Phalin's father was about to say something else when a new voice interrupted the tension.
"Oh my…"
Soft.
Warm.
Everyone turned.
A woman stepped forward from behind him.
Phalin's mother.
Her expression was completely different from her husband's and her daughter's. Where they carried sharpness and arrogance, she carried something gentle — almost kind.
Her eyes rested on Anamarija, studying her for a moment.
Then she smiled.
"You are absolutely beautiful," she said sincerely.
The comment seemed to confuse almost everyone around us.
"I'm very glad I finally got to meet you," she added warmly.
The silence that followed was almost shocking.
Phalin's head snapped toward her.
"Mom!" she said sharply. "What are you doing?"
Her eyes burned with irritation.
"She's nobody."
The words landed heavily in the air.
Phalin's father immediately turned toward his wife as well, his face darkening.
"This is not the time for your foolish kindness," he muttered angrily.
But Phalin's mother didn't react to either of them.
Instead, she looked at Anamarija again — and in that moment it became very clear that she was nothing like her husband or her daughter.
Where they radiated pride and hostility…
she radiated calm.
Gentleness.
And something that almost felt like quiet defiance.
She stepped closer, ignoring the looks from both Phalin and her husband.
"May I hug you?" she asked Anamarija softly.
The question was so unexpected that even the whispers around us stopped again.
For a second, Anamarija looked genuinely surprised.
Then Phalin let out a frustrated breath.
"Mother, this is ridiculous—"
But her mother didn't even look at her.
Her eyes stayed on Anamarija, patient and warm.
Simply waiting for the answer.
For a brief moment, no one moved.
The entire hall seemed to be holding its breath.
Anamarija looked at the woman in front of her, still surprised by the request. She searched her face carefully, trying to understand if there was some hidden intention behind the kindness.
But there was none.
Only warmth.
Slowly, Anamarija nodded.
"Yes," she said quietly.
Phalin let out a sharp laugh.
"You cannot be serious—"
But before she could finish, her mother had already stepped forward.
She gently wrapped her arms around Anamarija.
The hug was warm.
Not polite.
Not formal.
Real.
For a second Anamarija froze, clearly not expecting it, before slowly returning the embrace.
The reaction around us was immediate.
Whispers spread through the hall again, louder than before.
Phalin's father's face darkened with anger.
Phalin herself looked completely outraged.
"This is inappropriate," her father said sharply.
But Phalin's mother simply ignored him.
After a moment she stepped back and placed her hands gently on Anamarija's arms, looking at her with the same kind smile.
"You're stronger than they think," she said softly.
Then she leaned a little closer.
"And much kinder than this room deserves."
Behind us, Non whispered quietly,
"Well… that definitely wasn't on my bingo card today."
Taeng elbowed him lightly, trying not to laugh.
But then I felt the tension shift.
The whispers suddenly changed direction.
People weren't looking at Anamarija anymore.
They were looking past us.
Toward the stage.
I turned my head.
And that's when I saw him.
Chak.
He was standing beside Phalin.
His posture straight, his expression carefully controlled — the perfect groom everyone expected to see.
Phalin's hand rested lightly on his arm.
But Chak wasn't looking at the guests.
He wasn't looking at the decorations.
He wasn't even looking at his bride.
His eyes were locked on Anamarija.
The tension in the hall shifted the moment Chak's eyes met Anamarija's.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Then Anamarija took a step forward.
Kit and Taeng instinctively made space for her as she walked past them. The whispers followed her again, but she didn't slow down.
Her eyes stayed on Chak.
Chak didn't move either.
He simply watched her approach.
When she finally reached him, the two of them stood face to face for a brief moment.
Then Chak pulled her into an embrace.
The reaction from the crowd was immediate — shocked murmurs, quiet gasps, people leaning toward each other to whisper.
But Chak didn't seem to care.
His arms tightened slightly around her as if the rest of the room didn't exist.
Anamarija returned the hug without hesitation.
For a moment, it felt like everything else disappeared.
Then she slowly pulled back.
When she turned her head, her eyes met Phalin's.
Phalin's expression was ice cold.
Her lips curved into a sharp smile.
"Intruder," she said.
The word was quiet, but the hostility in it was unmistakable.
For a second the space between them grew completely silent.
Then Anamarija smiled.
Not angry.
Not offended.
Almost amused.
"Drama princess," she replied calmly.
For a moment, Phalin looked stunned.
Then a few quiet laughs escaped from the people standing behind Anamarija.
Taeng tried to hide his grin.
Kit looked away, clearly amused.
And Non nodded approvingly.
"Accurate," he muttered.
That was when the laughter spread a little more through the group — small, quiet, but impossible to hide.
The small wave of laughter only made the tension sharper.
Phalin's smile disappeared instantly.
Her eyes narrowed at Anamarija.
