Chapter 9
I stepped out of the bridal shop, veil in hand, and gave him a cold, dismissive glance. “There’s nothing left to talk about.”
He just stood there, eyes fixed on me with a strange, haunted look. He didn’t speak, didn’t move until I turned around, already irritated by the sight of him.
Then suddenly–he dashed forward, grabbing my wrist in desperation. “Wait! Luna, I’m remembering everything. From my last life.”
I froze. My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly yanked my hand free, glaring at him. “And? So what if you remember?”
He lowered his eyes, voice hoarse and full of remorse. “I was wrong. I was so wrong. I’m sorry, Luna.”
My voice was calm, but hollow. “Is that supposed to mean anything now?”
He held onto my wrist again, his grip trembling. “Vanessa tricked me. She seduced me first. She’s the one who schemed behind the scenes and framed you again and again.”
I laughed coldly. “So it was all her fault? You’re just a victim in your own story?”
His lips parted, but he had no response.
“Since you’ve regained your memories,” I took a step back, brushing his hand off like dust, “then good. Now you fully understand why I want nothing to do with you.”
I looked at him straight in the eye. “God didn’t give me a second life so I could go back to you. He gave it to me so I could walk away–cleanly, completely.”
His eyes turned bloodshot. “Luna, I’m sorry. I really am. Vanessa’s already received what she deserves.”
“I was blinded. I didn’t know the truth. I let you suffer alone. I let them hurt you.”
“All those years, I thought you loved me. I believed we’d end up married. I thought we were meant to be.”
He paused, his voice cracking. “And I remember the car crash. Every second of it. I wish I could go back and-”
“I wish I’d died in that accident,” he said, so quietly I almost missed it.
His next words came out in a rush. “The Alexander family is finished. The board is in shambles. Our name means nothing now. Please, talk to Leo. Ask him to spare us.”
I stared at him. His once–proud figure looked so small now, so broken. And yet, I felt nothing.
In a quiet, steady voice, I asked, “Ethan, do you regret killing me… or just regret dragging the Alexander family down with you?”
His pupils shrank like he’d been stabbed in the gut. He froze, lips trembling.
I continued, coldly. “Leo never touched the Alexander family. If you want to blame someone, start by investigating how much your beloved Vanessa’s relatives stole from the company while under your protection.”
His face turned ashen. He stumbled back, two steps, then three. He opened his mouth to speak,
Chapter 8
9:42 am
but the words never came.
He turned and ran. His expensive shoes pounded the pavement as he fled, like he was trying to outrun the collapse of everything he once held dear.
On the day of my wedding, sunlight poured through the cathedral windows like blessings. My gown shimmered with every movement. The air was filled with joy, with laughter, with a peace I hadn’t known in years.
Just before the ceremony began, my phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number appeared.
“Luna, I remember the day you married me. Your eyes sparkled like stars.”
“I’m sorry. I was wrong from the beginning.”
Before I could react, a news alert popped up:
[BREAKING: Alexander Group Declares Bankruptcy. Heir Ethan Found Dead After Apparent Fall from High–Rise Penthouse.]
I stared at the screen for three long seconds.
Then, without a word, I handed the phone to my assistant, turned to the waiter beside me, and took the champagne flute he offered.
The music swelled, the doors opened, and I stepped forward.
I raised the glass and drank it down in one long swallow–right as the crowd rose in celebration.
Cheers erupted around me.
And I smiled.
Chartere
