Anika Damon preferred Fiora. It was only because Mathew was saved by Aurelie, leaving her blind, that she had to accept that her future daughter-in-law wouldn't be Fiora.
In Anika's eyes, Aurelie's blindness wasn't the only thing that made her worthless, but she was also useless, being just an Omega without an inner wolf.
Even her appearance was rustic and unattractive, leading Anika to often curse Mathew's misfortune.
That's why, to show her dissatisfaction, Anika deliberately sent Aurelie a pink bridesmaid dress instead of a real wedding dress.
She took advantage of Aurelie's blindness, confident that Aurelie wouldn't realize that the pink dress wasn't a real wedding dress.
She wanted to embarrass Aurelie on her wedding day so that, once she became part of the Damon family as a daughter-in-law, she wouldn't dare mess around.
Several servants in the house witnessed the commotion between Aurelie and Anika.
They were surprised, because it was unusual for Aurelie to be as rude and fierce as she was towards Anika.
Then, they saw the pink wedding dress in Aurelie's hands and began whispering among themselves.
"That's not the wedding dress Ms. Aurelie is supposed to wear. That's a bridesmaid's dress!"
"Shhh, don't interfere. That fierce Mrs. Anika will scold you if she finds out you made that comment."
"Poor Ms. Aurelie. She'll look like a bridesmaid, and if the guests bully her, she'll be the one to blame."
"I think Mrs. Anika did it on purpose. You know she doesn't like Ms. Aurelie, right?"
Aurelie's keen hearing caught every word with crystal clear clarity.
She sat on the chair, hugging the bridesmaid's dress, and heard familiar footsteps coming down from the second floor.
"Tch, annoying!" Fiora grumbled. She grabbed Mathew's face and planted a kiss on his lips before leaving.
Matthew straightened his clothes and approached Aurelie. "Hey, honey, why are you sitting here alone? I was looking for you."
Aurelie didn't move. "I didn't know you were looking for me. I thought you were just busy talking to someone else."
Matthew reached out, took Aurelie's hand, and squeezed it gently. Aurelie felt disgusted, smelling Fiora's strong perfume clinging to Mathew. She pulled her hand away and sighed.
"Is this the wedding dress you're going to wear tomorrow?" Mathew asked. "It's beautiful. The color suits you."
Aurelie wanted to vomit because of Mathew's scent. She let go of her fiancé's embrace and stepped away, approaching the door to the attic.
"I need to rest for a while, Mathew. Sorry I can't take you out. My head is spinning," Aurelie said.
She didn't wait for Mathew to answer and left.
The next day, Mathew took Aurelie to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
"Are you two going to register your marriage?" the registrar asked.
Matthew glanced at Aurelie, who was standing a distance away, and whispered, "I'm just dropping off my sister. She's blind. The groom is a little late, but he'll be here soon. Just write down their names. Aurelie Shane Lyman and Vincent Alexander Keagan."
"That Vincent Keagan?" asked the registrar.
"Yes, THAT Vincent Keagan," snapped Mathew.
Vincent Alexander Keagan is the sole heir to the famous hereditary aristocratic and millionaire family in America and Europe, The Keagan family.
He is a dominant Alpha, of the highest class, just like his father, Caleb Keagan XI, a respected naval general.
General Caleb Keagan was highly respected not only because of his loyalty to the country, but also because he was known for his courage and decisiveness.
The general's busy schedule made him neglect his only son's upbringing, especially after his wife died when their son was less than a year old.
Lonely and with all the luxurious amenities he had, Vincent grew up with a rebellious streak.
Vincent was a tough man, and many said he was cruel, oppressive, and unruly. He was notorious and feared in the city of Caraseen.
However, he was incredibly handsome, above average height, and well-built, with buttery skin and near-perfect facial features.
His eyes were caramel-colored, turning golden in the light. He had a sharp nose, a sharp jawline, and thin, bow-shaped lips.
