Bride of Vengeance Chapter 1

Everyone in the gilded world of New York's elite knew the titan Gaten Wolfhard had one weakness: the girl he’d raised as his own.

A girl who was spoiled, arrogant, and unbearably possessive.

So much so that even at my own wedding, she stood on a balcony in a dress that was a blatant copy of my own bridal gown.

Making me, the actual bride, look like a pathetic fool.

This continued until my family and I orchestrated Gaten Wolfhard’s spectacular downfall.

Only then did the little princess come to me, bowing and scraping, begging for my forgiveness.

I just laughed in her face.

"You were so jealous before, weren't you? You wanted to be Gaten's bride yourself," I said, my voice dripping with ice.

"Well, congratulations. May the two of you live happily ever after—in prison."

* * *

As I walked down the aisle, my eyes were drawn upward.

There, on a small second-floor balcony, stood the girl.

She wore a white gown nearly identical to mine, her eyes filled with tears as she gazed down at my fiancé, Gaten, waiting for me at the altar.

And Gaten was looking right back up at her.

The moment stretched, turning me, the bride, into a sideshow clown.

My father, whose arm I held, clenched his free fist, but I gently pressed his hand down, a silent command to stay calm.

Whispers slithered through the pews, impossible to ignore.

"Who is that girl? Wearing white to a wedding… does she have any class at all?"

A young woman beside her tugged at her arm, hissing, "That's Mia, the girl he's raised for eighteen years. They're practically inseparable!"

"Please, everyone knows what she's after. But the Wolfhard matriarch couldn't stand her. Forced Gaten to marry Seraphina Shaw instead."

Finally, under the searing glare of his mother, Gaten reluctantly tore his gaze away from the balcony. Someone quickly pulled the girl, Mia, from view. A moment later, she reappeared at Gaten’s side, stripped of the white gown and now wearing a simple dress.

I smiled serenely and continued my procession, the picture of poise and grace—exactly the kind of "blue-blooded lady" the old Mrs. Wolfhard demanded for her son.

Then, right in front of Mia, I let Gaten place the ring on my finger. We exchanged vows under the watchful eye of the officiant.

I could see Mia’s eyes growing redder, her knuckles white. Gaten’s expression was a thundercloud.

I watched them both, a flicker of cold amusement in my eyes.

Oh, does your heart ache for her? I thought. Good. Let me make it worse.

Just as Mia looked about to break, I reached out and grabbed her hand, my face alight with a warm, welcoming smile.

"You must be Mia," I chirped. "From today on, you can call me Mom."

A collective gasp went through the crowd, followed by a ripple of suppressed laughter.

I maintained my dignified smile, looking down at her with mock maternal affection.

"They say a daughter is her father's first love. In your case, that seems to be quite literally true, doesn't it?"

My smile never wavered.

But for Mia, it was as if I had stripped her naked in front of the entire world, exposing the secret she held closest to her heart.

Under the weight of a hundred curious, mocking eyes, she turned and fled, her face burning with shame and fury.

Gaten made a move to follow, but I held his arm in a vise grip.

My smile remained plastered on my face. "For the sake of the Wolfhard-Shaw merger, darling husband, I suggest you plaster on a smile and let's go greet our guests."

He shot me a look of pure hatred but clenched his jaw and, swallowing his rage, allowed me to lead him into the crowd.