Chapter 1

On my wedding day, I realized the man standing at the altar wasn't my fiancé, Liam.

There was a tiny mole behind his ear.

Liam didn't have one.

Only his twin brother, Adrian, did.

A chill swept through me. I turned to leave, but as I passed the lounge next door, I heard my half sister Alyssa laugh softly.

“What if Nora finds out?”

Liam chuckled, completely unconcerned.

“So what? Adrian already agreed to stand in for me and finish the ceremony.”

“Today, I only want to marry you.”

I froze outside the door, my nails digging into my palms.

Through the crack, I saw Liam—the man who was supposed to be marrying me—still dressed in his tuxedo. Beside him stood Alyssa in a wedding gown.

My mother was beaming.

“This is for the best. Alyssa has waited all these years. At least now she can finally marry Liam openly.”

My father sighed.

“Honestly, this is all Nora's fault. If she hadn't forced her way between them in the first place, none of this would have been necessary.”

Even Ethan, the older brother who had always claimed he loved me most, said,

“I'll keep an eye on Nora. If she finds out, she'll make a scene and ruin Alyssa's wedding.”

I stood behind the door, cold from head to toe.

The wedding I'd dreamed about for months had been a lie from the start.

The man I'd been waiting so long to marry was already holding my sister's hand, ready to hand me over to someone else.

If Liam wanted me to marry his brother that badly, fine.

I'd give him exactly what he wanted.

This time, I'd marry his brother for real.

…

The two ceremonies took place almost simultaneously.

On the other side of a flower wall, applause kept erupting for Alyssa.

During the family toast, the officiant invited both couples to raise a glass to their parents.

Mrs. Whitmore accepted Alyssa's champagne with a smile and even kissed her hand.

“You've been on your feet long enough, sweetheart. Sit down and rest.”

When it was my turn, her smile vanished.

She glanced at the glass I offered her but didn't take it.

“Hold it properly.”

I did.

“And lose the attitude. This is a Whitmore wedding.”

I looked up and even smiled.

“Of course.”

“Why would I ruin such an important day for everyone?”

She paused, caught off guard.

My gaze had already drifted past her to Liam.

He had once promised that as long as he was around, no one would ever get the chance to hurt me.

Now his arm was around Alyssa's waist.

When he noticed me looking, he frowned.

“Don't look at me like that. You disgust me.”

My fingers curled slightly, but I only looked away.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry. I guess I had you all wrong.”

Liam went still.

Alyssa's eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Nora, why do you keep staring at my husband? Anyone watching would think you were interested in your own brother-in-law.”

Before I could answer, Mrs. Whitmore knocked the champagne out of my hand.

Cold liquid splashed across my dress. The glass shattered on the floor, and a shard grazed the back of my hand.

“It's your wedding day and you're still staring at your sister's husband. Do you have no sense of boundaries at all?”

My mother's expression hardened.

“Nora. Apologize.”

My father stood beside her without saying a word in my defense.

I glanced at the red mark on my hand, then lifted my head calmly.

“Fine.”

I looked at Alyssa.

“I'm sorry.”

“Today is your wedding. I shouldn't have tried to steal your spotlight.”

Alyssa blinked.

My mother, however, visibly relaxed.

Ethan lowered his voice in warning.

“You've waited years for this wedding. Don't ruin it now.”

I looked at him.

“Don't worry.”

“I'm definitely getting married today.”

He finally looked satisfied.

What he didn't know was that the man I intended to marry was no longer Liam.

Liam turned away with Alyssa on his arm.

As he passed me, he hesitated for half a second.

For one foolish moment, I thought he might at least look at my injured hand.

Instead, he said coldly,

“Stop looking at me.”

Then he walked off with Alyssa.

The guests followed them, applause and congratulations fading into the distance.

I bent to pick up my fallen clutch. When I straightened, my heel twisted beneath me.

A hand caught my arm before I could fall.

I looked up.

Adrian.

He and Liam had almost identical faces, but their eyes were nothing alike.

Adrian's were quiet and controlled.

His gaze dropped to the cut on my hand.

“You know, don't you?”

I didn't deny it.

After a moment, he said,

“I only agreed to stand in for Liam and finish the ceremony.”

“If you want to walk away now, you still can.”

I almost laughed.

So they all assumed everything could go back to normal once the wedding was over.

Adrian would step aside. Liam would come back to me.

And I was supposed to pretend none of this humiliation had ever happened.

Adrian watched me.

“Do you still want to go through with it?”

I looked down at the ring on my finger.

All I could hear was Liam's voice in my head.

Disgusting.

A few seconds later, I looked up.

“Absolutely.”

Adrian's expression shifted.

I held out my hand to him.

“After the ceremony, we'll make it legal.”

“Under your real name.”

If Liam wanted to push me into his brother's arms, then I'd let him.