EMMA POV
The brush touched my cheek. Cold.
The mirror showed a stranger. A bride. Pale. Still.
Clara stood behind me, fixing the veil. Her hands shook.
"You look beautiful, Emma," she said.
I looked at her. "Beautiful? I look like someone about to die."
Her voice softened. "Don't say that. You're doing this for Sophia."
My chest tightened. "I know. It doesn't help."
Clara leaned closer. "I spoke to him. Ethan. He refused to listen."
My eyes lifted. "You spoke to him?"
She nodded. "I begged him to stop this. He said, there's no going back."
I stared at myself. The white dress. The tidy hair. The wet eyes. A perfect shell. Empty inside.
"Clara, I'm scared."
Her hands rested on my shoulders. "You'll survive this. Sophia will wake up. We'll leave after that."
Her words were thin but warm. I held them.
The door opened. A guard appeared. "It's time."
Clara caught my arm. "Wait." She fixed the necklace on my neck. "Keep it close. Remember why you're here."
I nodded.
"Don't let him see you break," she said.
Her voice stayed in my head. My legs felt heavy. My heart had no strength.
In the hallway, I heard voices from the hall ahead. My hands shook. Clara held them still.
"Emma," she said. "Look at me."
I looked.
"You've always been strong," she said. "You carry pain without complaint. You'll survive this too."
A tear fell. "I don't feel strong."
"Strength is choice," she said. "You choose to save your sister."
I nodded.
The music started. Soft. Empty.
Clara squeezed my hand. "Go."
I breathed. Straightened my back. Walked forward.
Each step felt like loss.
At the altar, my vision blurred.
Only one name filled my mind.
Sophia.
ETHAN POV
The tie pressed against my throat. I loosened it, but the weight stayed.
The mirror showed a stranger. Steady eyes. Sharp suit. No trace of fear.
That was who they needed to see. Not the son craving his father's nod. Not the man about to ruin his life.
Adrian leaned on the wall, arms crossed. "You look like you're going to war, not a wedding."
He was right.
"This isn't about vows," I said, fixing my cufflinks. "It's about power."
"Power?" he asked. "You mean the company."
I met his eyes. "My father is fading. The board is watching. Lucas is hungry. I won't let him take what's mine."
Adrian's tone dropped. "Lucas isn't your enemy."
"He's my rival," I said. "He always has been."
Adrian sighed. "So will you, it seems."
He stepped closer. "You're marrying Emma to protect your position. What happens when she learns that?"
"She won't," I said. "And if she does, nothing changes. This is business."
Adrian's stare was sharp. "She's not a deal, Ethan. She's human."
I brushed my sleeve. "You talk like a boy. Feelings don't build empires."
He shook his head. "Lies don't hold them together either."
I clenched my jaw. He didn't understand. My father still looked at me like I was a shadow of Lucas. Years of work meant nothing. This wedding would force him to see me.
"I'm not greedy," I said. "I'm tired of being overlooked."
Adrian's voice softened. "He wants you to stop fighting him. That's all."
I met his gaze. "If I stop, I lose. He'll hand everything to Lucas."
"You're chasing something you'll never find this way," Adrian said.
"Maybe," I said. "But I'll have the power to make him listen."
He paused. "And Emma? What is she to you?"
"A key," I said.
Adrian's eyes hardened. "You'll regret that."
"Maybe," I said. "But not now."
I turned to leave. The room felt tight.
Adrian spoke behind me. "Be careful. Power doesn't make you strong. It makes you cold."
I stopped at the door. "Cold keeps you alive," I said, and walked out to meet my bride.