Reborn At The Altar: Reject My Cruel Groom, Marry A Mysterious Tycoon

"Remove her kidney right now!"

Cold and merciless, the man's command cut through the room, as if the patient on the table didn't matter at all.

Beneath the blinding surgical lights, Lainey White remained trapped in place while a freezing blade began to cut into her body.

The instant the incision started, fear slammed into her chest and left her shaking.

Too quickly, the anesthesia began to fade.

The pain was unbearable. It was so intense that it nearly broke her.

Still, even that suffering couldn't compare to the ache crushing her heart.

For three long years, she had been Larry Miller's wife, and she had poured nearly everything she had into that marriage.

But in the end, this was what she received in return.

He chose to sacrifice her to save his first love.

Slowly, a tear slid down Lainey's pale cheek.

"Larry..."

With what little strength she had left, she let his name slip from her lips in a weak whisper, and the entire medical team immediately turned toward the tall, distant man standing nearby. "Mr. Miller, she's losing too much blood. Proceeding with the kidney removal will kill her."

Fear spread among the doctors and nurses, as none of them wanted a patient to die under their care.

Without hesitation, Larry cast Lainey a detached glance, then spoke in a flat, emotionless tone. "She's nothing. I only need her kidney. If it keeps Charlee alive, then that is the only purpose she ever served."

Above her, the sterile white ceiling came into view as the color slowly drained from Lainey's face.

Had Larry's love for Charlee Foster truly reached this point?

To him, Charlee was someone he treasured deeply, while Lainey meant nothing more than something he could discard.

From her lips came a faint, shattered sound.

Once again, pain surged through her body. Blood continued to spill at an alarming rate, and Lainey no longer had the strength left to cry out.

Through the room, a sharp and steady beep suddenly rang out.

A moment later, the surgeons completed the removal and took her kidney from her body.

Barely able to move, Lainey gripped her gown as the operating room doors flew open and someone rushed inside. A man with devilishly handsome looks and an intimidating aura rushed in, his face pale with panic.

"Lainey!" His voice cracked the moment he called her name.

Before anyone could react, he charged forward like he had lost all reason, and then he drove a blade deep into Larry's abdomen.

"Larry Miller! You dared hurt her? Go to hell!"

Summoning the last bit of strength she could find, Lainey forced her eyes open because she needed to know who had come for her.

How could it possibly be Bryan Wilson?

Everyone knew he was Larry's sworn enemy, so none of this made sense to her. For that reason, she could not understand why he would risk everything just to save her.

Tears streamed down Bryan's face, and they fell onto her hand as he spoke in a trembling voice. "Lainey, please stay with me. Please don't leave me..."

A sharp ache tightened around her heart, and she longed to ease his pain, yet she couldn't even form a single word as her eyelids slowly began to sink.

Through her fading awareness, memories of her life unfolded like a film playing its final scenes.

She remembered how she had once chased after Larry with unwavering devotion. She recalled how she had worked tirelessly just to secure his place as the Miller family's heir. She could still feel the moment she stepped in front of a blade meant for him, and that wound had left a scar she would carry forever.

In the end, every sacrifice she made felt meaningless.

From deep within her, resentment began to rise. If fate ever granted her another life, she swore she would never choose Larry again. Under no circumstances would she marry that ungrateful man.

Suddenly, a harsh light flooded her vision.

Even before her eyes could adjust, a woman's anxious voice reached her ears.

"Mr. Miller just arrived with Miss Foster, and he insists that she should stand beside you as your bridesmaid."

When her sight finally cleared, Lainey realized she was no longer in the operating room. Instead, she stood at the center of her wedding ceremony with Larry.

Had she truly been given another life?

That wedding had once been the start of the future she believed she would share with Larry, yet everything fell apart the moment he arrived with Charlee by his side. On that day, Charlee wore a custom gown that caught every gaze in the room, while Lainey exhausted herself attending to every guest. By the time the ceremony ended, Lainey looked completely drained, and to make things worse, a careless child had spilled juice across her wedding dress.

