Carrying the CEO's Only Heir

My stylist placed the final pin in my hair, making sure everything was secure and would hold perfectly throughout the ceremony. Once they were done, I remained seated, quietly gazing at my reflection in the mirror.

The woman staring back at me was the very image I had dreamed of as a little girl—flawless, radiant, and glowing with love. This was exactly how I had always imagined this moment would be.

All around me, stylists and bridesmaids bustled about, showering me with compliments on how perfect I looked. I smiled, grateful for their kind words. Then, my thoughts wandered—how did I get here? How did a love story I once thought belonged only in fairytales become my reality?

Gideon, my fiancé, has been in my life since childhood. Our families have always been close—my family and the Crosss are bound not just by friendship, but by strong business ties. We had known for years that our parents had arranged for us to marry, hoping to preserve the relationship between our companies.

As we grew up, Gideon always made me feel safe and cherished. He was my sanctuary in a world that constantly demanded perfection from me. Because of that, the idea of marrying him never felt like a burden. In fact, it felt like a dream coming true—marrying Gideon Cross was always part of the life I wanted.

A gentle tap pulled me from my thoughts—it was my wedding planner.

“Miss Virell, your father is asking for you. And…” She hesitated before continuing, “I can’t seem to find Mr. Cross anywhere. But I’m sure he’s just around.”

“Oh… alright. Thank you,” I replied, forcing a smile as I stood up.

Wearing my silk robe and wedding slippers, I decided to step out of the room for a bit, just to clear my head. I needed a few moments to myself before stepping into this new chapter of my life.

Our family owns the luxurious banquet hall where the wedding will be held. The building has three levels—the top floor is a boutique hotel with ten rooms, the middle floor houses the banquet hall, and the lower level features an underground bar. On the rooftop, there’s a small garden filled with all my favorite flowers. My mother and I planted them together.

I walked slowly down the corridor, taking a deep breath as I made my way through the empty aisle. I passed by the groom’s suite—it was completely deserted. No best man, no wedding planner, not even a tuxedo jacket in sight. Just silence.

I brushed it off with a shrug and continued walking toward the rooftop.

As I got closer, an unexplainable heaviness settled in my chest. My heart began to pound uncontrollably, and my hand trembled as I reached for the antique brass doorknob. I hesitated for a moment, then slowly pushed the door open.

My legs weakened beneath me, and my heartbeat grew louder, more frantic. My breath hitched in my throat.

And there—on the velvet chaise, tangled in cream-colored sheets and flushed with desire—lay Gideon and Lilith, my beloved stepsister.

His shirt was unbuttoned. Her dress was bunched around her waist. They hadn’t noticed me at first—too consumed by each other to realize they were no longer alone.

Then Lilith’s eyes lifted—and met mine.

“Oh,” she whispered, the single word slicing through the air like a blade.

Gideon turned to look at me, startled. “Astrid—” he said, my name thick with guilt and panic. But he didn’t know what to say next.

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t.

I stood frozen, too stunned to speak, too broken to cry. Not a single tear fell from my eyes. I just stared at them.

Blankly.

As if the entire world around me had shattered into a thousand pieces, and I couldn’t even begin to figure out which one to pick up first.

I blinked once. Then again. As if, somehow, blinking might erase the scene before me.

But it didn’t.

“Say something!” Gideon cried, pulling away in a rush.

But there was nothing left to say.

There was a noticeable rise in his voice—just enough to reveal his frustration and shame. As if I were the one interrupting something sacred.

Lilith hastily pulled her dress down, trying to cover herself. Her lips curled into a strange expression—something between pity and triumph.

“Astrid, it’s not what it looks like,” she said, but the falseness in her voice was unmistakable.

“Then please,” I said, my voice cracking, “please, tell me what exactly it is.”

“You don’t understand, Astrid—this isn’t about you,” Gideon said as he stood, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt.

This isn’t about me?

“W–what? What do you mean by that?” My voice trembled, my hands trembling along with it.

“I loved you, Seb... I gave you everything. I was ready to give up everything for you—” But I couldn’t finish.

He cut me off with the most gut-wrenching words I had ever heard from him.

“I never asked for any of that, Mara. And… I was only using you for your money.”

He paused, then looked me up and down before continuing.

“Look at you—I don’t even love you. Do you really think someone could fall in love with someone as pathetic as you? People only love your money, not y—”

“Enough!” I shouted, stepping back, my voice shaking with every syllable. It felt like I had used the last ounce of strength in me just to say that one word.

