They Planned My Fall, I Built My Throne

"I'm the one who was supposed to marry Austin today! What gives you the right to steal him from me? You should die!"

A brutal shove slammed into Rachael Brown's back.

The force caught her completely unprepared. Her body lurched forward, and in the next instant, she was tumbling over the yacht's railing.

Her hands shot out instinctively, barely managing to grab the edge of the deck. Dangling above the dark ocean, she looked up in panic, only to meet a pair of venom-filled eyes.

It was Abby Brown, her half-sister. Abby had despised her for as long as Rachael could remember.

"Have you lost your mind?" Rachael struggled to haul herself up again, but the diamond-studded wedding gown weighed her down like a chain. No matter how hard she fought, she couldn't get over the railing.

Abby stared down at her with a twisted smile that made Rachael's blood run cold. Then she lifted her heel and viciously ground it down onto Rachael's fingers. "Austin isn't coming to save you," Abby said with a shrill laugh, "because he's already-"

Sharp pain exploded through Rachael's hand. Her grip slipped, and her body dropped straight into the freezing black sea.

Beneath the water, the yacht's propeller churned violently. A cloud of blood spread through the waves before quickly disappearing into the darkness.

"No!" Rachael shot up from sleep with a startled cry.

In the very next moment, the face from her nightmare came into focus right in front of her. "Rach? What happened?"

Before she could process anything, Rachael's instincts took over. She swung her hand and slapped Abby across the face. "Stay away from me!"

Abby staggered backward, one hand flying to her cheek. Her expression twisted with disbelief and fury. "I came to bring you your wedding dress, and you slapped me?"

Nearby, Jenna Brown, Abby's mother, frowned immediately. "Rachael, today is your wedding day. Do you really have to behave so impulsively?" Her tone carried obvious dissatisfaction. "The Brooks family cares a lot about manners and rules. If they see this side of you, they'll think I failed to raise you properly."

Rachael stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror. Her bridal makeup was only half done, but even layers of foundation could not hide the unnatural paleness of her face.

Slowly, her thoughts returned. Today was her wedding day and she was about to marry Austin Brooks.

The preparations over the past few days had exhausted her completely. She must have accidentally fallen asleep in the makeup chair. That horrifying scene earlier had only been a dream. But it had felt terrifyingly real.

"I'm sorry," Rachael said quietly after a long pause. "I just had a nightmare."

Abby immediately let out a mocking laugh. "A nightmare? Or are you using that as an excuse to vent your anger on me?"

With an irritated expression, Abby shoved the garment bag toward her. "The designer called earlier," she said impatiently. "Some diamonds from the original gown were damaged during shipping, so you'll be wearing this dress instead."

Rachael instinctively turned her head. The instant she saw the gown, her entire body went cold.

It was the exact same dress from the dream.

Before today, she had never laid eyes on it.

Seeing her frozen in place, Jenna urged the stylists impatiently. "Why are you just standing there? The ceremony is about to begin."

The stylists nearby quickly stepped forward, preparing to help her change into the gown.

Rachael lowered her gaze toward the glittering dress. Her fingers trembled the moment they brushed against the fabric.

In that nightmare, this was the very dress that had dragged her down, trapping her and keeping her from pulling herself back onto the yacht, right before the propeller had torn into her.

The memory of it made her scalp go numb. It had to be some kind of warning. It might not make sense, but she refused to ignore it.

Her fingers tightened abruptly. Without hesitation, she shoved the mannequin aside. "Who allowed you to replace my wedding dress? I'm not wearing this one."

Abby instantly exploded. "Are you done acting crazy yet? What else are you supposed to wear? The damaged dress? Do you want to humiliate yourself in front of everyone?"

She folded her arms and sneered. "Honestly, I have no idea what the Brooks family saw in you. You're impossible to deal with."

Just then, there was a soft knock at the dressing room door. A deep, cool voice sounded from outside. "What's happening in there?"

The man who stepped into the room was tall enough that he had to lower his head slightly as he entered.

He wore a perfectly fitted black suit that emphasized his tall, broad figure. His features were strikingly attractive, but the cold detachment in his expression made him seem distant and difficult to approach.

