My heart aches as I lift my sister’s wedding dress from the hanger.

It’s beautiful.

And it’s going to look absolutely breathtaking on her.

Every second I spent designing and sewing this gown felt like torture.

A constant reminder that this is where my unrequited love finally ends.

Thankfully, Ares doesn’t seem to have told Hannah about what happened between us that night, and somehow, he doesn’t appear to have dwelled on it much either.

I thought I’d destroyed our friendship forever.

Instead, he’s been texting me even more than usual lately.

He seems worried about me, which is ridiculous considering he’s the source of my misery.

My fingertips trace the contours of Hannah’s gown, my chest hollow with grief.

I designed a mermaid-style dress for her with a detachable train that fastens around the waist, essentially giving her two gowns in one.

I can already picture the expression on Ares’s face when he sees her walk down the aisle wearing this.

He won’t be able to take his eyes off her.

And I’ll have to stand there and watch him look at her the way I’ve always wanted him to look at me.

“Raven!”

I turn toward the door at the sound of my sister’s voice and force a smile onto my face.

“Ready for your final fitting?”

She nods, her eyes lighting up as they land on the dress.

“It’s beautiful. Seriously, is there anything you can’t do?”

I smile through the pain.

“Let’s see if it fits first. I can still make a few final adjustments the night before the wedding if necessary, but I doubt your weight is going to fluctuate much in the next two weeks.”

She nods and takes the gown from me before disappearing into the fitting room where two attendants are waiting for her.

I wonder if I’ll ever get to try on the dress of my dreams someday.

Right now, I can’t even imagine finding someone I’d genuinely want to marry.

Hannah steps out a few minutes later looking every bit like the superstar she is.

This time, my smile becomes genuine.

She looks stunning.

Seeing her wearing one of the grandest gowns I’ve ever created feels surreal.

“Wow,” I whisper.

Hannah laughs softly and twirls for me.

“It’s perfect, Rave. I love it.”

She studies herself carefully in the mirror before glancing back at me.

“Did you decide whether you’re bringing a date to the wedding? Don’t forget the NDA. Nobody can know what event they’re actually attending until the day of the ceremony, or the paparazzi will swarm us.”

“I know,” I remind her gently. “Don’t worry. I’m not bringing anyone. Your wedding day should be all about you, and I want to be fully there for you. Besides, I’m not seeing anyone anyway.”

Because of Hannah’s fame, every detail surrounding the wedding has been kept secret.

Not even her closest friends know the “party” they’re attending is actually her wedding.

The risk of leaks is simply too high, and no amount of security would keep the press away if news broke about a marriage between a famous actress and the CEO of one of the world’s largest media companies.

“I guess it’s a good thing you aren’t dating anyone,” Hannah says absentmindedly. “You’re lucky in that sense. Enjoy being single while you can. I didn’t get that luxury for very long.”

Luxury.

A bitter smile touches my lips as I straighten my spine.

I would trade places with her in a heartbeat.

“Is everything okay?” I ask carefully, forcing kindness into my voice.

Lately, the bitterness inside me runs so deep I can practically taste it, but I refuse to let it show.

“I don’t know,” she admits softly. “Ares and I fight constantly these days. Half the time it barely even feels like we’re friends anymore, which is insane considering we’re about to get married.”

She sighs and looks down at her dress.

“Sometimes I wonder if things would’ve been different if Ares hadn’t been my first boyfriend. I’d never been in a serious relationship before him, and because of that, we’ve always felt like a work in progress.”

She pauses.

“I wonder sometimes… if we’d met after we’d already had other relationships, after we’d already learned our lessons, maybe things would’ve been easier between us.”

I blink in surprise, unsure what to say.

From the outside, Ares and Hannah always looked perfect together.

I never imagined they struggled this much behind closed doors.

“There’s something beautiful about growing together, Han,” I say eventually. “Knowing everything you built, you built together… that’s admirable. Maybe things could’ve been different, but they weren’t, and the two of you made the best of the cards you were dealt.”

She nods slowly, vulnerability flickering across her face.

“Maybe,” she whispers. “I don’t know anymore, Rave. It’s just… hard.”

She exhales sharply.

“The Windsors have so many insane rules surrounding marriage. Did you know Ares and I aren’t allowed to spend more than three consecutive nights apart during the first three years of our marriage?”

I blink.

What?

“It’s ridiculous,” she mutters. “If we violate the agreement, Ares loses his inheritance. They’re so different from us. When I was younger, I thought it was romantic. Like I was marrying into royalty or something. But now? Now it just feels suffocating.”

She runs a hand through her hair.

“It’s putting so much pressure on my relationship and my career. I can’t disappear from filming for a year, and Ares can’t constantly travel to every set with me. How are we even supposed to follow a rule like that?”

She sighs heavily before looking at me again.

“I guess it’s difficult for you to understand. Honestly, it’s probably a blessing you didn’t have the talent to become an actress.”

My heart twists painfully.

She knows that isn’t true.

I quit acting because of her.

Because she cried and begged me not to compete with her for roles.

Because she said acting was her thing.

It was never about talent.

Not in the beginning.

“But maybe it’s a blessing too,” she continues absentmindedly. “Your life is so… nice. You model, you have all the prestige that comes with it, and you still have enough time left to run your own business. My career is way too demanding for that. I haven’t even been able to help Mom with Dreamessence properly.”

She looks exhausted.

“I’m supposed to run the company with Ares after the merger, but honestly… where am I even supposed to find the time?”

I stare at my sister quietly as my heart takes another beating.

“I’m sure the three-night rule is negotiable,” I say eventually, too emotionally drained to defend myself today. “Just talk to Grandma Anne.”

Hannah throws up her hands dramatically.

“You don’t think I’ve tried? Grandma won’t budge. She doesn’t want me working at all after the wedding.”

She looks back at herself in the mirror, anxiety clouding her features.

“The closer the wedding gets, the more I keep second-guessing everything.”

I inhale deeply and force myself to meet her eyes.

“You love Ares, don’t you?”

She nods immediately.

“With all my heart.”

“Then you’ll be okay, Han.”

I force the words out despite the pain tearing through me.

“Yes, being with him requires sacrifices from you, but I’m sure he’s sacrificed things too. For years, he hasn’t even been able to date you publicly because of your career. That couldn’t have been easy for him either.”

I soften my tone.

“There were probably so many things he wanted to do with you and couldn’t. Now it’s your turn to compromise a little too. That’s what marriage is supposed to be, right? Compromise.”

She nods slowly before turning back toward the mirror.

“I guess the hardest part is that Ares is basically perfect. Most of our problems are because of me.”

Her voice grows quieter.

“I know he deserves everything, but I’m still struggling to let go of my ambitions and my ego. One year away from the industry is enough for people to forget about you. Imagine three.”

I laugh softly and shake my head.

“You’re Hannah Du Pont. Nobody is ever going to forget about you. You could disappear for ten years and people would still remember your name.”

She smiles at me then, her expression softening.

“Thank you, Rave. I really needed this. I needed someone who wouldn’t judge me for sounding selfish or saying things I probably shouldn’t even be thinking.”

I smile back at her gently.

“You’ll be okay, sis. In two weeks, you’re going to be the most beautiful bride anyone has ever seen.”

I force myself not to break as I say the next words.

“And eventually, all these doubts will feel like a distant memory.”

She nods slowly, insecurity still lingering in her eyes.

“You’ll be beside me, right?”

“Always,” I promise.

I’ll always stand beside her.

Even if doing so keeps tearing my heart apart piece by piece.