I felt completely drained. There was a lump in my throat, and my chest felt unbearably heavy.

Then I heard footsteps behind me—heavy and sure. I turned around.

It was my father.

“Dad...” My voice cracked again.

“They—”

“I know,” he said, cutting me off. He glanced around the room, at Gideon, at Lilith. But when his gaze returned to me, his expression gave no comfort. Only a warning.

“This wedding will proceed whether you like it or not,” he said with firm finality.

“E–excuse me? What?!” I stood frozen in disbelief.

“You will walk down that aisle, fulfill what’s expected of you, and you will not embarrass this family,” he said in a low but commanding tone—calm, but sharp enough to cut through me like a blade.

“You can’t be serious, Dad. He cheated on me—with her!” I could feel the corners of my eyes burning.

“And what? You want to cancel the wedding now? With half the nation's elite waiting in that hall? Are you prepared to be branded spoiled and unstable by tomorrow’s headlines?!” he hissed.

I shook my head—not in agreement, but in disbelief.

“Then swallow your pride. Smile. Sign the papers. Fulfill your obligation.”

His words hit me like a slap of cruel reality. My vision blurred with tears. I slowly turned away. I couldn’t bear another second in that room. Without another word, I ran—ran as fast as I could.

Makeup smudged. Heart in ruins. Still in my bridal robe, wearing nothing but slippers—I stormed into the banquet hall. Conversations halted. All eyes turned to me as I stood under the harsh spotlight. I took a breath, trembling.

“I, Astrid Virell, am calling this wedding off.”

A wave of gasps and murmurs swept through the room like a storm. I saw my father pushing through the crowd, his face a mixture of panic and fury—but I didn’t stop.

“This celebration of love and commitment was built on betrayal. I just learned that the trust was already shattered—long before any vows could be made.”

My voice shook, but I stood firm. Letting the weight of my words settle across the sea of stunned faces, I continued:

“I thank you all for your time, your support, and your presence. But I’d rather be remembered as a runaway bride… than live the rest of my life as a foolish wife.”

The grandeur of the hall fell into chaos. Gasps turned to uneasy chatter, and then—

She appeared.

Lilith.

She walked in like a queen entering her court—her gaze triumphant, not an ounce of remorse on her face. The audacity burned through her like perfume.

She sauntered toward Gideon, the sound of her stilettos echoing with an almost theatrical command over the silence. She stopped beside him, rested her hand on his arm with an air of possession, and faced the room as if this was her moment.

“With the truth now in the open,” she said, “it’s only right that someone truly deserving takes her place. Why waste a dress, a ring, and a future… on silence and shame?”

The crowd leaned in, waiting for her next move.

She smiled.

“So I, Lilith Virell—stepsister of the bride—will marry him. What’s done is done. And tonight, I claim what is rightfully mine.”

The room erupted. Not in horror—but in applause. Cheers. Like they’d been rooting for this from the beginning. Like I was the problem, the inconvenience that almost ruined this so-called perfect ending.

I turned my back on them.

On all of them.

My chest felt like it was caving in. Like my stomach had been twisted into a cruel knot. Not a single person tried to stop me. Not my father. Not Gideon. Not even those who once claimed they loved me.

They didn’t care why I walked away.

They only cared that someone else took my place and the show could go on.

And when the door finally closed behind me—I was no longer the bride.

I was the scandal.

The remnants of the girl I used to be—discarded along with my bridal robe, left in a stranger’s trash bin like yesterday’s mistake. In her place, I slipped into a black dress. Tight. Not too short. Too loud for mourning. But perfect for forgetting.

I didn’t want to cry anymore. I just wanted to disappear.

Somehow, I ended up in our old underground bar—a subterranean hideout drenched in dim lighting and artificial warmth. I sat alone, facing a half-empty bottle of champagne like it owed me answers.

Low music pulsed faintly through the room. Strangers laughed, drinks clinked. The scent of woodsmoke and whiskey floated in the air—inviting, numbing. It felt like a lullaby written for people trying to forget.

I lost count of how many shots I’d taken. The dizziness had set in. My vision blurred at the edges.

That’s when I saw him.

Dark suit. Loosened tie. Sleeves casually rolled. He sat just a few feet away, alone as well. Watching me—not unkindly, not