Rylan's gaze was fixed on the marriage certificate, his eyes swirling with shock, anger, and a hint of panic he hadn't even realized was there.
He took a step forward, his tall frame trembling slightly from the intense emotional turmoil. "Tessa, tell me, this isn't true! How could you dare to do this? How could you marry someone else?"
The surrounding guests had already fallen silent.
The quiet setting made Rylan's disheveled state and my calm demeanor stand out even more starkly.
Rylan's voice suddenly lowered, "No matter how I treated you before, you always stayed by my side. You said you would always wait for me to marry you. Now that you've lost your memory, does that mean you can betray me?"
His words made me frown, a sense of absurdity welling up inside. "Wait for you to marry me? Rylan, are you out of your mind?"
My eyes brimmed with disdain. "I may not remember the past, but I know clearly that you are like a brother to me. Don't you find it ridiculous to say such things now?"
Rylan froze in place, as if he had lost all his strength, and his face instantly turned pale.
In his mind, even if I had lost my memory, I should still hold a place for him in my heart.
After all, the old me was so devotedly following him and sacrificing everything for him.
But the confusion, detachment, and contempt in my eyes were so real, as if I were looking at a raving madman.
This denial pained him more than any harsh words.
It seemed the word "brother" struck a nerve. "I am not your brother. Tessa, have you forgotten how you used to treat me? To stay by my side, you were willing to sacrifice all your dignity, crying and begging me not to send you away. You even..."
"Stop!" I interrupted him, my expression turning cold. "Rylan, can you stop? Listening to this is just disgusting."
I didn't believe a word he said. Who knew if it was a lie he concocted to stop me from marrying Aydan?
"Even if what you're saying is true, it means I was blind to the truth before, but now I've come to my senses. You're my brother in name only. There's no possibility of any other kind of relationship between us. You've never cared about me. I can feel that even with amnesia." I shrugged, taking Aydan's hand. "But none of that matters because I never cared if you cared about me."
Rylan's face turned from pale to dark.
He opened his mouth to retort but found himself at a loss for words.
He had become accustomed to my previous submissive and ingratiating behavior, accustomed to me revolving my life around him, so much so that when I finally treated him like a stranger, he was at a loss.
"I gave you the best life!" Rylan shouted, trying to awaken my memory. "Without me, you would have starved on the streets!"
"Well, I am very grateful for your past kindness." I nodded calmly, pulling a black card from Aydan's pocket and placing it into Rylan's suit pocket.
"The money on this card should be enough to repay you for taking me in back then. Now we're even. From now on, we owe each other nothing and have no further ties." I patted his pocket and stepped back.
Rylan stood stiffly in place.
He had never imagined that his past kindness would be repaid so bluntly with money, which was the greatest insult to him.
Just as he was about to argue further, Aydan stepped forward, shielding me behind him. "Alright, let's not waste time here. I'll take you to try on wedding dresses."
I nodded with a smile, leaving with him.
Rylan watched our intertwined hands, a surge of jealousy and unwillingness he had never felt before rising in his heart.
Whether it was vanity or the desire to destroy what he couldn't have, he simply couldn't bear to see me get married.
"Tessa, as long as I am around, I won't let you two have your way!" He spat out this harsh warning, his chest heaving with barely contained rage.
With that, Rylan turned sharply.
As he passed, guests stepped aside, none daring to meet his gaze.
Not until Rylan's silhouette completely disappeared did the surrounding guests dare to speak again.
I couldn't comprehend Rylan's anger and unwillingness.
In my understanding, we were merely siblings in name, and even that title was false.
I never had any feelings for him, so naturally, his emotions wouldn't affect me.
This scene felt more like an inconsequential farce.
Once Rylan's figure vanished from the banquet hall, I relaxed slightly and turned to Aydan. "Aydan, thank you for helping me out earlier."
Aydan glanced sideways at me, avoiding my eyes. "You don't have to be so polite with me. I'm your husband, and protecting you is my duty."
At the bridal shop, the staff warmly guided us to the VIP section.
A row of wedding dresses hung on the racks, each one exquisitely dazzling.
I picked up a mermaid-style wedding dress and went into the fitting room, but after putting it on, I found I couldn't zip up the back.
I was about to call for an assistant when I heard Aydan's voice from outside. "Need some help?"
I hesitated for a moment, but then I opened the door a crack. "It seems... I can't zip it up."
He pushed the door open and stood behind me.
We were very close. I could smell his faint scent, and my heart inexplicably quickened.
"All done." His voice echoed in my ears, carrying a hint of barely perceptible desire.
I turned to face him, but he quickly averted his gaze, a faint blush coloring his ears, his tone slightly awkward. "It looks great. Really suits you."
Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I suddenly felt dazed.
I stepped forward, looking up at him. "Aydan, have you known me for a long time?"
And perhaps... He liked me?
His body instantly froze, his eyes flickered for a moment, and then he regained his composure. "You'll find out eventually."
Since he didn't want to say, I didn't press further.
But my heart was beating faster and faster.
Later, when my memory returned, I learned that Aydan had known me for a long time—so long that even when I was still infatuated with Rylan, he had already secretly harbored feelings for me.
He agreed to a sham marriage with me because he was afraid I would be hurt by Rylan again.
He prepared the black card in advance to ensure I wouldn't suffer under Rylan's moral coercion.
He didn't dare to say it because he was afraid that after I regained my memory and learned about his love for me, I would mock him.
