The Warmth of the Bullet Comments Chapter 1

On the day of my wedding to Adrian MacRae, a screen suddenly materialized before my eyes:

[MC, you can't marry Adrian MacRae! This wedding is a complete sham!]

[You're actually the long-lost heiress to the Stone Corporation! The heirlooms your mother left you are the proof, and Adrian is only marrying you to steal them!]

[He's going to have his childhood sweetheart impersonate you to claim your inheritance. Then he'll marry her, and together they'll murder your father and take over the Stone Corporation!]

[As for you, he'll have your face slashed, then sell you off to an old man deep in the mountains. You'll give birth to one disabled child after another until you're finally beaten to death.]

My eyes widened as the comments, like a live stream chat, flashed before me. I was torn between disbelief and a creeping dread.

From outside the dressing room, I could hear the murmur of guests.

"Did you hear? Conrad Stone, the billionaire, is here today to meet his long-lost daughter! Let's go see!"

I stood up, wanting to see for myself, but Adrian suddenly appeared, blocking my path.

His expression was dark. "Seraphina," he said, his voice cold. "The ceremony is about to start. Where do you think you're going?"

* * *

Staring at the man I loved, I couldn't bring myself to believe what the screen was telling me.

And yet, a seed of caution had been planted.

I decided to test him, my voice hesitant.

"Adrian, darling... those earrings my mother left me, you're keeping them safe, right? I was hoping to wear them for the ceremony. Could I have them back?"

The earrings were a gift from my missing father to my mother. Before she died, she gave them to me, calling them my inheritance.

A month ago, when Adrian proposed, I told him their story. He said they were too precious and offered to keep them safe for me. I'd agreed without a second thought.

But now, as I asked for them, a chill entered his eyes.

"They're too valuable to carry around," he said dismissively. "There are plenty of other earrings here, Seraphina. Just pick another pair."

His refusal sent a stone sinking in my stomach.

I chose my words carefully. "But my mother made me promise on her deathbed that I would wear them on my wedding day. Adrian, could you please just ask your assistant to get them?"

His expression turned to ice. "The wedding is starting any minute now, Seraphina. Can you please not cause trouble at a time like this?" he snapped.

"Besides, didn't you say you had something for me? What is it?"

My heart clenched. I was sweating, my hand gripping the small ring box in my purse.

Besides the earrings, my mother had also left me a ring. I had planned to give it to him before the ceremony, which was why I’d asked him to come here.

The comments flared to life again.

[Don't do it, MC! Don't you dare give him the ring!]

[If he gets all the proof, you'll never be able to reclaim your place at the Stone family!]

"I... I just missed you," I stammered, forcing a smile. "I wanted to see you."

But the man who had always been so patient and gentle now looked at me with an ill-concealed disgust.

"I'm extremely busy today. Don't waste my time with such trivial matters."

He turned to leave.

"Adrian!" I called out, one last desperate test. "I heard there's a family reunion happening in the hotel today. Could you come with me to see what's going on?"

His voice dropped several degrees, any trace of warmth gone.

"What does someone else's family drama have to do with you? Today is our wedding day!"

He sneered. "Besides, have you forgotten your place? You think you can just wander into the world of the rich and powerful? If you go gawking and offend someone important, don't expect me to save you!"

My heart turned to stone.

Adrian came from nothing. He was a ruthless overachiever, clawing his way up to a general manager position at a young age. Everyone praised him as a prodigy who had reached the pinnacle of success in his twenties.

But I knew better. I knew he was nowhere near the "pinnacle" he dreamed of.

At every meeting, every banquet, I'd seen him watching the true titans of industry, his eyes burning with the hunger of a wolf, fantasizing about the day he could tear them down and take their throne.

His ambition was a bloodthirsty, predatory thing.

Looking at him now, I believed the warnings on the screen a little more.

Using his lover to infiltrate the Stone family, then using her to devour the corporation... yes, he was more than capable of it.