Before the night was over, the entire city had turned her into a laughingstock. People whispered that she lacked grace, mocked how she ruined her own wedding, and even claimed that Charlee, the woman Larry kept hidden, looked more like the bride.

Step by step, Charlee had stripped everything away from her. She took her husband first, then her dignity, and in the end, even her kidney wasn't spared.

Given this second chance, Lainey refused to repeat the same choices.

At the instant Larry entered with Charlee linked to his arm, a piercing pain struck Lainey's chest.

For a brief moment, her legs almost failed her.

From deep within, a surge of hatred rose so fiercely that it threatened to consume everything around her.

In a voice that sounded steady yet edged with steel, she spoke. "Larry, explain why you brought another woman to our wedding."

For a brief moment, Lainey shut her eyes and tried to steady herself as the surge of anger inside her threatened to spill over.

"Larry... I don't think Lainey likes me very much," Charlee said timidly. "Will she really let me be her bridesmaid?"

With a gentle gesture, Larry touched her hand to calm her, and his voice softened. "Don't worry. She does whatever I say."

After that, his gaze shifted toward Lainey, and the warmth in his expression disappeared. "Lainey, I'll overlook your attitude. But Charlee will be the bridesmaid. It's her dream to be part of my wedding. So be sensible and treat her with respect."

Every time his eyes landed on Lainey, they carried little more than impatience.

In contrast, when he looked at Charlee, a tenderness lingered in his gaze, and he made no effort to hide it.

As those emotions clashed within her, bitterness and pain twisted together until a cold laugh slipped from Lainey's lips.

"Treat her with respect?" Contempt laced every word she spoke. "You want me to respect the woman who's stealing my husband on my wedding day? And ignore the fact that she humiliated me?"

"Lainey!" Larry's voice tore through the hall as he barked the command. "Stop talking right now!"

Confusion flickered across his mind because he had never seen her act this way before. She used to obey everything he said without hesitation, so he couldn't understand what had changed.

Without another word, Lainey yanked off her veil and flung it onto the floor.

"Why should I stay quiet when you are the one being unfaithful? You think I'm supposed to pretend none of it is happening?"

Under Larry's stunned gaze, Lainey lowered herself, seized a decorative stone from the floral arrangement, and hurled it with force at the towering wedding cake.

A loud crash shattered the air as the cake collapsed, icing and crumbs exploding across the floor.

Clear and unwavering, Lainey's voice echoed throughout the venue. "This wedding ends here."

The guests froze in shock.

Everyone in the elite circle knew how much Lainey had loved Larry.

For years, she trailed behind him without complaint, giving up her pride as she managed his business affairs and handled every detail of his personal life.

Many men had envied Larry for that reason, since Lainey's loyalty made her seem like someone willing to give him everything she had.

And now, Lainey was the one calling off the wedding?

Anger clouded Larry's face as he shouted, "Lainey, have you completely lost your senses?"

Rather than respond to him, Lainey stepped toward the microphone prepared for the ceremony and spoke clearly. "This place has been arranged so perfectly, and it would be a shame to let it go unused."

After that, her gaze shifted toward Charlee. "Miss Foster, since you want the man I have already let go of, you might as well take the ceremony as well. I hope you and my ex-a bitch and a bastard-stay together forever."

"You-" For a split second, Charlee's carefully maintained gentle expression faltered, and embarrassment stiffened her features.

With a trembling tone, she spoke as if she had been wronged. "Lainey... how can you be so mean? There's nothing between Larry and me!"

Without hesitation, Larry drew Charlee into his arms, and anger sharpened his voice. "Charlee is dealing with depression, so watch your words."

In her previous life, he had used that excuse countless times, and he forced Lainey to tolerate everything Charlee did.

Because of that constant indulgence, Charlee eventually went as far as demanding Lainey's kidney.

At that moment, the memory of the surgery returned with such force that rage surged through Lainey. She wanted to grab a knife right now and make them feel what she had felt. But no. Letting them die would be too easy. Too merciful. Someday, she would make both of them experience what true suffering felt like.

Without saying anything further, Lainey turned away and walked out of the ceremony.

