They say every bride glows on her wedding day. If that's true, then I must have been shining like a diamond. The silk gown, the veil, the sparkling necklace—everything screamed perfection. From the outside, I was the luckiest woman alive.
But inside? My heart was doing cartwheels, and not the good kind.
"Breathe, Elena," my maid of honor whispered, fussing with the pearls around my neck. "You're trembling like you're about to face a firing squad, not a wedding."
I gave her a small smile, the kind brides give when they don't want anyone to worry. "It's just nerves."
Nerves? If only she knew. If only anyone knew.
The truth is, I wasn't nervous about marriage. I was terrified about a secret I thought I had buried forever. A past that didn't belong in this beautiful cathedral, under these golden chandeliers, with over two hundred guests waiting to see me marry Alexander Cole—the billionaire who could buy and sell the whole city if he wanted to.
And yet, all I could think was: What if my past shows up today?
"Ready?" the wedding planner peeked in, her smile wide enough to blind someone.
I nodded, though my throat was dry.
"Ready," I lied.
The doors opened, and the music swelled. I stepped out, my heels clicking against the marble floor. Gasps filled the air—admiration, envy, awe. Everyone turned to look at me, the perfect bride.
Step by step, I walked down the aisle. Alexander stood at the altar, tall, elegant, and impossibly handsome in his suit. His smile was calm, steady, reassuring. He had no idea the woman walking toward him wasn't as flawless as she seemed.
Halfway down the aisle, I started to believe I could pull it off. Smile. Walk. Pretend. Just a little longer.
Then the doors behind me slammed open.
The sound cracked through the cathedral like thunder. Every head turned. Mine too.
And there he was.
The man I thought I'd buried in my past. The one person who could ruin everything.
"Elena." His voice carried across the silence, low and familiar, cutting straight through me.
My legs froze. My bouquet trembled in my hands.
In that single moment, I knew—my perfect day was over.