It was Austin, the groom.

Yet he looked nothing like a man about to get married. There was no happiness on his face, no trace of warmth in his eyes.

The moment Abby saw him, her expression changed instantly. She looked aggrieved, her eyes turning watery. "Austin, Rachael slapped me for absolutely no reason earlier, and now she's even knocked over the wedding gown. This dress is couture from a famous designer."

Austin's gaze fell on the gown lying on the floor.

"There's only one dress available," he said coolly, his tone firm and unquestionable. "You don't have another choice. Don't turn this into an even bigger mess."

"Rachael, behaving however you want at home is one thing, but how can you act like this in front of Austin?" Abby said, openly delighted as a malicious glimmer flashed through her eyes. "A bride should at least look graceful walking down the aisle, shouldn't she?"

The staff nearby also began nervously trying to persuade Rachael. If anything happened to the dress, they would be the ones blamed for it.

The mounting pressure in the room only made Rachael more convinced that the nightmare might truly come to pass.

"The ceremony is about to begin," Austin said icily. "Stop wasting time."

With that, he turned to leave without another glance.

Rachael nearly laughed from irritation. So this was the kind of husband an arranged marriage gave her. He felt completely unreliable.

But she quickly hid her thoughts and rushed after him with panic written all over her face. "Austin, wait. I need to talk to you-"

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly let out a startled cry.

Austin had just turned around when Rachael accidentally stepped on the heavy layers of the gown and stumbled directly into his chest.

At the same moment, the narrow heel of her shoe sliced cleanly through the train.

Abby's eyes widened in shock. She pointed at Rachael with a trembling finger. "You did that on purpose! Do you even realize how expensive that dress is?" Turning to Austin, she said, "Rachael has gone too far!"

Rachael immediately put on a flustered expression as she explained, "No, I didn't do it intentionally. I just thought you were angry, so I wanted to explain things to you. I really didn't mean to."

Obviously she had done it on purpose. What else was she supposed to do? Stand there obediently and wait to die?

Despite being unreliable, Austin had a far better build than she had expected. She bet he had meticulously sculpted eight-pack abs.

Austin did not say a word. He simply caught hold of her arm.

He bent slightly closer, his voice low enough that only she could hear it. "Your acting is awful. I don't care what little scheme you're trying to pull today, but this wedding is happening whether you like it or not. You have no say in it."

Rachael's body went rigid.

Abby immediately rushed over in alarm and pulled Rachael away from him. "You absolutely did that on purpose! The wedding's about to begin. Don't tell me you suddenly don't want to get married anymore and are trying to ruin the ceremony so you can escape!"

Rachael sneered inwardly. Of course. Abby was deliberately planting the idea that she wanted to call off the wedding. That way, if something happened to her later, they could simply claim she had tried to flee, lost her footing, and accidentally fallen into the sea. How perfectly convenient.

Austin's face darkened slightly. "Get someone to fix the original dress," he ordered coldly. "This gown is damaged now, so we won't be using it."

"But this dress-" Abby blurted out anxiously.

"Enough. You're talking too much." After saying that, Austin turned and walked away without sparing them another glance.

Rachael watched his distant figure disappear, and a faint smile slowly curved her lips.

For what was coming next, she hoped her soon-to-be husband would continue cooperating this well.

The wedding ceremony proceeded without any issues.

Rachael carried herself through the reception wearing a perfect, elegant smile, but inwardly, she never let her guard down for even a second.

Whether that nightmare had truly been a warning or merely her imagination... she would soon find out.

The moment the clock struck the exact time from her dream, she quietly excused herself under the pretense of fixing her makeup and slipped out of the banquet hall unnoticed.

She had already swapped her delicate high heels for a pair of flats.

Stepping onto the deck, she inhaled deeply, the salty sea breeze filling her lungs as she tried to steady her nerves.

"Oh my God! Whose dog fell overboard?"

There it was.

The exact opening scene from the nightmare.

Abby was throwing Milo, the dog she had cared for over the years, into the ocean.

