For years, she had watched her brother mourn for his lost love. She had witnessed him drown himself in alcohol, wishing that the ground would swallow him whole. She had seen her brother bury himself in his work, hoping that it would numb him from the pain.

But nothing worked.

Until—

Oliver met his new wife.

From the day she saw Sophia, she could tell that she was nothing like the other girls who were linked to her brother. Definitely, Sophia was nothing like Hazel, her ex-sister-in-law.

"That’s it, Bro, seal the deal." She hid behind the large pillar, not wanting to disrupt the moment.

Initially, she just wanted to spend some time with Sophia to get to know her. But as the day progressed, she realized that she didn’t want Sophia’s transformation to go to waste. So, at the last moment, she contacted her brother to pick them up.

"Oh, my God!" Tears welled up in the brim of her eyes as she observed two people fall madly in love in that moment.

As Oliver knelt before Sophia, she knew that this was not just an act, a performance for the crowd. This time, it was real. Her brother had truly fallen in love with his wife.

When Sophia accepted his ring, she believed it was not out of fear or obligation. From the smile that crept on her lips to the spark in her eyes, she could tell that what Sophia felt was nothing but genuine affection.

"They’re perfect together." Suddenly, she could not help but be envious. Seeing her brother find love for the second time.

Would she ever experience such a magical moment? Would she ever find the one for her in this lifetime?

"Are you crazy?" But a familiar voice interrupted her musing. "How could you allow that woman to be part of your family? She’s nothing but a gold digger who’s after your family’s money."

She didn’t need to turn around to know who was badmouthing Sophia. Her voice had been etched in her brain as someone who wouldn’t do anything good.

"Hazel, why are you still here? Didn’t my brother tell you to scram?" Her tone was cold and indifferent. Her action was completely unfriendly as she rudely dismissed her presence.

Honestly, at first, she had bought her act when Hazel first came into their family. She was grateful that Hazel brought Caleb into their lives.

But after she had seen her ex-sister-in-law’s true colors, she was glad when she finally divorced her brother and left the custody of their son with the Mortons’ care.

"Don’t tell me that you’re also buying that bitch’s innocent act," Hazel said as she moved closer to her, but still hid her silhouette behind the shadows. "I’m telling you, she is not what you think she is."

What was this woman talking about? Did she know something about Sophia that they didn’t know?

For a minute, Hazel’s words nagged at her, but she quickly dismissed them as nonsense.

Knowing her brother, he would have thoroughly investigated Sophia even before marrying her. She doubted whether Oliver would miss anything.

"Why should I even listen to you?" Believing that Hazel was just spewing lies. "If you know what’s good for you, you should go, Hazel, and never show your face in our family again."

Hate was a strong word, but she would admit she didn’t like Hazel, especially after she left her son without even a second glance.

It was as if Caleb was not even her flesh and blood.

"I’m telling you. You’re going to regret not listening to me." Hazel smiled maliciously at her, leaving her with the impression that she was not done yet.

Suddenly, it made her wonder if Hazel really knew something that they didn’t. Was Sophia hiding something from them? 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

But when she heard the applause and the well-wishes, she dropped the matter for later and went to congratulate the couple who had just reenacted their wedding proposal.

"I guess my job here is done." Eventually, she left her brother and sister-in-law to continue their date while she went to meet a few friends at their usual hangout.

As she parked her car outside the club, she immediately noticed the group of men and women who had just entered the establishment.

Unfortunately, she easily recognized one of them. It was her ex. The man who had broken her heart. But unlike her, he was not alone. In his arm was his new flavor of the month.

Oh, yeah! Her ex was a first-class jerk. A real player.

Luckily, she had caught him early on before it was too late. She had split up with him before he could completely shatter her heart.

"Don’t be a wimp." She mumbled to herself when she almost started her car and drove away. She was done avoiding him. She had moved on.

As soon as she entered the dimly lit room, she spotted a few of her friends at their usual table. But in her peripheral vision, she also saw him, standing by the bar.

It seemed he also spotted her. When she joined her friends, she felt his eyes watching her. When she tried to dismiss his presence, she saw that he was coming towards her.

"Marianne." His distinctive voice echoed in her ears despite the loud music in the background. "It has been a while. How have you been?"

With a fake smile, she turned to face him. This time, he was alone. The girl in his arms earlier was nowhere in sight.

"We’re not friends, Brian. There’s no need to catch up." She scrunched her nose at him as if disgusted and returned her attention to her friends, ignoring him as if he wasn’t standing behind her.

But he grabbed her hand, refusing to be set aside. "Don’t be like that, Marianne. Even if we broke up, surely, we’re still friends." He pulled her until she faced him again. "Come on, for old time’s sake, dance with me."

Caught by surprise, she didn’t have time to react. Even her friends were shocked by the sudden turn of events as he dragged her toward the dancefloor.

But she was not the same woman, blinded by love. She had learned her lesson. She was not falling again into his tricks.

Once again, she had proven that this man was nothing but an asshole as she tried to escape his grip.

"Let go of me, Brian." She pushed against his chest when he tried to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her into his body. "Aren’t you with Charina? Why don’t you dance with her?"

But instead of answering, he only laughed at her while he kept his tight embrace against her body. "Charina is nothing like you, Marianne."

"Why don’t we get back together?" He lowered his lips until they almost touched her ears, but she quickly pulled away.

"Remember, Marianne, you’re mine." He whispered as his hands firmly held her tighter.

"You make me sick." She responded, as she felt her breath on her skin, which only sent a shiver of disgust in her gut.

Repulsed and appalled by his touch, she squirmed against him.

"You make me wanna puke."

This time, with all her strength, she pushed against him until she had enough room to send her legs flying.

Once it made contact with the organ in the middle of his legs, he jolted backward until he fell to his back, rolling on the floor in pain.

"You bitch." He shouted, holding on to his injured appendage. "Do you think you can get away from me that easily?" Again, she heard the same threat from his lips.

But she was done being his plaything.

"I already did." She calmly said as she swiped her hair on the side and fixed her clothes while standing over him. "Touch me again, and I will have my fiancée beat your ass."

The words slipped her lips automatically. She already said it before she could process what she just said. But she guessed it was the only way for her ex to leave her alone.

If he knew that she already had someone else, then he would probably back off. Then, Brian would finally stop harassing her.

"Fiancé?" Brian gradually stood up. Still, clearly in pain, he menacingly walked toward her. "Who would want to marry you?" It was obviously said as an insult.

Steadily, she backed away, stepping backward until she bumped into something hard and immobile.

"I will." A large, masculine voice spoke behind her. Before she knew it, warm hands wrapped around her waist in a possessive hold.

For a minute, she felt like the world had stopped. Time stood still.

"Who do you think you are? If you know what’s best for you, you will get out of here in this instant." Brian warned the man who kept his ground behind her, seemingly unfazed by the open threats that her ex had sent his way.

Frankly, Brian had always been a pain in the ass. Being the son of two highly respected political figures made him feel as if he were invincible. Abusing his parents’ power to get what he wanted.

"Who am I doesn’t concern you?" The man spoke again in a decisive and commanding voice. "But if I’m you, I will drag your sorry ass out of here before I throw you out of this club myself."

However, the man behind her seemed to be undaunted by her ex’s presence. On the contrary, he seemed to challenge him even more.

"But if you really want to know..."

This time, she tilted her chin to look at his face.

"I’m Damon Vicenzo. Marianne’s fiancé." The man calmly and casually announced as if he were just talking about the weather.

"Fiancé?"

"My what?"

Simultaneously, Brian and she asked, both stunned by the news.