"You think this is funny?" she asked coldly.
Anamarija tilted her head slightly.
"Only a little."
Another quiet chuckle escaped from Non behind her.
Phalin's father looked like he was about to explode, but Chak's mother stepped forward before he could say anything.
"That's enough," she said calmly.
The authority in her voice cut through the room like a knife.
Everyone fell quiet again.
Chak slowly released Anamarija, but he didn't step far away. He stayed close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
Phalin noticed.
Her fingers tightened slightly around his arm.
"You seem very comfortable," she said to Anamarija.
Anamarija simply smiled.
"I usually am."
A few guests exchanged amused looks.
Phalin clearly wasn't used to someone answering her like this.
Then Chak's mother spoke again, her tone polite but firm.
"We have guests waiting and a ceremony to begin."
Her gaze shifted briefly between Chak and Anamarija.
"So perhaps we should all remember why we're here."
For a moment no one moved.
Then Chak finally spoke.
His voice was calm.
"Yes," he said.
But his eyes moved briefly toward Anamarija again.
"Let's begin."
Across the hall, guests slowly started returning to their seats.
The whispers continued, but now they carried a different tone.
Curiosity.
Anticipation.
Everyone in the room could feel it.
Something was about to happen.
And this wedding…
was already far from normal.
As the guests slowly began moving toward their seats, the noise of the hall returned — softer now, controlled, like everyone was pretending nothing unusual had happened.
But my chest still felt tight.
All I wanted was a moment with Chak.
Just one.
A quiet second away from the whispers, the expectations, the eyes watching us from every direction.
I didn't know how to ask for it.
Didn't know how to reach him without making it obvious.
So I just looked at him.
Hoping.
Silently wishing he would understand what I couldn't say out loud.
That I needed him.
That I wanted him close.
That everything felt too heavy without his touch.
We walked toward the last row of seats with the others.
And then—
I felt someone lightly brush their fingers against my hand.
I turned.
Chak.
He didn't look at me directly, didn't slow his steps, didn't change his expression.
But his touch lingered for half a second longer than necessary.
A quiet signal.
My heart jumped.
I turned to our friends. "I'm going to the restroom," I said casually.
They all looked at me.
Then at Chak.
And instantly understood.
Non gave the smallest nod.
Taeng hid a smile.
Kit just looked away politely.
I slipped out quietly.
My steps were quick but controlled as I made my way down the corridor until I reached the familiar door.
Construction work.
I opened it and stepped inside.
The moment the door closed behind me, the noise of the wedding faded.
And there he was.
Waiting.
I smiled the second I saw him.
"How did you know I wanted you?" I asked softly.
Chak stepped closer.
"You're my husband," he said gently. "I know what you want."
My chest tightened.
I moved into his arms without hesitation, hugging him tightly, breathing him in like I needed air.
Then I kissed him.
Soft.
Grateful.
"I'm sorry," I whispered against his lips. "You had to walk away from everything because of me."
Chak pulled back just enough to look at me.
"You are the most important," he said firmly.
Then he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.
"We should go back," he murmured.
"Just a little longer," I pleaded quietly.
His expression softened.
"Every hour," he promised, brushing his thumb gently along my cheek, "I'll take time for you."
I smiled.
Leaning in, I pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
And for a moment—
the wedding,
the guests,
the pressure,
the power—
all of it disappeared.
I slipped out of the room quietly and made my way back to the hall.
The closer I got, the louder the wedding sounds became again — soft music, polite laughter, the constant murmur of important conversations happening in every corner.
I took a steady breath and stepped inside.
And that's when I noticed them.
Orasa.
Vikran.
And Chak's mother.
They were standing together near one of the tall floral arrangements, deep in conversation. Orasa was speaking with elegant confidence, her posture straight, her smile practiced — the kind meant for high society gatherings.
Then she turned.
Her eyes landed on me.
"Oh," she said lightly. "Good thing your girlfriend Bella isn't here."
I blinked.
My girlfriend…?
For a second I just stood there, confused.
Then it clicked.
Bella.
Anamarija.
Orasa still thought Bella was my girlfriend.
I opened my mouth to correct her—
But before I could say anything, Orasa's gaze shifted past me.
She froze.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Bella!" she called out. "Come here."
Across the hall, Anamarija stopped walking.
She looked around once, unsure.
Then she pointed at herself.
Me?
Kit leaned closer to her and muttered quietly, "She thinks you're Bella."
Anamarija sighed softly under her breath.
Of course.
Taeng tried to hide a smile. Non looked openly entertained.
Together, we started walking toward them.
With every step closer, I could feel it again—
The whispers.
Guests leaning toward each other.
Eyes following us.
Curiosity spreading like perfume in the air.
By the time we reached Orasa, Chak's mother, and Vikran…
The murmuring around us had grown impossible to ignore.