Elodie could tell Esmeralda wasn''t herself. The girl who used to breeze through life lightheartedly was now carrying a storm over her head. Even so, there was a fierce spark left in Esmeralda''s eyes, a stubborn refusal to back down or ept defeat.


    "What are you nning?" Elodie murmured, keeping her voice down. She was genuinely concerned that Esmeralda''s approach might be reckless, so she wanted to understand-maybe she could help if something went wrong.


    Esmeralda shook her head and squeezed Elodie''s hand. "Don''t worry about it. This mess isn''t yours to handle. I''ll sort it out." Her tone was gentle, but firm.


    After all, this whole ordeal now involved two powerfulpanies. Complications were everywhere, and offending people was unavoidable.


    Elodie knew when to back off with Esmeralda. She let it go, but her eyes lingered on the wedding dress draping Esmeralda''s frame. She couldn''t hide her concern. "Is that dress even your size?"


    Esmeralda looked down. Sure enough, the gown hung awkwardly, the waist too loose. "They rushed the wedding so there''d be no more dys. There wasn''t time to have a dress made, so they handed me this." She let out a short, humorlessugh. "Honestly, it''s almost funny."


    Funny-because this pdash wedding was broadcast proof for all to see: Fleming couldn''t care less about her. Maybe she should have understood this sooner, but hard lessons always hit hardest.


    "Are you ready?" The voice at the door was Fleming''s as he stepped inside.


    He looked every bit the part-tall and sharp, a pilot in uniform with that signature air of controlled confidence. For a moment, Esmeralda saw the years of unwavering devotion she''d given him-the girl who''d stubbornly put her faith in only him, crash and burn be damned. She''d been single-minded about love, ramming headlong into heartbreak. Now, all that was left was the bruising aftermath. But when the pain reaches its breaking point, it eventually gives way to a strange, numbing rity.


    Elodie nced away, tactfully leaving them alone as Fleming approached and took in the sight of the ill-fitting dress. His mouth tightened. "Sorry things ended up so rushed." The families''st-minute decision to push the ceremony ahead had thrown everything into chaos.


    Esmeralda met his gaze and asked quietly, "If this was Lucy, would you have let her be treated like this?"


    Fleming froze, staring hard at her. "That''s not even a real question."


    Esmeralda scoffed. "Because you''d never let it happen to her, would you?"


    Her sharpness unsettled Fleming, touching something raw inside him he''d never felt before. He dismissed it as nothing just Esmeralda acting out a storm that would blow over once he''d had a chance to exin.


    He was about to speak when his phone vibrated, urgent and loud. Being a pilot, he''d trained himself never to miss a call-emergencies happened all the time. But this call was from Lucy.


    He hesitated, then nodded to Elodie


    and retreated toward the window to answer Lucy''s voice was shaky


    tinted with panic and tears. feming ve been in a capcrash might lose my leg..."


    Those words hit him like a punch, his brow folded deep in worry. His first instinct was to run out the door.


    But then reality shapped back-today was his wedding, the most important day of his life.


    This could not be worse timing.


    He checked his watch-ny minutes till the ceremony. He forced his voice steady: "Where are you?" Then he hung up.


    Fleming turned on his heel and went back to Esmeralda. She stared at him, soposed it was unnerving.


    He swallowed, knelt down, and took her hand. "There''s an emergency. I need to go, just for a little while. I promise I''ll be back before the ceremony starts. Okay?"


    He still wanted her permission. Yet there was no question in his mind—he couldn''t ignore what had happened to Lucy.