ck with tension. Liam' s wedding was supposed to be today, but the groom

s face was a thundercloud of rage and hangover. He

think you can just disappear? Today is my w

t flinch, didn' t react. I just looked at him, feeling

rushed to my side. She put her hand on m

led with fake sympathy. She looked into my eyes, searching for the hurt and dependent boy s

between us, playing the peacemaker, making me feel dependent on her prote

dn' t wor

e cool and detached. I looked past her, as if she were a piece of furniture

rfect puppet had just cut his own strings, and she had no idea why. Her brow furrowed in confusion. She expecte

"Ethan, what' s wrong?" she asked, her voice soft and probin

r. I sat on one of the stiff, ornate chairs, p

unnerved her. She needed me to be broken and malleable for her plan to work perfectly. S

edding celebration, but it felt more like a wake. The Rossi family wasn't present, b

the long dining table, his expr

the guests before landing on Liam with manufactured pride. "My son, Liam, is e

ur return has been a surprise, you must understand that loyalty and contribution ar

f my place before I was supposed to be discarded. The guests murmured in agreeme

ink what they want. They had no idea what was coming. They had no idea that the groom they wer