Victoria forced a polite smile.
Then Jason Maddox stepped forward with a confident grin.
“Forget power couples,” he said with a laugh. “Marry me and you’ll never have to worry about money again. I’ll run the empire. You can just enjoy life.”
His words made her stomach twist.
She excused herself and slipped away from the ballroom into a quiet corridor that led to a terrace garden.
Night-blooming jasmine filled the air. She leaned against a marble fountain and tried to steady her breathing.
Then a deep voice came from the shadows.
“Running away from your own auction?”
Victoria spun around.
A tall man sat beneath a palm tree wearing simple black clothes and a dark scarf covering most of his head and face. Only his eyes were visible.
“Who are you?” she asked sharply.
“The third option,” he replied calmly.
Her breath caught.
“Logan Maddox?”
Rumors about Logan had spread through the city for years. People said he survived a terrible accident and his face was badly disfigured. Some claimed children cried when they saw him.
“Are you hiding from the light?” she asked.
“I’m hiding from hypocrisy,” Logan said, gesturing toward the glowing ballroom. “My brothers see you as a bank account. They’re waiting for your father to die so they can control everything.”
“And what do you see?” Victoria asked, crossing her arms.
“I see a woman trying to calculate how much of herself she’s willing to sacrifice,” Logan replied quietly. “You don’t need a man obsessed with power. You need someone who isn’t afraid of your mind.”
Victoria studied him.
“People say you’re a monster,” she said.
“The world invents monsters when it’s afraid,” Logan answered.
He warned her that choosing him meant a different life. No glamorous public displays. No pretending for society.
Before she could reply, Eric appeared in the doorway.
“The ceremony is ready,” he said coldly.
Victoria returned to the ballroom.
A judge stood beside a ceremonial table holding a marriage contract. Cameras flashed as the room fell silent.
“Miss Victoria Jameson,” the judge announced. “Which union will you choose to secure your family legacy?”
Eric stepped forward confidently.
But Victoria lifted the golden pen and glanced toward the garden entrance.
Logan stood there in the shadows.
She took a deep breath.
“I choose the only man who told me the truth,” she said clearly. “I choose Logan Maddox.”
Gasps rippled through the ballroom.