My Lawfully Wedded Groom

LUNETH

I stood outside the presidential suite, my stomach coiled into knots. Some part of me already knew-my fiancé and my stepsister were tangled together behind that door. But knowing and seeing were two very different things.

With each step closer, I prayed I was wrong. That this life would be different. The cruel previous life was nothing more than a nightmare. But then-moans. Breathless, shameless cries. The kind that left no room for doubt.

Nothing changed even if I was reborn.

I swallowed hard, forcing down the fury swelling in my throat. Anger burned hottest, so fierce it threatened to spill over as tears. My gaze swept the gilded hallway, the opulence now a cruel joke.

Kellan Moreaux had insisted we marry here, at the historic Carlisle Hotel. "A love as timeless as these walls," he'd said.

Had he been laughing at me the whole time?

Our love was timeless-yet he dared betray me on our wedding day? I swiped at my cheeks, smearing away the tears. No. I wouldn't cry over a man like him.

The key trembled in my hand as I unlocked the door. Inside, a massive portrait of us-Kellan and me, all staged smiles-hung mockingly above the bed. And there, writhing in the sheets, were Kellan and Melissa. So lost in each other, they didn't even notice me-until I slammed my palm against the center table.

Kellan jerked upright, scrambling for his pants, his face flushing crimson. But Melissa? She just arched her back, propping herself up on one elbow, lips curling like this was exactly where she wanted to be.

"Luneth?" She feigned surprise, pressing a manicured hand to her mouth in a poor imitation of shock. "Oops." Her eyes gleamed, locked onto mine, daring me to react. "We must've gotten. carried away."

I bared my teeth. "Like a bitch in heat."

Her smile didn't waver.

Because this was what she planned. To ruin my wedding and take my place.

"How dare you?" Kellan's voice was a venomous snarl as he fumbled with his pants, still half-undressed. "Who the hell do you think you are, speaking to her like that?"

I rolled my eyes, biting back the fury simmering beneath my skin.

Of course she wanted Kellan. That much was obvious. In my past life, I'd seen exactly what she was willing to do to have him-the lies, the schemes, the betrayal. It had never been about love.

No, Melissa craved the title of Mrs. Moreaux, the power that came with my position. And now, even in this new life, she was the same. Still reaching for what was mine.

They'd murdered me once. Poison. Her idea, her plan-Kellan had just been the spineless fool following orders.

With a self-satisfied smirk playing on her lips, Melissa shifted into a more comfortable position, her gaze locking onto mine as if she had already claimed victory in this battle of wits.

Little did she know, her triumph was destined to be short-lived.

With the memories of my past life still vivid, I knew all too well the true nature of Kellan – a mere pawn in the grand scheme of the Moreaux empire, unworthy of the pedestal she had placed him upon.

Yet, why should I tell her the truth? It was not my burden to bear, to impede her from treading the path of her own undoing. Not after all she had done to me.

I turned to take my leave, dismissing the need for further discourse. However, the door swung open, and the Moreaux family stormed in like a pack of wolves scenting blood. I suppressed a sigh. This day just kept getting worse.

"You insolent little brat," Tema, Kellan's mother, spat, her gaze slicing over me with familiar contempt. "Where do you think you're going?"

She'd always hated me. And for the first time, I felt nothing but icy relief-because soon, I'd be free of her forever.

"Oh, I'm the brat?" I arched a brow. "But your son-the one who was just tangled up with my sister in bed-he's some kind of saint?"