I was the bride who wasn't supposed to exist. When my sister fled the night before her high-profile wedding, I was forced to take her place to marry Derick Crawford, the cold, calculating billionaire whose family's political empire demanded perfection. I had to be silent, invisible, obedient. Perfect. But secrets have a way of unraveling. I've lived behind a veil of silence, hiding a voice with more power than anyone knows. A tragic accident from my past tied my hands, but now, threats loom over my life and Derick's. Mysterious calls, a blackmailer who knows too much, and a dangerous game I never agreed to play have made me a pawn in someone's deadly scheme. And then there's Derick. The man I'm supposed to despise. The man who looks at me like he's unraveling like he's starting to see the woman behind the mask. But love isn't a fairytale for people like us. With my father's life hanging in the balance and a shadow from my past threatening to destroy us both, I can't afford to fall for him. Not when I know the truth: Derick was the one who orchestrated this sham of a marriage. He's been pulling the strings all along. Now, the question isn't whether I'll lose my voice or my freedom. It's whether I'll lose my heart to the man who was never supposed to be mine. What will happen when the silent bride finally speaks?
Chapter 1 A Silent Choice
Nadia's POV
"Where is Nancy?" Like a scalpel, my mother's voice sliced through the room. Her well-groomed hand clutched the back of the dining chair as if she may break it. "This wedding is in three days, and my daughter has disappeared!"
I traced the grain of the polished hardwood table with my finger while maintaining eye contact. I also wanted to vanish, to blend like a ghost into the house's walls.
"Nadia, don't sit there and pout!" My head snapped up at her piercing tone. "Do you know where she's gone?"
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. Nancy wasn't the type to simply disappear when she had the limelight to enjoy.
"You don't, of course." With a sigh, she brushed a lock of hair away from her face. "How would you know? All you do is hide in your room or behind that damn phone."
As always, the words hurt, but I didn't wince. Instead, I reached for my phone and typed quickly:
"Have you called her friends?"
With a look of sheer frustration, my mother grabbed the phone out of my grasp and read the message. "Do you think I'm stupid? Of course, I've called her friends. None of them have seen her."
She paced the room with the elegance of someone who has lived her life demanding attention, but she ignored me when I pointed to the phone. "She has ran away." She muttered, more to herself than to me. "That inconsiderate little brat. Do you know how this will affect the reputation of our family?"
I grabbed the notepad I kept in my pocket and scribbled quickly:
"She'll come back. Nancy always does."
"She won't." When I looked up, my mother's eyes were menacing, and her voice had stopped."Do you know what Derrick Crawford's family will do if we don't deliver a bride on Saturday? Do you understand what's at stake?"
I wanted to tell her that it wasn't my problem, that Nancy had made her choices, but the words wouldn't come. They hadn't since the accident. Instead, I signed, "What do you expect me to do?"
Her eyes narrowed, and I felt sick to my stomach.
"You'll replace her."
The pen fell out of my grasp and landed on the table with a clatter.
"What?" I mouthed, but nothing came out.
"You'll be the bride." She said it as if it were the most sensible thing in the world, as if she hadn't just spoken something that completely changed my life.
"You have her build and size. No one will notice the difference if you wear a wedding veil and apply a little makeup."
I stood to back away and gave a vigorous shake of my head, but she closed the gap between us with a click of her heels on the marble floor.
"Don't you dare walk away from me, Nadia," she hissed. "You owe this family. I didn't raise you to be selfish."
Selfish. The word hit me like a slap. I stared at her, unable to believe what I was hearing.
"I'm not Nancy!"I frantically typed on my phone, shoving the screen toward her.
"No, you're not," she agreed, her voice chillingly calm now. "You're better. You don't have her... distractions. You'll do what's needed for this family without complaint. You've always been the responsible one, Nadia."
I wanted to scream and tell her how foolish she was, but I couldn't because of the silence inside of me. I grabbed the phone back instead and typed another message:
"This isn't fair. I'm not prepared for this. I don't even know Derrick!"
"You don't have to know him," she remarked sarcastically. "Love isn't the main thing in this marriage. It is about forming coalitions and protecting our future. Derrick Crawford's father's campaign needs this marriage to strengthen their reputation."
I felt the room enclose me as I gazed at her. It was more than just the walls; it was her control, her expectations, and the burden of being the "quiet one," the person who never said no.
"You're asking me to lie. To pretend to be someone I'm not."
"I'm asking you to save this family," she countered. "Do you really think we'll survive the scandal if Nancy's disappearance gets out? This is your chance to step out of her shadow, Nadia. To prove your worth."
My woeth? A hushed, empty, and bitter laugh swelled up in my chest.
I typed the only answer I could think of:
"I don't have a choice, do I?"
Then she smile with a triumphant sparkle in her eye, "I knew you'd see reason."
Instructions and fittings took up the remainder of the day. Like vultures, a group of stylists swooped down on the house, probing and prodding me until I was a perfect clone of Nancy.
"Stand up straight," one of them barked, yanking at the hem of the dress. "Nancy always carries herself with confidence."
"I'm not Nancy" I resisted the urge to sign, but what was the point? None of them would listen.
By the evening, I was emotionally and physically exhausted. Curling up on my bed, I gripped my phone tightly.
"Are you okay?"
The message from my best friend, Elise, appeared on the screen.
"No."
Almost immediately, she responded:
"What's wrong? Did your mom do something again?"
After a moment of hesitation, I typed:
"She's making me marry Nancy's fiancé."
The three dots signaling her reply blinked for what felt like an eternity before her response came:
"What? You can't be serious, Nadia. That's crazy"
"It doesn't matter. She has already made up her mind."
"But what about you? What do you want?"
It was a surprise question. What did I want? I wanted to run, to scream, to fight back. But none of that was possible.
I typed back, "It doesn't matter what I want."
She replied right away:
"Yes, it does. Nadia, you don't have to do this. You can say no."
With my fingers hanging over the keyboard, I gazed at the screen. Could I say no?
My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Without waiting for permission, my mother entered and looked around the room.
"Take a nap," she said. "We'll finish the details tomorrow. You will be flawless, Nadia. Trust me."
Trust her? I didn't trust anyone anymore.
I locked the door after she went and sank into the bed to gaze at the ceiling. I could still hear Elise's words, but they seemed like a faraway dream. For me, it was impossible to say no.
The wedding day arrived far too soon. I hardly recognized myself as I stood in front of the mirror, gazing at the stranger wearing the white outfit.
"Nadia," my mother said, her voice softer than usual. "You look beautiful."
I didn't respond. Instead, I typed a single word on my phone and showed it to her:
"Why?"
For a brief moment, her smile wavered. "Because it's what's best for everyone."
Everyone but me, I thought bitterly.
The moment weighed heavily on me when the car arrived at the opulent estate where the wedding would be held. This was more than a wedding; it was a sacrifice, a fraud, and a spectacle.
When the doors opened, the air outdoors smacked me like a slap. Reporters yelled questions, cameras flashed, and I felt like the world was closing in.
At the end of the aisle, Derick Crawford waited with an expression that was impossible to read. He was tall, strong, and threatening, just like a billionaire.
My heart thumped in my chest as I got out of the car. This was it. I no longer owned my life.
I also couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the start of a far darker story as I approached the man I hardly knew.
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