She threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. Her touch burned my skin like acid.

"You did it," she whispered excitedly. "I’m so happy for you."

I froze.

Happy?

Mae was happy?

I pulled back, searching her face for answers. Was she brainwashed? Threatened?

But no. There was no fear in her eyes. Only joy.

And then it hit me.

She was part of this.

The kidnapping. The manipulation. The betrayal.

Mae had been working with Bryant all along.

My stomach twisted, nausea rising in my throat. My own sister. The one person I thought I could trust.

I wanted to scream. To shake her. To ask her why.

But I couldn’t.

Not here. Not in front of everyone.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced out a whisper.

"Mae… what did you do?"

She only smiled wider, leaning in to fix my veil.

"Relax," she murmured. "Everything worked out, right?"

For the first time—the late realization hit me. I am right.

I couldn’t breathe.

Bryant’s arm slid around my waist, pulling me close. His grip was iron. A silent warning.

I was his.

"H-How did you do this?"

She just stood in front of me with a full smile plastering on her face. “Can't you just be thankful? I saved your life from being worst?"

Worst? There was nothing worse other than this.

I gripped Mae’s wrist tightly and dragged her into the nearest bathroom, barely able to contain my rage. The sound of the bustling reception outside faded as I slammed the door shut, my chest rising and falling with furious breaths.

"What the hell are you doing here?" My voice came out in a harsh whisper, shaking with restrained fury. "Mae, you almost died—do you have any idea what Bryant is capable of?"

Instead of looking guilty, Mae sighed, annoyed, like I was the one being unreasonable. "Relax, Geoffanie. Bryant won’t hurt me. He never planned to."

Her words felt like a slap. "What?"

She crossed her arms, unfazed by my reaction. "It was all a setup. The whole thing—the kidnapping, the threats—it was planned. We planned it."

The blood drained from my face. "What are you talking about?"

She met my gaze with zero remorse, her next words slicing through me like a knife. "Bryant and I worked together. The original deal was for them to take me, but in the end…" She shrugged. "You were the better prize."

The room spun.

A deep, crushing silence settled between us before I finally spoke, my voice barely a whisper.

"You… let them take me?"