"I went to see my sister," I said as soon as August walked through the front door. He looked at me, immediately understanding what I'd done. "And?" "The person who investigated Carl guessed everything correctly. Karen was on the verge of a breakdown. She told me to stay away and forget about all of it. She said my life, hers, and her son's could all be in danger. I left... and now I don't know what to do anymore. "She knew everything. She didn't even try to deny it, but she wouldn't explain how or why. She was just terrified. I've never seen Karen so scared. And I keep thinking that, despite everything, she's still my sister. She has a son. He's my nephew. I want to get the two of them out of that house... and find a way to put Carl behind bars." August sat beside me and gently took my hand. The warmth of his touch against my skin was instantly calming. "Do you think she was telling the truth?" he asked, knowing full well that Karen could be an excellent actress when she

"So this is your future family?" Camille said. "I think I'll pass on Christmas dinner. Imagine having Diana as a sister-in-law forever, especially if she marries that piece of trash. And don't even get me started on the way your future mother-in-law looked at me when I showed up with Caesar. I thought the woman was about to faint." "Not all of them are like that. Their grandmother is an absolute sweetheart, and you know Caesar's a genuinely nice guy." "The math still isn't mathing. That's two decent people against... what, half a dozen disasters?" "Well, well. Two gorgeous women all alone," a man said as he approached us. "Who said we're alone?" Camille shot back. "We could be a couple. We could be waiting for our boyfriends. Or maybe, just maybe, we want to be left alone. Ever think of asking first?" Camille rolled her eyes. She had no patience for obnoxious people. Working at a nightclub meant dealing with clueless drunk men all the time. The man was holding a full dr

Ursula showed up fifteen minutes later with a doctor. He examined me in a hurry, bandaged my head, and said I was fine. Just shaken up. Still, he insisted I go to the hospital for a full checkup as soon as everything was over. There was only one thing on my mind. Getting to that altar. Maybe it sounded crazy, but postponing the wedding would mean handing Allison the victory, and I would never give her that satisfaction. After a quick shower, the makeup artist and hairstylist worked at record speed. By the time they were done, I looked like a bride again, even with the cut and throbbing bruise serving as a constant reminder of everything that had happened. The only problem left was the dress. I had no idea how my wedding planner was going to find another one that fit me without alterations in such a short amount of time. "I still think this is insane. What if you get sick? What if you pass out?" my cousin asked, folding her arms. "The doctor said I'm fine. I'm not going to p

Caesar's POV"Come on, let's go take pictures." Camille took my hand and led me to where the bride, groom, and wedding party were being lined up for the photo session. There were so many pictures. It felt endless. But all I could think about was how close she was, laughing with her cousin. Camille had this effortless lightness about her. She laughed, chatted, made friends with complete strangers without even trying. She was free. When it was finally over, we were dismissed. A few relatives and family friends stopped to congratulate me because my brother had finally settled down, but my eyes kept drifting back to Camille. She sat down at a table with her mother and a few people I didn't recognize. I didn't have a good enough excuse to sit with them. Then my mother appeared and started talking and talking, with relatives and family friends. Honestly, it was worse than the photo session. Isabelle and August made their way from table to table, greeting everyone with smiles

Isabelle's POV Weddings were exhausting. Between the endless photo sessions, greeting everyone, and following all the traditions, I hadn't had a chance to eat or drink anything. My shoes were killing my feet, and my headache had returned. "Want to sit down? You look exhausted. Maybe we should call it a night and head to the hospital like the doctor told you," August said, concern written all over his face. "It's just exhaustion. I'm fine. I just need something to eat." "Are you sure?" "Absolutely. Come sit with me." He sat beside me and asked one of the waiters to bring us something to eat and drink. "From here, we're heading straight to the jet." "Straight there? Can't we stop by the house first? I'd like to change out of this dress and put on something comfortable. It's a long flight to Greece." "Not a chance. You're not taking away the pleasure of being the one to take that dress off." "What?" "Sweetheart, you can board the plane wearing that dress if you wan