A slight shiver passed through Rachael, but it wasn't fear this time.

It was the strange rush of realizing the warning had come true and knowing she had been prepared for it.

Without another thought, she sprinted toward the front of the yacht.

Spite burned across Abby's face as she stood at the bow of the yacht. With a vicious grin, she hoisted Milo into the air and hurled him straight into the crashing ocean below.

Just like in the nightmare, Rachael sprinted toward her. But this time, she didn't rush blindly to the railing searching for where Milo had fallen.

Instead, she lunged straight at Abby. Her fingers clamped around Abby's throat as she slammed her hard against the railing with enough force to rattle it.

Panic flashed across Abby's face while she clawed at Rachael's wrists, struggling desperately to break free, only to realize Rachael was far stronger than she had imagined.

Unwilling to lose, Abby reacted fast. A cold flash of steel flickered in her hand as she yanked out a knife and drove it viciously toward Rachael's face.

Rachael had been ready for the attack from the very beginning. The instant Abby moved, she twisted aside, caught her wrist in a brutal grip, and wrenched it hard.

A sharp cry ripped from Abby's throat as pain exploded through her arm, and the knife clattered from her fingers.

Without giving her a second to recover, Rachael kicked the knife straight into the dark ocean below.

After her attempts to harm Rachael failed, fury twisted Abby's face into something ugly.

Realizing force would not work, she abruptly changed tactics and tried to manipulate Rachael instead. "Rachael, don't you always claim you love that dog more than anything? If you keep stalling here, you're the reason he won't make it!"

A cold laugh slipped from Rachael's lips. Fisting a hand in Abby's hair, she yanked her forward and forced her to stare at the raging ocean below.

The second Milo hit the ocean, a rescue boat rushed toward him and hauled him out of the water.

"No... that's impossible!" Abby murmured in disbelief. "I already made sure the safety crew was dealt with..."

Not a flicker crossed Rachael's face. "What a shame. Your little plan fell apart. Milo has people coming to save him. You don't."

With that, she shoved Abby even farther over the railing until most of her body hung dangerously off the side.

Below them, the dark blue waves crashed violently against the yacht. Pure terror flooded Abby's face as a shrill scream ripped from her throat.

"Rachael! Marrying into the Brooks family won't end well for you! I know one of Austin's secrets!" Fingers trembling, Abby desperately latched onto Rachael's arm. "Pull me up first, and I'll tell you everything. It'll help you keep your position in the Brooks family!"

"I couldn't care less." Rachael's voice came out cold and emotionless. "The only thing I know is that you couldn't handle seeing me marry him, so you went insane and tried to kill me. Too bad for you-it backfired."

Terror seized Abby so hard her entire body trembled. "If I die here today, your life is over too! Everyone will know you're a murderer!"

Not a trace of warmth remained on Rachael's face. Without hesitation, she released her grip.

A shrill scream ripped out of Abby's throat as she plummeted downward.

Yet before she could crash into the raging ocean, her body jerked violently to a stop. At some point, Rachael had torn a strip of white silk from her wedding gown and wrapped it tightly around Abby's ankle.

Now Abby dangled upside down over the side of the yacht, the strip of silk cinched tightly around her ankle while the fierce sea wind left her swaying helplessly in the air.

Rachael braced one hand on the railing and looked down at her with a cold, almost amused smile. "Obviously, I'm not making myself a murderer over you. Ruining my whole life for someone like you? Please."

The moment the words left her mouth, a vicious gust tore across the deck. The strip of silk jerked taut under Abby's weight, and a thin ripping sound cut through the wind.

Abby shrieked again.

Without another glance, Rachael turned and walked away, leaving her dangling helplessly over the side.

By then, the chaos had spilled all the way to the reception hall. Guests began rushing onto the deck one after another, craning their necks to see what had happened.

Jenna's shrill accusation sliced through the wind from behind her. "Rachael! Abby's your sister! She only wanted to stop you from running out on your wedding! How could you treat her like this? Were you trying to murder her?"

Meanwhile, on the yacht's second deck, Austin wasn't socializing with the guests like he was expected to do. Instead, he stood alone beside the towering window, calmly watching the chaos erupt at the bow.