Larry's voice rang out behind her. "Lainey, if you leave now, there will be no turning back!"

She didn't pause or look behind her.

......

As soon as Lainey stepped out of the venue, she made her way directly to the Orchid Hotel.

From what she remembered of her past life, Bryan had been set up in that place. Someone had slipped an aphrodisiac into his drink, and although he managed to leave the room, he collapsed just outside the hotel. An ambulance had been called later, yet the damage had already been done.

For three days straight, the headline spread everywhere: "Wilson Group Heir Found Unconscious in Public-Drug Involvement Suspected."

Because of that scandal, the Wilson Group's stock price took a serious hit.

This time around, Lainey refused to let Bryan take the fall for something he didn't do.

Guided by the memories she carried, she headed straight for Room 609.

As expected, the door to Room 609 was ajar. A man lay there-narrow eyes, a sharp nose, a chiseled jaw. Devastatingly handsome.

At that moment, however, he appeared dangerously exposed, and an unnatural flush spread across his face.

Lainey crouched down and gave him a tender look. "Mr. Wilson," she purred, "need a hand?"

Slowly, Bryan raised his head, and recognition flashed across his face as his eyes filled with something deeper. "Lainey?"

A faint, teasing smile curved along her lips as she looked at him.

Since he knew who she was, it meant his feelings had already taken root long before this moment.

Desire flickered clearly in his eyes, and it grew stronger with each passing second.

Without giving her time to respond, his hand shot out and seized her wrist, then pulled her forcefully into the room.

The air around him carried the scent of whiskey mixed with pine, and it wrapped around her senses the moment she stepped closer.

In the blink of an eye, he pressed her down beneath him, and the intensity in his gaze turned heavy with need.

Leaning forward, he buried his face near her shoulder as his breathing turned uneven.

"Lainey, you knew exactly what you were doing when you came here."

With a quick motion, Lainey pulled away from his grip, yet instead of retreating, she leaned into him and pushed him back until his body met the wall. Her lips brushed along his collar as her fingers moved to undo his buttons. "If I'm offering myself, do you have the guts to take me?"

Before the last word fully left her mouth, he claimed her lips in a fierce kiss. Urgency filled the way he moved, and he pressed against her as he deepened it without restraint.

At the same time, his hand slid along her waist, and his touch grew bolder as it explored her body.

A quiet sound escaped Lainey before she could hold it back, and a haze slowly filled her gaze.

Heat followed his touch as his lips traveled from her neck and moved lower with unsteady intensity. When his hand reached her thigh, he drew her closer and lifted her onto the bed with ease.

As she sank into the soft mattress, his rough hand roamed across her chest, teasing her until she gasped. Soon after, his leg pressed against hers, and he leaned in close to her ear, letting his lips brush against it as his breathing grew heavier. In the next moment, he pulled her fully into him, and the distance between them disappeared as they came together completely.

Uneven breaths mixed with gentle, broken sounds, and the entire room felt heavy with what had just happened. At the peak of it all, he muttered her name against her ear over and over, as though he feared she might disappear if he stopped.

......

Morning came quietly, and when Lainey finally stirred, her body ached as if every part of her had been pulled apart and carelessly pieced back together.

Slowly, her eyes opened, and she noticed that the man beside her had not yet woken up. Without thinking, she lifted her hand and gently traced the outline of his face.

There was no denying how striking he looked.

Looking back now, she couldn't understand how someone like Larry had ever clouded her judgment.

Once she finished dressing, she paused for a brief second to look at Bryan, and then she walked away without any hesitation.

Not long after she left, the man lying on the bed opened his eyes.

In a quiet, restrained tone, he spoke. "Lainey, you're the one who started this."

The warmth in Lainey's eyes disappeared the instant she stepped out of the hotel, replaced by a cutting, icy resolve.

Bryan's matter had been settled. Now, it was time for her to return to the Miller residence and reclaim everything that should have been hers in the first place.

The moment she entered the Millers', her gaze landed on a middle-aged woman sitting stiffly on the sofa. She was dressed with elegance, her makeup flawless, yet her expression burned with barely restrained fury.

