest enemy after my husband.

His thick brows furrowed at me, and I gasped. I could not help but murmur in a low tone,

"Y-Young Brother-in-law."