Then the phone resting beside him suddenly vibrated.

The moment he saw the name flashing across the screen, one brow lifted slightly.

A call he once would have answered without a second thought.

Austin's eyes drifted back to the deck. This time, he rejected it.

Below, Jenna's accusation cut through the crowd and pulled the tension even tighter.

By then, Abby had been hauled back onto the deck by the crew and several guests. White-faced and shaking, she collapsed against Jenna and broke into sobs.

"I was running away from my own wedding?" Rachael turned back, her expression already smooth and unreadable again. "Jenna, what makes you say that?"

"You were the one who threw the dog overboard first," Abby sobbed. "If I hadn't stopped you when I did, the crew you planted would've hauled you out of the water and helped you run away. You panicked because I was going to expose you, so you tried to kill me. Everyone here saw it!"

Jenna wrapped both arms around Abby and rubbed her back, her face tight with pained disbelief. "You kept causing a scene over the wedding gown earlier, and I thought you were only upset. I never thought that even after the ceremony, you'd still be trying to run away. And now you actually tried to kill your own sister?"

At that moment, a crewman rushed back onto the deck with Milo in his arms. The little dog was drenched from nose to tail. As soon as his paws touched the floor, he wriggled free and bolted straight for Rachael.

To the guests, the scene looked like ironclad evidence. Rachael had obviously planned to flee the wedding with her dog.

Tears shimmered in Jenna's eyes as her voice broke. "If you really didn't want to go through with the wedding, you could've talked to us about it. But Abby is still your sister. After everything you did to her, how are you supposed to explain this? Our family has always treated you well, and the man you married belongs to one of the most powerful families in Zabert. How could you..."

A woman in the crowd shook her head with a click of her tongue. "Seriously. She may have good grades, but she clearly has no common sense. What kind of career could possibly compare to marrying into a family like this? And she still tried to run away? That's absurd."

Someone else immediately joined in. "I heard the engagement agreement only said it had to be one of Albin Brown's daughters. It never specifically said Rachael had to be the bride. Honestly, Abby seems way more gentle and considerate. She would've been the better match."

One guest muttered, "After making a spectacle like this, there's no way Austin will still want her. A man like him would never tolerate being embarrassed in public."

A cool, indifferent voice sliced through the chaos. "Who's making such a scene crying? This is a wedding, not a funeral."

Austin descended from the yacht's second level with steady, unhurried steps, his expression calm as ever. The moment he appeared, the tense whispers spreading across the deck died down almost instantly.

Abby went rigid. She clearly hadn't expected him to show up so fast.

"Austin," Rachael called softly, her voice tinged with hurt.

Yet the instant his eyes landed on her, Austin caught the cold calculation hidden beneath that fragile expression.

"Austin, I never thought Rachael would actually go this far and try to kill her own sister," Jenna said in a hurry. "Even if you decide to call off the marriage right here and now, we won't stop you."

"A woman planning to run away from her own wedding wouldn't pick a gown that made her stand out in every crowd and barely let her walk properly." Austin spoke, his expression cold and impossible to read. "My wife doesn't seem like the kind of person who attacks someone without a reason. If she laid a hand on anyone, I'd rather know what drove her to that point."

Jenna froze for a second. "That's not what I was trying to say."

"What I personally saw was Abby throwing my wife's dog into the ocean," Austin continued steadily. "Luckily, someone managed to pull him out. Everything that happened afterward was because of the dog."

His gaze swept slowly across the deck. "We don't need to take anyone at their word. This yacht has over three hundred security cameras. At least one of them had to catch what really happened."

The color drained from Jenna's face. She froze, unable to come up with a response.

Beside them, Rachael's eyes narrowed slightly.

Something about this felt off. Was it possible her husband could see the future too?

Or had he simply chosen to stand on her side?

Love at first sight? Yeah, right. The idea was ridiculous.

Still, he had stepped in and helped her today, and that counted for something. After the wedding, she figured she could at least try not to make his life difficult.

