Elena’s bPOV /b

“Oh, hello, you must be Elena The person at bmy /bdoor smiled warmly. Honestly, it was hard to tell if they were a man or a woman–the way they presented themselves was effortlessly gender–neutral. But they were striking. Beautiful, even. They had a striking resemnce to Hu Yetas

Their bhair /bbwas /bshort andyered to the shoulders, straightened to silky perfection, parted on the side with a delicate rhinestone headband bthat /bsparkled under the hospital corridor lights.

They wore at least five ear piercings, each adorned with small hoops or minimalist studs. Their makeup was expertly done, barely noticeable yet wless, and there wasn’t ba /btrace of facial hair. The voice, though melodious and soft, carried a crispness to it that suggested a confident ease.

Their smile deepened bas /bthey extended a hand. My name is Ming Yi, but you can call me Alex

I smiled, shaking the offered hand. “Nice to meet you, Alex

Their grip was gentle, but firm. Behind them loomed an enormous bodyguard, his build wide enough to eclipse the narrow hallway light. My eyes

ild wide widened slightly.

“Please,e in,” I said, stepping aside.

As Alex stepped into the room, their eyes scanned the surroundings before settling on my mom, who was half–dozing in bed, a pillow tucked under her elbow.

“Oh no, did I wake your Alex asked, voice filled with concern.

Mom blinked, then slowly sat up, rubbing at her eyes. “Oh, no. Just resting them. You must be the designer Niki mentioned?”

Alex beamed, visibly excited. “Yes! Honestly, this bis /bsuch a big opportunity for me. Designing Mr. Vetrov’s wife’s wedding gown? I’m not that well- known yet, so this is really something.”

Their humility caught me off guard. I gave Alex ba /bonce–over. Their outfit was stylish without being over the top–a charcoal cropped zer with silver stitching down the sleeves, tucked neatly over a ck silk blouse with a dramatic bow at the neck. bHigh/b–waisted ck ckspleted the ensemble, along with polished oxford shoes. Effortlessly chic.

“You’re being modest,” I said with a smile. “From what I can see, you’ve got incredible potential.

Alex squealed, pping their hands together. “Oh my god, I like you already! Okayb, /bokay–let’s begin.

Without hesitation, they bdropped /bonto the edge of my hospital bed like it belonged to them, gesturing toward the bodyguard to hand over their tablet. He moved bwith /bba /bpracticed calm and handed it over without a word!

Mom watched from her bed, amused, as Alex began flipping through files

“So,” they said, “let’s start with what you had in mind. Colors? Silhouettes? Fabrics? Any specite dress you’ve been dreaming of?”

I hesitated. For a brief secund, an image bof /bmy previous dress shed in my mind–the one Dmitri and I had picked out together. He hadn’t brought his mother along, and oddly enough, he’d asked me not to bring mine. I’d gone along with it, thinking maybe he wanted it to be special.

Looking back, I realized how wrong that felt. Because from the moment my mom had adopted me, I wanted her to be bthere /bwith me bin /ball my special moments. For as long bas /bshe could be.

And now, here I was, sitting beside my mother, finally about to make a real choice. A clean te.

“Do you bhave /banything in rhind?” I basked/b, turning to Mom.

she tilted her head thoughtfully. “Didn’t you decide on ba /bsimple silk mermaid gown before! You really liked that. Do you want to change it

I nodded. “Honestly? Yeahb. /bNot a full changeb, /bbut maybe something a bit more dramatic. A little more, me. I was hoping you’d give me some

She smiled, though a shadow bof /bsadness lingered behind her eyes. “Alright, let’s see what Alex thinks.

“Well,” Alex chimed in, lifting their tablet, “if you bask /bme, with your height and frame, we can absolutely elevate that mermaid silhouette.” They tapped and flicked through images before turning the screen toward us. It disyed a design that made my breath hitch-

-a mermaid gown. yes, but with ba /bbreathtaking bcascade /bof soft tulle ring out mid–thigh. The trail shimmered like morning bfrost /bunder soft ligluting. Regalb, /byet yful.

8:40 PM

Mom’s eyes widened. “Oh, that would look wonderful on you! Except-

Alex smiled knowingly. “The neckline, right?”

Mom nodded. “Exactly, Can we change that?”

one is ba /bMaryanne neckline–a little 100 modest for some brides. Would you prefer bsomething /belser Strapless, maybe?

“Absolutely, Alex said. “This one is al

“Uh, no. I don’t really like strapless dresses,” 1 said quickly.

Mom bchuckled/b. “Yeah, no strapless. But her shoulders are really pretty. Something that highlights those would be nice.”

I blinked. My shoulders were pretty?

Alex grinned. “Oh, definitely. Her proportions are stunning. I’d suggest an off–the–shoulder neckline. It’ll frame her corbones band /bshoulders beautifully, add some elegance to the silhouette-

We began reviewing options together, flicking through endless fabrics, embroidery samples,ce patterns, beadwork, and skirt structures. The room filled with discussion and the clicking bof /bnails on ss bas /bwe zoomed and highlighted and noted preferences.

It felt… real

And then came the moment that knocked the air out of the room

Alex sat up straight, cheeks flushed with excitement. “Now the hard part–getting this ready before the wedding day. Gosh, I’ve never worked with such a tight deadline.”

I froze

Mom frowned, ncing between the two of us. “Oh? How long bdoes /bit usually take you?”

b“/bA week at least,” Alex bsaid/bb, /balready scrolling to production notes. “But since the wedding is this Sunday, we’ve got just four bdays /bto go

Silence.

Absolute, soul–crushing silence.

Mom slowly turned her head bto /bme, her eyes bwidening /bin disbelief.

The color drained from her face.

“The wedding is when!”

My mouth opened. Nothing came out.

Alex looked between us, confused. “Oh.. oh no. Was this ba /bsurprise?”

I wanted to throw myself to the void.

Mom stared at me, her lips parting slightly, eyes narrowing in that bdangerously /bcalm way she did right before she blew bup/b.

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