Dante helped Eva step out of the car and into her wheelchair. After weeks of intense rehabilitation, she'd begun taking a few shaky steps, but her feet still weren't strong enough to support her. Walking on her own remained a distant goal, and for now, the wheelchair was her reality.
Her heart pounded in her chest as Dante pushed her gently toward the event. He stopped at a safe distance—far enough from the guests to avoid being spotted, but close enough for Eva to see everything clearly.
Today was the wedding day of Nathan and Katherine. And Dante had intentionally brought her here.
But why?
To hurt her?
To get a reaction out of her?
She clenched her fists tightly on her lap, her knuckles turning white, but she said nothing. She kept her eyes forward, quiet, composed on the outside, while everything inside her roared.
Katherine stood in front of the crowd, radiant in an extravagant white dress that swept the floor beneath her feet. Eva bet the cleaners wouldn't have too much work to do later—Katherine's dress probably mopped the floor clean with every step.
A large, beaming smile stretched across Katherine's face as she walked down the aisle towards Nathan.
Eva didn't want to feel anything. She didn't want to care. But she did. Seeing him like this—grinning from ear to ear, happier than she'd ever seen him—was like someone was slicing open an old wound and pouring salt into it.
He was dressed in a sharp suit, his arms stretched out to receive his bride. His teeth glistened in the sunlight, his eyes twinkling with joy, as if this were the happiest moment of his life.
Maybe it was.
The guests all smiled warmly as Katherine walked down the aisle, practically floating toward him. To the unknowing eye, it looked like a fairytale wedding. But Eva knew better.
To her, it was a nightmare wrapped in white silk and fake smiles.
Her gaze shifted to Nathan's family—her former in-laws. They were smiling too. So content. So proud. Just like Nathan, they were beaming with joy as they watched Katherine join him.
They knew. Every single one of them. They knew what had happened behind her back, and yet they chose to embrace the woman who helped ruin her life.
They weren't bystanders. They were accomplices.
Eva's adoptive parents had warned her. Again and again, they'd told her love was blind. She hadn't listened. She'd defended Nathan. Chosen him over reason.
Now she was paying the price.
"They were involved in what happened to you," Dante said suddenly, his voice low.
Eva didn't react right away, but her body tensed.
After handing her the marriage contract a few weeks ago, Dante had done some digging. He wanted to understand what had happened to her—why someone would go so far as to try to kill her.
There hadn't been any concrete leads. But there was one obvious fact: Nathan and Katherine had ended up together soon after Eva disappeared. To cover it up, they started a rumor that she had cheated.
"They'll get what they deserve," Eva muttered, her tone calm but full of ice. "They might be happy now, but it won't last."
Without a word, he opened the car and pulled out a thick blanket, gently wrapping it around her. She looked up at him, confused.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice slightly strained.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he began pushing the wheelchair forward—toward the heart of the event.
He'd been invited to the wedding but never planned on showing up. That was, until the idea of bringing Eva came to him. He hadn't told her. He wasn't even sure if it was cruel or kind. But he needed her to see it. To face them.
Everyone's eyes were locked on the couple exchanging vows. No one noticed the man in black or the woman in the wheelchair quietly approaching from the side.
Eva's chest rose and fell with increasing speed as she listened.
Nathan spoke his vows, smiling at Katherine with love-struck eyes.
Katherine responded with her own vows—flowery, fake, and full of promises Eva knew she'd never keep.
Then came the kiss. The guests clapped. The priest pronounced them husband and wife.
That was it.
No guilt. No shame. Just celebration. As if they hadn't destroyed her.
Katherine threw her bouquet and her bridesmaids squealed with excitement, catching the flowers like it was the happiest moment of their lives.
"Mr. De Rossi," Nathan's voice called out suddenly, slicing through the cheers. Eva stiffened.
"I didn't think you'd come, given how busy you are. But I'm glad you made it," he said, stretching his hand for a handshake.
Dante stared at him, then left the hand hanging. "I was passing by. Thought I'd stop over. It turns out I was late."
Katherine's head turned at the name. When she saw Dante, her eyes lit up. She clung to Nathan's arm, her smile sweet and polite.
"Thanks for coming to our wedding, Mr. De Rossi," she said, then glanced down at the lady in the wheelchair. "Hi!"
Eva's entire body froze. Her breathing went shallow.
She saw it. In Katherine's eyes. A flicker of recognition. A flicker of her. The old Eva. The one Katherine had left to die.
Memories crashed into her like waves of fists, boots, blood. Of her screams going unanswered. Of her baby gone. Of Katherine's voice urging them to keep going.
She wanted Eva dead.
And Eva? She wanted to forget. But she couldn't.
Her heart thudded wildly. Her hands shook uncontrollably.
Dante saw it.
"We're leaving," he said firmly, turning the wheelchair around.
Nathan opened his mouth to say something but froze as he watched Dante wheel Eva away.
Back in the hospital, Dante helped her settle into bed. She hadn't said a word the entire ride.
Then finally, she spoke. Her voice low and cold.
"What were you thinking bringing me there?"
"Why not? I thought you'd want to see Nathan getting married."
She glared at him.
"But the way you froze when Katherine looked at you…" Dante added. "I thought you were about to pass out."
"You don't know what they did to me!!" Eva snapped suddenly. "Have you ever loved someone so much, given everything to them, only for them to destroy you?!"
Dante didn't respond.
"I lost so much that night, Dante!" she cried. "My baby. My dignity. Almost my life. And you thought dragging me to that cursed wedding would fix something?!"
Her voice cracked. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks.
Dante's expression darkened.
"You want revenge, don't you?" he said quietly, a bite in his tone. "But if you can't even look Katherine in the eye without trembling, maybe you're not ready."
Eva looked up, fury flashing behind her tears.