THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: MARRY TO RIVAL'S SON

pte

er marble floors and people dressed in their finest. The soft clinking of glasses, muted laug

hugging her figure like it had been stitched onto her. Her lips curved in a polite,

se it

ike one the best, had passed through her approval. This was more than just her twenty-eighth birt

o pull this off, and she had

ed her to make it memorable. And she had done just that, this was a flawless

about this party. I

ad's legacy. And she ha

to the mic and making the announcement she'd always dreamed of hearing. That his only daughter, the one who had studied late into the night, the one

ed years for

rushed her hair gently, the kind of rhythm that soothed both scalp and soul. "You're going to do great things,

r. That promise. Tha

She turned down vacations, parties, even love, just to stay on course. Every step, e

crophone pulled her

ud and commanding. The room naturally stilled for him. Samuel Meye

orward, eyes wide with the thrill of what came next. Her hands were now trembling,

was

sed a thousand times in

m. Hmmm. Sorry, I always do that when I'm about to make an important anno

been someone who knows how to carry the r

y...." he looked up, smiling toward her, and a small wave of warmth washed over her "We're celebrating thirty five

hand over what I've worked for to someone who has the same visi

her this much. Her grip on her wine glass a grew a little tighter. She c

we both know yo

unaware of the storm brewing j

ge. "And now," he continued, "I'd lik

e he needed someone to hand over an award to her. Y

from the edge of the st

on. He was young and sharply dressed with tailored suit, a p

etely came into vie

her breath dropped cold. Those eyes were familiar. They were the sa

r eyes. Her

itely her dad's. Though she took her d

ite the warmth of the room. Her

pride blooming across his features in a way Mia h

his voice loud and unwa

e f

Didn't move. Did

er like lead. The wor

han? Wh

rs. The ballroom erupted with polite admiration and intrigued whispe

t over in her mind, tried to make sense

in her chest. "Ethan will carry Meyers Industries forward. With fresh ey

a hundred pounds. She wanted to drop it. Shatter it. An

sleepless nights. All the lo

On her birthday. The day he had left for her to supe

ike she was nothing. Her heart ached in a pai

n

u

n

u

g to tell her this wasn't what it looked like. That this was a

look her way.

e could see in those smile of his, were mock. Of course he'll mock her,

e thought of her dad having a son.

t during board meetings, not ov

re that wasn't hers to ever begin with. A fu

nger. It was a brothe

t out a practice smile..... because that's what she had been trained to do. Because, she h

lips and took a slow, steady

nside, she was unraveling.

ged warm words onstage, Mia ma

wasn'

appear. She woul

ught he could just walk into her life and steal the empire she h

n. He stood tall beside her father, baski

xt toast, one thought echoed through her mind

he would never be her brothe