Sliding her hand through Austin's arm, Rachael lowered her gaze towards Abby. "Abby, whatever issues we have should stay within the family," she said coldly. "But making a scene in front of all these guests and accusing me of trying to run away from my own wedding? What was your plan here? Were you trying to get rid of me so you could marry Austin instead?"

Austin offered no response. A quiet, mocking chuckle slipped from his lips instead.

He had never been interested in Abby to begin with.

Humiliation flooded Abby's face, burning so fiercely her eyes stung. Unable to recover from the disgrace, she abruptly rolled her eyes back and collapsed into a fake faint.

After the ridiculous scene finally came to an end, Rachael followed Austin back to their room aboard the yacht.

They were husband and wife now, yet this was the first time Rachael had ever been alone with him.

The cabin had never been spacious to begin with, but Austin's towering frame and the icy authority radiating off him made the air feel even more suffocating.

Rachael poured a glass of water and carefully held it out to him first. "Austin, thank you for what you did today. At least... you chose to believe me."

Keeping his arms folded across his chest, Austin made no move to accept it. His cold, piercing gaze locked onto hers without the slightest warmth. "Don't misunderstand. There's nothing between us. I didn't help you out of sympathy, and I expect something in return."

"I understand. Arranged marriages usually come with rules anyway." A faint smile tugged at Rachael's lips as she lowered her eyes, slipping neatly into the role of the obedient wife. "You don't have to worry. Whatever you choose to do outside this marriage is your business. I won't interfere. And I won't do anything that brings shame to our families."

A cold laugh echoed through Rachael's mind. If Austin thought he could fool around behind her back, then she could play the same game even better.

"Rules like that don't mean anything to me," Austin responded flatly. Before she could react, his hand closed around the water glass along with her slender fingers. With a subtle tug, he pulled her a step closer. "Brooks Group is moving into brain-computer interface technology. I've heard you're one of the top experts in the field. I want you working for Brooks Group and taking charge of the technical development."

Instantly, Rachael's guard shot up. She quickly released the glass from her grip, her fingertips trembling ever so slightly.

So that was his real objective. Did he seriously think a little casual touching would be enough to make her hand over her research?

His motives were written all over his face.

Keeping her tone calm and gentle, she replied, "My research is still in the experimental stage right now. I honestly don't have the time or energy to handle Brooks Group's technical development. I'm sure there are plenty of experts out there who are more capable than I am."

"If you turn me down," Austin said flatly, "I can just pay enough to lure every single person out of your lab and leave you completely on your own."

"Austin, have you lost-" Rachael bit back the curse rising in her throat and forced a strained smile onto her face. "As far as I know, we've never had any issues with each other."

A sharp, humorless laugh escaped Austin. "Drop the act. That weak, innocent routine might fool everyone else, but it doesn't work on me."

For years, Rachael had hidden behind that obedient, harmless facade just to survive in the Brown family without painting a target on her back. If not for the nightmare, she never would have let even a glimpse of her true temper slip out.

Feigning confusion, she blinked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Did I do something that gave you the wrong impression of me?"

Seeing how determined she was to keep pretending, Austin chose not to push any further.

Instead, he pulled a flash drive from his pocket and held it out to her. "The security footage from tonight is saved on this."

Before Rachael had the chance to respond, his cool voice cut in again. "After what happened tonight, I doubt this will be the last time you need someone covering your back. I'll give you until tomorrow to consider my offer."

Without another word, he turned and headed for the door.

Just before the door shut completely, his voice drifted in from outside. "Don't forget to lock the door."

"Look at you being so considerate, Austin," Rachael called out with a faintly mocking smile.

She almost winced at herself. He carried himself like some polished gentleman, yet he was clearly using her future safety as leverage to corner her into agreeing. What a complete hypocrite.

Exhaustion washed over Rachael, leaving her with no desire to think about Austin any longer. She collapsed onto the bed, and sleep claimed her almost instantly.

A tall man climbed onto the bed beside her. Skilled hands moved with alarming ease, slipping her clothes loose one piece at a time before he gathered the unconscious Rachael into his arms.

