The gown arrived just after noon. Two assistants carried it upstairs as if they were transporting something sacred, and Seraphina followed behind them in a way that didn't show how angry she was. Her mother was right behind her issuing careful instructions about where to hang it and how to handle the fabric.
"Please be careful with the train," her mother said anxiously. "The lace was handmade in Florence."
Seraphina felt her lips curve automatically into a polite smile. Of course, it was handmade in Florence. Everything about this wedding had been planned to perfection. The guest list included ministers and industry leaders, the venue overlooked the river and the skyline, and the press would be present, though discreetly. It was not just a wedding. It was a merger announcement disguised as romance.
When the assistants finally stepped out, the room fell quiet. The dress hung in the center of her childhood bedroom like a silent witness.
It was ivory silk with delicate embroidery that shone when light touched it. The neckline was elegant, the waist fitted, the skirt dramatic without being excessive. Her mother had cried when they found it.
"It is exactly what I imagined for you," her mother had said that day in the boutique, pressing her hands together as Seraphina stepped out of the dressing room.
Now, standing before it with five years of betrayal stored in her memory, Seraphina felt something entirely different.
"It is beautiful," her mother said softly, moving closer to smooth a hand over the fabric. "You will look radiant tomorrow."
Seraphina walked toward the gown slowly, and she touched the silk. It felt cool and impossibly smooth under her fingers. Her mother looked her reflection in the mirror behind the dress."You seem quiet today," she observed gently. "Are you nervous?"
Seraphina considered the question carefully."Yes," she answered honestly. "I am."
Her mother smiled gently."That is natural," she said. "Marriage is a serious commitment, and you will be a perfect bride." The words held weight Seraphina understood too well.
Her mother turned to face her fully."Adrian loves you," she continued. "I have watched him these past months. He looks at you as if you are his whole world."
Seraphina swallowed. She remembered that look, she remembered how convincing it had been, she remembered how often she had defended it when doubt showed briefly in her father's eyes.
Love can be practiced, she thought. Some people rehearse it until it looks real. Her mother adjusted the hanger slightly.
"Tonight will be simple," she went on, discussing details in a practical tone. "We will host the small pre-ceremony dinner for immediate family and a few close partners. Tomorrow the main ceremony begins at four. The press will arrive at three-thirty, but they will remain outside the estate."
Seraphina listened carefully. "Adrian suggested adding a short speech after the vows," her mother added. "He wants to thank both families for their trust."
Seraphina's pulse quickened. A speech? In her previous life, that speech had included subtle but deliberate language about restructuring, partnership, and a shared future. It had sounded harmless at the time. Within a year, it became the foundation for transferring authority.
"What kind of speech?" Seraphina asked, keeping her voice neutral.
Her mother smiled."Oh, something about unity and growth," she said. "He showed your father a draft. It was thoughtful."
Seraphina felt a chill creep across her skin."Did Father approve it?" she asked carefully.
"He seemed pleased," her mother replied. "He said Adrian understands legacy."
Seraphina stepped closer to the mirror. Her reflection stood beside the gown, framed by lace and memory.
"Mother," she said quietly, "if I told you I had doubts, what would you say?"
Her mother stilled."Doubts about the wedding?" she asked, concern shown across her face.
"Yes."
Her mother stood slowly and walked toward her."Seraphina, every bride feels uncertain at some point," she said gently. "You are leaving one chapter of your life and stepping into another. That transition can feel frightening."
"This feels different," Seraphina replied.
Her mother looked at her face."Has Adrian said something?" she asked.
Seraphina hesitated. She could not reveal everything yet, she needed time, she needed evidence and she needed control.
"No," she said. "I just feel as though something is moving too quickly."
Her mother's expression softened."Your father and I raised you to think carefully," she said. "If something is troubling you, then you should speak to Adrian before tomorrow."
Seraphina almost laughed at the irony. Speak to him.
Confront him with knowledge he did not know she possessed. "He would reassure me," she said slowly.
"And that would be a bad thing?" her mother asked.
Seraphina looked back at the gown."Yes," she answered in her mind, because reassurance from him was a performance.
Her mother reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from her face."You deserve happiness," she said firmly. "We would never force you into something you do not want." The sincerity in her mother's voice struck deeply.
Seraphina believed her but she also knew how appearances shaped decisions. Canceling a wedding hours before it began would shake the business world. Investors would speculate. Rivals would circle and Adrian would retaliate.
Her phone vibrated in her hand. She looked down.
Lucien Ashford: We need to meet Immediately.
Her heart jumped. Her mother noticed the shift in her expression.
"Is everything alright?" she asked.
"It is work," Seraphina replied.
Her mother frowned slightly."Today is not a day for work," she said gently.
Seraphina looked at the gown again."It might be," she answered quietly.
Her mother followed her gaze."Try it on," she suggested suddenly. "Sometimes wearing the dress makes everything feel real in the right way."
Seraphina hesitated. Then she nodded. Her mother helped her step into the gown carefully, adjusting the fabric and fastening the delicate buttons along her spine.
When she turned toward the mirror, the room seemed to still. The dress fit perfectly, It transformed her into the image every magazine would celebrate tomorrow.
Her mother's eyes filled with tears."You look stunning," she whispered.
Seraphina stared at her reflection. The bride in the mirror looked powerful but the power was deceptive.
It was a ceremony without security, and beauty without protection.
Her phone vibrated again. Lucien: Adrian just contacted my board.
Seraphina's breath caught. He is moving faster than I expected, the next message appeared.
Her fingers tightened around the phone."What is it?" her mother asked, alarm creeping into her voice.
Seraphina met her reflection's eyes."It is nothing," she said, though her heartbeat thundered.
She stepped closer to the mirror, her voice barely above a whisper."If I walk down that aisle tomorrow," she murmured, "I lose everything."
Her mother did not hear her but Seraphina knew the truth settling like iron in her veins. She lifted the hem of the gown slightly and looked at herself one last time.
Then her phone rang, It was Adrian.
She watched his name glow on the screen while wearing the dress he expected to see her in.
Her mother smiled warmly."Answer him," she encouraged.
Seraphina pressed accept and raised the phone slowly to her ear.
"Seraphina," Adrian said, his voice smooth and confident. "I just made an important move for tomorrow. I think you are going to be very pleased."
Her look locked with her reflection.
Her smile did not reach her eyes."What kind of move?" she asked. There was a pause on the line.
Then he replied calmly."The kind that ensures you will never walk away from me." The words settled in the air like a threat disguised as devotion, and for the first time, Seraphina realized that tomorrow might not be hers to cancel.