It was Larry's mother, Rita Miller.

As soon as Rita saw Lainey walk in, her face tightened, her brows knitting together.

There had been too many people at the wedding earlier, making it inconvenient for her to cause a scene. But now that Lainey had returned, Rita clearly had no intention of letting things slide.

She rose abruptly and strode toward Lainey, her voice slicing through the air with accusation. "Have you completely lost your senses? So my son asked Charlee to be your bridesmaid. Was that any reason to throw such a tantrum? You've disgraced my entire family!"

Lainey gave a cold, sarcastic laugh. "Let me ask you this-if your fiancé showed up with his first love, dressed better than you, and said she'd be your bridesmaid... could you tolerate that?"

As soon as she said it, a sharp ache tore through her chest, spreading until even breathing felt difficult.

Her eyes flushed red, her voice trembling with suppressed hurt. "You keep saying I humiliated your family, but has Larry ever treated me with even the slightest respect? When he lacked funding, I drank until I was sick just to secure investors for him. When he had no connections, I handed over every resource I had. When someone came at him with a knife, I stepped in front and took the hit myself. And after everything, he brought his first love to our wedding and insisted she be my bridesmaid. Rita, I'm not the one who brought shame to the Miller name. Your family failed me."

She met Rita's gaze directly, her eyes filled with undisguised hatred.

For a brief moment, that look unsettled Rita.

But the hesitation lasted only a second before anger and humiliation surged back. She raised her hand high, her voice turning shrill with fury. "You bitch! How dare you badmouth my son? I must teach you a lesson right now!"

Her hand came swinging down toward Lainey's face. But Lainey's eyes turned steely. She intercepted the blow midair, gripping Rita's wrist firmly before striking her across the face with equal force.

The crack echoed loudly through the room.

Rita's cheek swelled almost at once.

However, before she could even cry out, a man's cold, impatient voice cut through the tension. "Have you had enough?"

Larry stepped inside, his face clouded with irritation. "I know you were unhappy about Charlee being chosen as your bridesmaid. Fine, next time she won't be. If you apologize to my mother right now, I might still accept you as my wife."

Then Charlee spoke, her voice soft and fragile, almost trembling. "Lainey, no matter what happened, she's still Larry's mother."

Lainey walked straight toward her, each step steady, her gaze sharp as it settled on Charlee's pale, delicate features. "Charlee, do you feel no shame at all?"

Charlee pressed a hand to her chest, as if deeply wounded by the accusation. "How can you say something like that to me? I already feel terrible. Larry... maybe I really am someone people can't stand. I don't see the point in living anymore..."

Larry immediately pulled her into his arms, his face filled with concern. When he looked back at Lainey, anger flared in his eyes. "Charlee just gave up on the idea of ending her life. How could you say something like that to her? If she-"

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Lainey turn and walk into the kitchen. Moments later, she reappeared, a knife gripped firmly in her hand.

The instant Charlee's eyes fell on the blade, the color drained from her face, and her knees nearly buckled beneath her. "Larry..."

Larry reacted at once, stepping forward to shield her. "I'm telling you now, Lainey... don't even think about laying a finger on her."

Lainey's gaze dipped, the storm in her eyes carefully concealed as she pressed it down, replacing it with a chilling smile.

"Relax, Miss Foster. There's no need to panic. I'm not here to harm you. Consider this a wedding gift. Since you're so fond of threatening to end your life, I thought I'd save you the trouble. With this, you won't need to rely on sleeping pills anymore. One quick move, and it'll all be over in an instant."

With a sharp motion, she drove the knife down onto the tabletop.

The sudden impact made Charlee's last bit of strength give out entirely, and she crumpled onto the floor.

Lainey didn't spare them another glance. She turned away as if none of it concerned her and walked into the bedroom she had once occupied in the Miller household. There, she gathered everything that belonged to her, along with the keepsakes her grandmother had left behind, packed them up, and stepped out again.

She had just reached the door when Rita's piercing voice rang out from behind her. "Stop right there! What exactly do you think you're taking with you? Do those things even belong to you?"