His appearance caused many women to struggle with whether to hate or love him.
Furthermore, in addition to his wealthy family, Vincent was also a perfumery entrepreneur, the same industry as Mathew, making the two men business rivals.
She thought that the "Soul Caller" scent she had been searching for, convinced it would awaken her inner wolf, might be found in Vincent's perfume formula.
So, she pretended not to know about Mathew's scheme and sat quietly waiting for Vincent to arrive.
Nearly an hour later, Vincent arrived in a grand fashion, driving a brand-new black sports car, with a convoy of Betas and Gammas trailing behind him in other luxury cars.
They were quite striking, especially when Vincent entered the Bureau office, his handsome and charismatic appearance.
"Sir, don't be in such a hurry," said Gary Dornick, his Beta assistant. "You don't want to pick up the wrong bride."
"Tsk! I don't care about that. What's important is that my father keeps quiet about my life and his insistence that I marry," Vincent snapped.
Vincent glanced around and his eyes fixed on Aurelie, who sat quietly, staring straight ahead.
"What took you so long?" Mathew rebuked, annoyed, almost whispering. "And why do you have to be so obvious?"
Vincent snorted sarcastically. He pointed at Mathew's chest, who was shorter than him, with his index finger.
"Don't try to control me, Damon! You owe me, and this agreement was agreed upon when you begged me at the gambling table to forgive your debt in exchange for that blind bride," Mathew said firmly.
"She'll realize it's not me who's marrying her," Mathew whispered. "I can't marry her because the one I love is her sister. And you don't care who you marry because you only want to avenge your father, right?"
While the two men were usually at odds, this was the first time they were in complete agreement, despite their selfishness.
During the wedding registration photo session, Aurelie realized that the man beside her wasn't Mathew.
He was taller and bigger. He also smelled very different from Mathew's, which had been contaminated by Fiora's scent.
Mathew's scent was a blend of bitter cloves, tart bergamot, and a sharp oud note. Sometimes, when he sweated, the scent became overpowering and dizzying.
As for Vincent, Aurelie tried to process it in her mind for a moment. It was the fresh, sweet scent of pineapple, then after a little more than three seconds, a soft scent of lavender and geranium, and then a masculine cedarwood and white musk.
For some reason, Vincent's scent was pleasant.
Aurelie was calm and cooperative throughout the process. She followed all instructions without saying a word.
This attitude attracted Vincent to her. He sensed a faint smile in Aurelie's blind eyes.
Vincent thought Aurelie was naive, unaware that she had been "sold" by her own husband-to-be.
"Come on, Aurel, you have to sign this marriage certificate quickly so the process can be over," Mathew said impatiently.
Aurelie laughed to herself.
If signing the document meant severing all ties with Mathew forever, she wouldn't hesitate.
Aurelie signed her signature, and Vincent did the same.
From this moment on, we are enemies, Aurelie thought to herself. Mathew Damon was a stranger to me.
Matthew took Vincent's copy of the marriage certificate and used the word "borrow" silently.
"Aurel, I'll send someone to pick you up. I have something important to take care of first," Mathew said, and left in a hurry. "We met at the house."
"How ridiculous," Vincent said, holding back laughter, watching Mathew's behavior.
He turned to Aurelie, who was standing alone, and suddenly felt pity.
"Poor thing," whispered Varn, his inner wolf. "She looks lonely. A beautiful woman wasted by a fool!"
Initially, Vincent had made a pact with Mathew that he would wait until after the wedding ceremony at the Damon home to speak with Aurelie and reveal everything.
However, seeing Aurelie now, he chose to break his promise and approach her.
"Sir, where are you going?" Gary asked, shocked.
Vincent didn't answer, standing beside Aurelie, staring at the face of the woman who had become his wife, his heart suddenly beating faster.
"Aurelie Lyman," Vincent said. "Do you know who I am?"
