Chapter 1

On my wedding day, my identical twin sister refused to take off my couture gown.

"Liora, the bridal party is here," I pleaded.

But my father just smoothed her tulle train. "Let her wear it. You're twins, nobody will notice the difference."

My mother agreed, tossing a dusty-rose bridesmaid gown at my chest. "It's just a ceremony, Elowen. Just play along."

It was always like this. From the last slice of pie to my Ivy League spot... whatever Liora wanted, I had to forfeit. Now, it was my wedding.

I reached for my phone to call my fiancé, Kael, to stop this madness.

But Liora snatched it away with a wicked smirk. She unzipped the silk bodice of the dress, revealing her own initials—L.T.—meticulously embroidered right over the heart.

"Kael asked them to do it," she whispered.

My fiancé had spent a fortune just to fulfill his secret fantasy of marrying my sister. My dress was never meant for me.

So, I swallowed my tears, put on the bridesmaid gown, and quietly stepped aside. I needed to see just how deep their betrayal went.

Before heading to the altar, Kael brushed past me, slipping a thick envelope into my hand as his hot breath grazed my neck.

"Here's your tip for putting up with Elowen today," he whispered huskily. "Think you can manage calling me 'baby' tonight?"

He had no idea he was propositioning the wrong twin.

...

Down in the courtyard, I could hear the roar of the groomsmen's cars arriving. Kael was here.

I stared at my sister. "Marriage isn't a game, Liora. Kael spent six months obsessing over every detail of today. The Grand Horizon Ballroom, the floral arrangements, this imported dress... I won't ruin his perfect day over your petty jealousy."

Liora let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "His perfect day?"

She reached to her side and dragged down the gown's zipper. Peeling back the delicate silk lining of the bodice, she pointed at a small cursive embroidery hidden near the ribs.

L.T.

The air punched out of my lungs. My pulse stuttered and dropped.

If she hadn't shown me, I would have walked down the aisle entirely oblivious that my fiancé had spent a fortune to have my sister's initials stitched secretly against my heart.

Liora pulled the zipper back up, her gaze dripping with pity. "He told me it was the only way he could fulfill his dream of marrying me."

The rowdy cheers of the groomsmen echoed down the carpeted hallway. They were coming for the pre-ceremony pictures.

Before I could process the betrayal clawing at my chest, Mom grabbed my shoulders and roughly yanked my bridal robe off. She shoved the bridesmaid gown over my head, her frantic hands destroying the elegant updo I'd spent three hours sitting for that morning.

"You're the older sister, Elowen. Stop fighting her," she hissed, forcing my arms through the chiffon sleeves. "I'll personally apologize to Kael after the reception."

She was always so deeply obsessed with appearances, yet here she was, throwing every shred of our family's dignity away just to appease Liora.

I lowered my eyes, my throat burning as I whispered into the chiffon, "Fine. I'll change."

If Kael had betrayed me, I needed to know how far their rot had actually spread.

"Elowen! We're coming in!" Kael's jovial shout muffled through the door.

The groomsmen were hyping each other up, slamming their fists against the wood in a boisterous mock-raid tradition. I quickly knelt and straightened Liora's hem, backing away just as the double doors burst open.

Loud music and the smell of expensive cologne flooded the bridal suite. The groomsmen swarmed in, instantly causing chaos. I was pushed back into the throng of bodies, and suddenly, a hand gripped my waist, sliding low.

"Liora!"

Kael shoved his way through the crowd, his face dark. He grabbed my wrist, yanking me out of the groomsman's grip and tucking me safely behind his broad shoulders. He glared at his friends, eyes flashing with distinct fury.

"I don't care what you do to the rest of them, but you do not touch her."

One of the groomsmen snickered, clearly intoxicated. "If the bridesmaid is off-limits, then the bride is fair game, right?"

They lunged toward the fitting pedestal, crowding Liora with inappropriate whistles and grabbing at her veil.

I clutched Kael's sleeve, my stomach twisting into a sickening knot. "Aren't you going to stop them?"

He glanced over his shoulder at me, a strange, irritated frown on his face. "Why do you sound exactly like your uptight sister today? Relax, they know their limits. They won't hurt her."

Relax. Just a moment ago, he had nearly thrown a punch to protect the 'bridesmaid'. Now, he was perfectly content watching his 'bride' be harassed.

A terrifying, cold stranger was standing in my fiancé's place.

In the end, it was my parents who threw themselves into the fray, aggressively shielding Liora from the groomsmen's crude jokes until the room finally settled down.

Once the chaos subsided, I stood among the other bridesmaids. I watched as Kael dropped to one knee before Liora, gently and reverently slipping the stiletto heel onto her foot.

When he stood, his gaze bypassed my sister and landed on me.

He offered me a wink. The raw, secret intimacy in his eyes made my skin crawl, suffocating my ability to fake a smile.

As the bridal party began to file out of the suite, Kael brushed his shoulder against mine. He subtly slipped a thick wedding monetary envelope gift into my shaking palm.

Bending his head, his hot breath grazed the sensitive skin of my neck.

"Here's your tip for putting up with Elowen today," he whispered, his voice dark and husky. "Think you can manage calling me 'baby' tonight?"