Chapter 3: The Wedding Dress He Feared

Nolan snapped back to the present, yanking his gaze away.

“Nothing. She can act smug for a few days. Once she’s married off and stuck waiting on an old man who can’t even get out of bed, we’ll see how long that lasts.”

His tone was cold, but an inexplicable unease stirred in his chest.

Before leaving, he passed the balcony and stopped.

“Don’t think you can get arrogant just because Ironwood sent you a few nice things. Once you’re there, you will fulfill your duties. Don’t cause any trouble for the Riverbend Pack.”

Laurel kept watering her flowers, offering only a quiet hum of acknowledgment.

Nolan stared at her calm profile for several seconds, the irritation inside him growing stronger. He turned and left, shutting the door with more force than necessary.

In the days that followed, he started coming to the Jennings villa with unusual frequency.

Each time, he claimed he was bringing something for Chloe, yet his eyes always found their way to Laurel.

Once, he brought over a box of mango mousse.

The moment Chloe saw it, she frowned.

“Did you forget? I’m allergic to mango.”

Nolan froze, his gaze instinctively flicking toward Laurel.

He’d passed a dessert shop the day before and had seen Laurel standing outside the display window, staring at that exact mousse for a long time. Before he’d even realized what he was doing, he had bought it.

He pushed the box toward her.

“It’s already paid for. Since Chloe can’t have it, you take it.”

Laurel glanced at it.

“No, thank you. Just throw it away.”

With that, she walked into the kitchen without a backward glance.

Nolan stared at her retreating back, his fingers slowly crushing the paper box.

He had to be losing his mind to have thought of Laurel when he saw that cake.

***

The day before the wedding, Diana called me into the living room and handed me a wrinkled white dress.

“Wear this tomorrow. The Ironwood side just needs the ceremony done. There’s no point wasting money on a new one.”

I glanced at it. It was a cheap rental, with a red wine stain on the hem that hadn’t washed out.

“That won’t be necessary. I have something to wear.”

“What could you possibly have?” Diana asked impatiently. “Don’t start acting up now. Just be grateful you have something to wear at all.”

I ignored her and turned back to my room.

A package with no return address had arrived that morning. Inside was a deep red, handmade gown with a clean, elegant cut, the fabric subtly embroidered with the Ironwood Pack crest. The matching shoes and shawl were a perfect fit.

I was inspecting the gown when a knock came at the door.

Nolan stood there, holding the wedding shoes he’d bought for Chloe.

“I was just dropping something off. I’m also here to remind you that the wedding is tomorrow. Don’t even think about changing your mind.”

He paused.

“Chloe suffered enough in our last life. This time, I won’t let anyone hurt her again.”

She suffered?

Chloe had grown up in the Jennings villa, pampered with the best of everything. Whatever she wanted was handed to her on a silver platter.

After I was lost, I was raised by a poor, elderly woman in a small town. I’d worked as a farmhand and on night shifts in a food factory. The Jennings family didn’t find me until I was in my twenties.

Even after I returned to my biological parents, I was an outsider. I lived in a storage closet, ate their leftovers, and endured the whispers from other pack members about the “real” and “fake” daughters.

After marrying Nolan in my last life, I was blamed for stealing my sister’s fiancé. He watched coldly as the world humiliated me.

In the end, I died alone in a hospital, with no one to claim my body.

The one who had truly suffered had never been Chloe.

Nolan’s gaze fell on the gown I was holding.

“Where did that come from? Don’t you dare dress up and overshadow Chloe’s wedding.”

“That’s none of your business.”

I folded the dress carefully and placed it into the small suitcase I’d bought for myself, never looking up.

Nolan stood in the doorway for a long moment, as if he wanted to say more. In the end, he just let out a cold snort and turned away.