"Don't worry," he murmured softly. "I'll treat you gently."

Heat quickly tangled between them, leaving both of them slick with sweat before long.

Then a frantic pounding erupted outside the door, stirring Rachael awake.

Her eyes snapped open, and she slowly traced the bare body beside her upward-only to freeze when she saw a completely unfamiliar face staring back at her.

A voice suddenly came from outside the door. "Rachael. Open the door."

Austin was standing outside the door.

Then who the hell was the man lying in bed with her?

A violent chill shot through Rachael's chest. She trembled as panic crashed over her.

With a sharp shove, she pushed the stranger away and stumbled out of bed, her weak legs barely able to support her as she desperately tried to escape.

Her body jerked violently, as if she were falling off the bed, and she jolted awake.

Rachael was still lying exactly where she had fallen asleep earlier, fully clothed, untouched, and completely alone.

So it had merely been a dream.

But after her previous dream turned into reality, she couldn't bring herself to brush this one aside.

Why would she dream about ending up in bed with another man?

"Rachael." Another sharp knock rattled the door, and this time impatience was unmistakable in Austin's voice.

Only then did Rachael realize the knocking hadn't been part of her dream at all. It had been happening in real life the entire time.

Flustered, she hurriedly straightened her wrinkled clothes, ran a hand through her messy hair, and rushed to open the door. "Sorry. I was exhausted and ended up sleeping too deeply. Have we arrived already?"

Austin gave a brief nod. "The driver is waiting downstairs. You're coming with me to the hospital."

This marriage had never been welcomed by the Brooks family. Other than the Brown family and Austin's grandfather, Harold Brooks, almost no one in the Brooks family had supported the union.

Recently, Harold's already fragile health had taken a turn for the worse, and a sudden heart episode had left him in the ICU. Part of the reason the wedding had been arranged so quickly was to lift his spirits.

As for the rest of the Brooks family, every relative had conveniently found an excuse to skip the ceremony aboard the yacht.

Rachael understood perfectly well what it all implied, but she had no desire to involve herself in Austin's complicated family affairs.

Without drawing attention to themselves, she and Austin quietly left the yacht and headed straight for the hospital.

Once the elevator doors slid shut, Austin glanced at her and asked, "Have you thought about what I brought up yesterday?"

Rachael had barely opened her mouth to brush him off with some vague excuse when a hand suddenly jammed between the closing doors. A man hurried inside at the very last second.

Dressed in a simple white lab coat, he kept his head lowered as he caught his breath. "Sorry, I'm late for my shift and-Rachael?"

Recognition flashed across his face almost instantly. His tone lifted with surprise as his fingers wrapped around her wrist.

Slowly, Rachael looked up and met his eyes.

She recognized that face immediately.

It was the man from her dream-the same man who had been in bed with her. Now that he was properly dressed, she had almost failed to recognize him.

He seemed even softer and more approachable than he had in her dream-the kind of man who could win trust with nothing more than a warm smile and gentle eyes.

"I'm sorry," Rachael responded calmly. "Have we met before?"

"Back when I first entered university, the school held a fundraising drive. You were the biggest donor," he explained, excitement flickering across his face as gratitude filled his eyes. "I was one of the students who received help from that money. My dad had just died, my mom was seriously ill, and I honestly thought my life was finished."

Dead father. Seriously ill mother. Poor student saved by her kindness. What a beautifully crafted little tragedy.

"It wasn't a big deal," Rachael replied casually. "I can barely even remember it anymore."

Looping her arm through Austin's, she added with a faint smile, "My husband and I are in a hurry, so we'll be leaving now."

A soft ding echoed through the elevator.

As the doors slid open onto the top floor, Rachael walked beside Austin toward the VIP room waiting at the end of the hallway.

"One of the guys chasing after you?" Austin asked, his voice dropping. "As long as we're married, I expect you to remember exactly where the line is."

"No need to worry," Rachael replied lightly. "I know how boundaries work."

A faint, cold chuckle escaped Austin's lips. "You'd better."

They had barely rounded the corner when angry voices cut through the hallway ahead, sharp and bristling with hostility.