Helena only snapped out of her thoughts when the young couple disappeared from view. She exhaled softly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
They had spent five years trapped in mutual torment. Now, he had a new life, and she was about to fulfill the dream he never could. Perhaps, in the end, this was for the best.
Just as she turned to leave, the sharp-eyed shop owner called out to her.
“Helena? Is that you? You’re finally back! We just finished renovations a couple of days ago, and the sticky notes you and Rafael put up fell off. Would you like to rewrite yours?”
She froze, staring at the note in her hand.
[Helena and Rafael will always be together.]
That was what they had written together, once upon a time. But now, her name had been violently scratched out and replaced with Kaylee.
A sharp sting pricked at her nose, and before she could stop it, her eyes reddened.
So, he wanted to erase even their past. Just like how they could never go back.
Shaking her head, Helena refused the offer. Instead, she carefully pressed the note back onto the wall—then turned and walked away.
—
The next morning, Maeve dropped Helena off at the airport, her eyes were red-rimmed.
“You better take care of yourself! Come back to see me when you can, and more than anything—live, you hear me?”
Helena smiled and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for taking me in all this time.”
“Oh, shut up with that! My home is your home,” Maeve grumbled, hugging her tightly before huffing, “I still think they got off too easy. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they pay for what they did.”
Helena shook her head. “It’s over now. From this point on, they’re nothing more than strangers.”
An announcement sounded in the distance, so Maeve reluctantly let go.
“Go on. I’ll handle your death certificate—and everything that’s rightfully yours, I’ll take back for you.”
Helena gave her a grateful smile. She took one last look at the city before turning to leave.
—
As the plane prepared for takeoff, a message suddenly popped up on her phone.
[The wedding is about to start. What kind of stunt are you trying to pull now? Get over here. Now!]
Helena stared at the screen for a moment before powering off her phone, as instructed.
She would never go back.
'Rafael—let’s never see each other again.'
—
The wedding began, but the expected figure never appeared at the entrance.
Rafael’s expression darkened as he retracted his gaze. “Forget it. Start the ceremony.”
As the wedding march played, Kaylee stepped forward in her white gown, beaming as she was placed into Rafael’s hands.
Watching everything fall into place, she smiled in triumph. She had finally, officially, become Mrs. Suarez.
“Rafael, I love you,” she murmured.
A rare softness flickered in his eyes as he held her wrist. “I love you too.”
He had finally married her.
Helena didn’t want to come? Then all the better—he would make sure she saw how grand this wedding was, how happy he was!
The ceremony concluded, and a rain of rose petals cascaded down, painting the moment in romantic splendor.
“How beautiful! Where can I find a man as devoted as President Suarez? This is making me want to get married too!”
“Congratulations to Mr. Suarez and Miss Perkins—what a perfect match!”
“Kiss! Kiss!”
Rafael chuckled, shielding Kaylee from the crowd’s eager eyes before pressing a gentle kiss on her lips.
Blushing, she leaned into his embrace, soaking in the sweet teasing of the guests before pouting slightly.
“Do you think my sister still resents me? She didn’t even give us her blessing... And without another bridesmaid, I can’t even do the bouquet toss properly...”
Rafael kissed her lips again, his voice indulgent. “She’s just being ungrateful. If you want to see her, I’ll have someone bring her here.”
He turned to his assistant, his voice commanding. “Kaylee wants Helena here. Go find her. Now.”
But before the assistant could move, a cold voice cut through the hall.
“No need. The person you’re looking for is already here.”
Almost simultaneously, the grand doors burst open.
A white-clad figure stepped inside.
Rafael’s expression twisted in annoyance before a knowing smirk flickered across his lips.
Of course. Helena must have schemed so hard to make an entrance at his wedding.
Did she really think he would cancel everything just because of her?
Tsk. How laughable.
He was about to mock her when he finally saw her.
At that instant, his breath was caught in his throat.
It wasn’t Helena.
It was Maeve.
And in her hands—she held an urn.
A sharp chill crawled up Rafael’s spine. His face paled instantly.
“What the hell is this?” His voice was tight, his teeth clenched. “Where’s Helena? What kind of joke are you playing?”
Maeve let out a cold, mocking laugh as she lifted the urn slightly.
“This is Helena.”
Rafael froze. His entire body went rigid.
No. That was impossible.
Dead? She was dead?
His mind went blank, and his chest tightened.
Unfazed by his stunned silence, Maeve stepped forward, her voice trembling with fury.
“That idiot—she gave up her own heart for you. She suffered every single day, endured your misunderstandings, got played by the Perkins family—yet you still went and married the woman who destroyed her.”
She glared at him, voice laced with venom. “Rafael, you’re truly disgusting.”
“She never abandoned you. You were the one who abandoned her. You let yourself be blinded by Kaylee.”
A deafening silence fell over the hall.
Rafael’s mind exploded, and his world collapsed.
