Chapter 3

Simon’s demeanor shifted instantly. He leaned forward in his chair, his golden eyes narrowing as he assessed Alexander. “I think you’ve done enough talking, don’t you?” Simon’s voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of danger that made Ciel’s heart race.

Alexander ignored him, stepping closer to her. “Ciel, please. I made a mistake. I—I don’t know what I was thinking. Katrina meant nothing to me.”

Ciel felt the anger bubbling up again, but this time, it wasn’t tempered by sadness. She stood, her hands trembling. “A mistake?” she echoed, her voice rising. “You call cheating on me a mistake? You lied to me, Alexander. You humiliated me. Do you have any idea how that feels?”

Alexander looked genuinely panicked now, his hands raised in a placating gesture. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll do anything to make it up to you. Please, Ciel. I love you.”

Ciel laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and foreign in her ears. “Love?” she repeated. “You don’t love me, Alexander. You love the idea of me. The perfect little fiancée who would stand by your side while you did whatever you wanted. But I’m done.”

“Ciel, please—”

Simon stood then, his towering presence making Alexander take a step back. “You heard her,” Simon said, his voice low and dangerous. “She’s done. Walk away before I make you.”

Alexander’s jaw clenched, his gaze flickering between Ciel and Simon. “And who the hell are you? Her rebound?”

Simon smirked, but there was no humor in it. “I’m the man who’s not going to stand by and let you manipulate her any longer.”

Alexander’s face twisted in anger, but before he could say anything else, Ciel stepped between them. “Leave, Alexander,” she said, her voice firm. “There’s nothing left for us to say.”

For a moment, it looked like he might argue, but then he seemed to deflate. With one last glare at Simon, he turned and stormed out of the café, the door slamming shut behind him.

The silence that followed was deafening. Ciel sank back into her chair, her body trembling with adrenaline.

“You okay?” Simon asked, his voice softer now.

She nodded, though she didn’t feel okay. Not yet. But as Simon sat back down across from her, his steady presence grounding her, she thought that maybe—just maybe—she would be.

Ciel stood in front of the large mirror in the boutique’s private fitting room, her fingers trembling slightly as she adjusted the lace on the hem of the wedding dress. The delicate fabric felt like it was mocking her—a symbol of a future that no longer felt attainable. She stared at her reflection, but it didn’t feel like her. The woman in the mirror was too composed, too still, as if she were holding her breath, waiting for something. Waiting for what? she thought bitterly.

She couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes away from the image of the dress, though she barely saw it. Her thoughts were elsewhere—somewhere dark, where Alexander’s betrayal still stung with the force of an open wound. How could he do this to her? To them? To everything they had built together?

Her phone buzzed again, and this time it was a text from her brother, Sebastian: "Ciel, we need to talk."

Her chest tightened, her breath shallow. She knew what that meant. Yuri had no doubt shared his concerns about her sudden withdrawal, and now her brothers were coming for answers. She couldn’t hide the truth any longer. They’d see right through her, and worse, they’d make her confront it.

But she wasn’t ready.

Ciel closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a shaky breath. She wasn’t sure what hurt more—the fact that Alexander had betrayed her or the fact that he hadn’t even tried to hide it. His infidelity felt like a knife twisting in her chest. She had always known that his career was important, but now, standing there in that cold, sterile boutique, she realized that it wasn’t just his career that had kept him distant. It was something far worse—his disregard for her. For their future.

Was she not enough? The question gnawed at her insides.

"Ciel?" Yuri’s voice cut through the thick silence. She hadn’t even heard him enter the room. Startled, she turned to see her older brother standing in the doorway, holding Seb in his arms. His gaze softened as he took in her fragile state.

“I’m fine,” she lied quickly, her voice too high, too light to be convincing.

Yuri raised an eyebrow, the concern in his eyes deepening. He stepped into the room, looking down at her with a fatherly expression, as though he already knew she was far from fine. “You’re not fine, Ciel. Your brothers know something’s wrong. We’re here to help. You don’t have to deal with this alone.”

Ciel turned away, her eyes dropping to the floor. “I don’t want to talk about it. Not yet.”

“Ciel, this isn’t something you can ignore.” His voice was firm, but there was a gentleness to it, a reminder of how much he cared for her. “You need to face it. You need to confront Alexander. Holding it all in will only hurt you more.”

Seb stirred in his arms, whimpering slightly as he rubbed his eyes. Ciel’s heart ached. Her little nephew’s innocent face only reminded her of the innocence she had once felt in her own relationship with Alexander. She had wanted everything to be perfect—for her, for him, for their future. She wanted it all to be as flawless as the wedding dress hanging behind her.

But perfection was an illusion.

“You don’t understand,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I can’t just face him. I can’t even look at him without feeling like everything I thought I knew is falling apart.”

Yuri set Seb down gently on the floor and stepped closer to her, his hand resting on her shoulder. His touch was warm, grounding, but the reality of the situation was cold, a harsh contrast. "We understand more than you think," he said softly. "I know you’re in pain, but running away from it will only prolong the hurt. You have to face it. You have to confront him, Ciel. You deserve the truth."

She bit her lip, trying to steady herself. She was so close to losing it, so close to breaking down completely. "I don’t want to know the truth. I don’t want to hear him apologize or try to explain himself. It won’t change anything," she muttered bitterly.

