Chapter b26 /b

Elena’s POV

I bhad /btaken my ce in front of Niki at the altar.

The hall went silent as the priest raised his voice, the echo bouncing slightly off the marble arches above us. “If there bis /banyone present who has just cause why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

The silence that followed was short–lived,

bA /bchair scraped back. Harsh. Unforgiving. And my blood ran cold.

“This wedding is a goddamn bjoke/b!”

The voice tore through the calm like a bde/b, bsharp /band venom–Laced. I didn’t even have to turn to know who it was. My bbody /bbalready /brecognized the voice, the disruption–the disaster.

Dmur.

He stormed down towards the altar like a man possessed, ignoring the gasps, the stunned bwhispers/bb, /bband /bthe priest who stood frozen bmid/b–blessing.

You can’t be serious, Niki! You’re going to marry her? The woman I was supposed to marry?” he snarled, flinging an usatory finger in my direction

The tension mapped across the room like an electric current. I flinched as every eye turned on. ne. My chest burned, throat dry. I couldn’t breathe.

Niki stepped forward, his voice sharp but calm. “bDmitri/b, leave,”

But Dmitri didn’t. Of course he didn’t and my Bits clenched

“You stole her, she was mine- He paused then, his eyes narrowing, “Or, did you actually go to bhim/bb? /bBecause he’s rich isn’t he? Did you sell yourself to him like a whore–”

Niki’s bjaw /bclenched. “Watch your mouth!”

I was tongue tied for the first time in my life.

“Why should I We all know what bthis /bis! Everyone here is pretending this isn’t an embarrassment, a sham. That she’s not just selling herself to the highest bidder”

I couldn’t move. My hands trembled as I held the bouquet tighter, trying to steady my breathing. My mother looked frozen, pale. The insult dug in deep, and even though this wasn’t the first time I had been insulted, it cut worseing from the person who bhad /bonce pretended to protect me. It felt horrible and worse, hearing it now, in front of everyone in front of my mother….

But then—

“That’s enough!” my mother’s voice rang out, sharp andmanding, slicing through the chaos like a krufe.

The entire hall sulled.

She pushed herself forward in her wheelchair, her expression furious band /bfull of unrelenting fire. Her gaze locked on Dmitri with pure disgust. “Don’t you dare stand here and pretend you were ever worthy of my daughter. You were the one who cheated. You betrayed her. Lied to her. Humiliated her

‘M–Mrs. Kovalyova Dmitri stammered, clearly caught off bguard/b.

“You don‘ get to speak. bYou /bdon’t get to pretend like you were bsome /bsort of victim. You were the one who destroyed what you had with her. Her voice cracked, but she didn’t waver. b“/bAnd now youe here, on her wedding day, spewing filth? Trying to shame her in front of the world! If anyone here should feel humiliated—it’s you.”

A collective murmur spread through the crowd. I could barely breathe. I stared at her, the woman who had just yesterday doubted me, now defending me like a lioness.

Niki didn’t waver. He btook /ba step forward. “That’s enough. Guard!”

Two suited men stepped out from the line up next to the altar, heading toward Dmitri. He stumbled back, eyes bwide/b, but too angry to look scared.

“This bisn’t /bover,” he bspat/b, twisting bout /bof their grip. “You’re going to regret this. Both of you

His parents stood up, bfaces /bpale with a mix of shame and bfury/b. They followed after him without a word.

8:40 bPM /b

And then silence bagain/b.

Niki didn’t look at me. He turned back to the priest and said, calmly, coldly, “Continue. Like what happened never happened and I swallowed the lump in my throat, unable to speak.

The priest stuttered butplied. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Elena Kovalyova and Niki Vetrov…”

I heard none of it. My heart was still hammering from the scene, my thoughts racing. But then the priest turned to me.

“Do you. Elena Kovalyova, take this man to be yourwfully wedded husband…

I swallowed

I nced at bmy /bmother,

Her eyes were unreadable. She didn’t nod, She didn’t shake her head. She bjust/b… bwatched /bTired Distant. Maybe even disappointed. I didn’t know.

1 knew she might never forgive me. Not when the truth came out, Not when she realized why I really agreed to this marriage. I bcould /bonly pray that I took this secret to my grave,

But I would still do this again. Again and again, if it bmeant /bshe would live. If it bmeant /bI wouldn’t lose the only family I had left.

de

do.” I whispered.

“Louder, please,” the priest prompted.

I lifted my chin and repeated, steady this time, “I dob.” /b

bThe /bpriest turned to Niki. “Do you, Niki Vetrov, take this woman to be yourwfully wedded wife…

Hi

7 do

answer was immediate

You may now kiss the bride.”

Niki stepped forward and gently lifted the veil. His eyes locked onto bmine/b, burning with something berce. Then he leaned in and kissed me.

Soft Firm. Final

The rest of the ceremony bpassed /blike a dream. I smiled when I had to. epted congrattions. Posed for pictures. But all of it felt muted.

I couldn’t stop ncing at the doorb. /b

At the empty seat where Dmitri had bsat /b

Where the explosion had darted.

Where it ended.

The limousine was cold when bI /bslipped into it, my dress folding baround /bme inyers of white. The ss windows blurred the outside world as we pulled away.

My mother had already gone. Fiona had promised to stay the night with her. I should have felt better. I didn’t.

I sighed

hat’s wrong. Malishka?“ bNiki /bbasked/b, settling beside me with casual elegance.

Tirt out ba /bscoff “Everything! Don’t you already know that? Why do you need to ask!”

– He didn’t respond immediately, and I felt gult coil inside ine. But I wasn’t done.

“Niki how exactly are we going to break the news to my mom when we divorce one byear /bter!”

He turned to me, theer of his mouth lifting in a soft smile. “You don’t need to worry about that, I’ll take responsibility. I don’t mind being the viin in her eyes”

His bgaze /bheld mine. There was something too tender in it, and it made my bchest /bache. The atmosphere seemed to bchange /bas our eyes locked in a stareb. /bFar too long for my ownfort. I swallowed looking away.

8:40 PM

Damn it. Elena Stop.

“You’re like a celebrity, though. If rumors start-

He cut me off by swooping in. His mouth crashed into mine, and bI /blost the thread of thought instantly. His bhand /bcupped my jaw, guiding me bcloser /bas my body instinctively leaned into the bkiss/b,

My eyes widened. The driver—”

He reached up and bhit /ba button. The divider slid into ce with a soft hum, sealing us into privacy.

And then his hands were on me.

The white silk of my dress rustled as he pulled me into hisp, his mouth never leaving mine.

The btension /bfrom earlier–the bshame/b, the guilt, the fear–it all bled out of me as his touch reced it with heat.

His tongue explored my mouth with fervent heat making me unable to even breathe, as my toes curled and once again I couldn’t help but think. Damn he’s ba /bgood kisser

My heart jumped bas /bbI /balso let the idea sink in bthat /btoday was going bto /bbe my wedding night, and unlike how we did in the office this would be different. Our rtionship had changed. This man was now my husband, Even if just bfor /bba /byear. He was my husband-

b“/bStop thinking. Tonight you’ll focus only on me, and the pleasure I give you,” A shiver ran up my spine as he whispered those words into my cars.

Oh god.

色