Wedding Betrayal Unveiled

The Grand Manhattan Hotel gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight as my car pulled up to the entrance. I smoothed my Chanel suit—a crisp white that Felix once said made me look like a queen—and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Today was supposed to be perfect. Our wedding rehearsal dinner was tonight, and in three days, I would become Mrs. Felix Chapman.

"Miss Rivera," the hotel manager greeted me with a deep bow. "Everything is prepared for your final approval. The florist is waiting in the ballroom."

I nodded, my heels clicking against the marble floor as I crossed the opulent lobby. "I want to check the seating arrangement myself. The Chapman family has very specific preferences."

The hotel corridors were quieter than usual, most guests already checked out for the day's business meetings. I turned down the east wing, where our dinner would be held, when I heard voices from around the corner.

"I can't believe how perfectly this worked out," a woman's voice purred. "She has no idea."

My steps faltered. Something about that voice made my skin prickle.

"And after tomorrow night?" The man's voice was unmistakable—Felix.

I froze behind a massive marble pillar, my heart suddenly hammering against my ribs.

"Let me use my blood as paint for your next collection—the ultimate expression of devotion." The woman's voice dropped to a whisper that somehow carried down the corridor.

I pressed my hand against the cool marble to steady myself. Blood as paint? What kind of sick game were they playing?

"You've always been my true muse, Aniyah." Felix's voice was breathless, intimate in a way he hadn't spoken to me in months. "This marriage to Elliot is just a necessary arrangement."

The diamond on my finger suddenly felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. I watched, unable to move, as Felix pulled a woman with wild auburn hair into his arms. They kissed passionately, his hands tangled in her hair, her body pressed against his.

"Three years I've waited," she murmured against his lips. "Three years since I left, and you're still mine."

I must have made a sound—a gasp, perhaps—because they suddenly broke apart, eyes wide as they spotted me.

"Felix." My voice came out steadier than I felt. "Care to explain?"

He didn't even have the decency to look ashamed. Instead, he straightened his collar and stepped toward me, Aniyah hovering at his side with a defiant tilt to her chin.

"Elliot, this isn't what it looks like." The lie rolled off his tongue so easily.

"It looks exactly like what it is." I held up my hand, the diamond catching the light. "You're cheating on me the day before our wedding rehearsal dinner."

"I'm finally choosing true love over family obligations, Elliot." His voice took on that poetic quality he used when trying to manipulate me. "You wouldn't understand—you've never had to choose between your heart and duty."

Aniyah stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "I'm Aniyah Simmons. Felix's childhood friend. I've always owned