Sebastian, who had been standing quietly by the door, stepped forward at last. "He doesn’t deserve your silence, Ciel," he said quietly but with conviction. "If you stay silent, he wins. And you know what? You’re worth more than that. You deserve respect. You deserve someone who will put you first, not second or third."

Her heart tightened in her chest at the harsh reality of his words. How many times had she made excuses for Alexander’s behavior? How many times had she justified his distance because of his work or his obligations? How many times had she told herself that he loved her, even when his actions suggested otherwise?

But now, the truth was undeniable. Alexander hadn’t been putting her first. He had chosen someone else. And she had been blind to it.

Yuri’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. "Don’t let him rob you of your dignity, Ciel. You’re strong enough to face this. Let’s go home. We’ll be there with you, no matter what."

Ciel closed her eyes, her throat tightening as she struggled to hold herself together. She had always prided herself on being strong. But now, faced with the reality of Alexander’s betrayal, she felt small and fragile. She wasn’t sure if she had the strength to confront him, to force the words of confrontation past her clenched teeth.

But she knew one thing. She couldn’t keep running away from this.

With a deep, shaky breath, she turned to her brothers, nodding. “Okay,” she whispered. “Let’s go.”

Her voice trembled, but there was something resolute in her decision. She couldn’t let Alexander destroy her, even if it felt like her whole world was crumbling. She had to take control of the situation, even if it meant tearing down the remnants of the future she had dreamed of.

Ciel walked out of the boutique, her brothers flanking her like silent sentinels, though their presence couldn’t shield her from the storm inside. The weight of her decision to confront Alexander felt suffocating, and her heart drummed in her chest, each beat a reminder of the betrayal that had shattered her trust. It was a cold, quiet ride back to the mansion, the air thick with unspoken thoughts, as though everyone was waiting for her to make the first move.

As they arrived at the sprawling mansion, Ciel couldn’t bring herself to step inside immediately. The house that had once felt like a sanctuary now felt like a cage. She knew that Alexander was there. Somewhere inside, he was probably pacing, preparing some kind of explanation for what he’d done. But what explanation could possibly justify his actions?

Her brothers didn’t pressure her to go in. They simply stood by her side, offering her the space to make the final decision. But Ciel already knew what needed to happen. The pain of seeing him, of listening to his voice, of feeling the emptiness between them—it was too much to ignore anymore. She couldn’t keep pretending.

"Let’s do this," she said, her voice steadier than she felt.

Yuri nodded, his eyes soft with concern, but his support unwavering. "We’ll be right behind you," he said quietly.

Ciel took a deep breath, her hand gripping the cold brass handle of the door as if she were trying to anchor herself in the storm raging inside her. Her pulse quickened, her chest tightening with each step that brought her closer to the man who had once been her whole world.

Inside, the house was eerily quiet. The lights were dim, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch across the room, as though the house itself was holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable confrontation. Ciel's footsteps echoed in the stillness as she walked through the hallway, her brothers following behind her but keeping a respectful distance, allowing her to approach the situation in her own way.

She found him in his study, seated at his desk, papers spread out before him. Alexander didn’t look up as she entered, his concentration fixed on the work before him. For a moment, he seemed almost unaware of her presence, as though she were a stranger to him. The thought stung more than it should have.

“Xander,” she said, her voice steady but cold.

He looked up, surprise flashing in his eyes before quickly being replaced by guilt. His brow furrowed. "Ciel... you’re here. I—"

"I know," she cut him off, her voice sharp. "I know everything, Alexander."

His expression faltered, a flicker of panic crossing his face, but he quickly masked it, standing up and pushing his chair back. "Ciel, please, let me explain."

But the words he was about to say no longer mattered. Her voice shook with barely controlled fury as she stepped toward him. "Explain? How do you explain cheating on me with someone else, Alexander? How do you explain sneaking around behind my back, pretending everything was fine when all along you were lying to my face?"

Her breath caught in her throat, but she pressed on, refusing to show weakness. "All this time, I’ve been trying to be understanding, to support you. I’ve kept making excuses for you, thinking that maybe I was being too demanding, too needy. But you... you just threw everything away." Her voice cracked with the final word, and she quickly looked away to avoid letting him see the tears that threatened to spill.

Alexander took a step forward, his hand outstretched as if to reach for her. But Ciel recoiled, stepping back as though his touch would burn her. "I never wanted to hurt you, Ciel. You have to know that. This—this mistake... It was never about you. I didn’t mean for it to happen." His voice was low, strained, but Ciel could hear the desperation in it, the pathetic attempt at a justification.

She shook her head, her hands trembling at her sides. "You don’t get to apologize for this, Alexander. You don’t get to explain it away. You broke something between us that can’t be fixed with words."

Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "You weren’t just cheating on me, Xander. You were betraying my trust. The foundation of everything we were building. How am I supposed to look at you the same way again?"

She turned away, unable to face him any longer. She could feel the rage building inside her, but it wasn’t enough to mask the deep ache in her heart. The man she had loved, the man she had thought would stand by her side through everything, had failed her in the most painful way possible.

"I need you to leave, Alexander," she said, her voice quiet but resolute. "I need you to go."

For a long moment, there was silence between them. Alexander stood there, unmoving, and Ciel could almost feel the weight of his indecision. He wanted to argue, to beg for another chance, but Ciel had already made up her mind. There was no going back.

"I can’t do this anymore," she whispered. "Not with you. Not after everything you’ve done."