marked by midnight: the enemy's heiress-Chapter 61 : Before the aisle

The night wore on. They slept, but they could not really sleep, and somehow the next morning arrived anyway.

She woke to the sound of everyone already working. Her mom was up and moving around, his parents were awake and organized as usual, and Livia was already too busy at the venue site directing everything personally. Ryan was attending calls from guests, sharing locations and answering questions, making sure no one got lost.

The house felt alive before she had even left the bed.

A little while later, he walked in with two coffees in his hands.

"Wake up, princess. It’s going to be a big day."

He put the coffee on the nightstand and sat on the bed beside her. The mattress dipped slightly under his weight. She pushed herself up slowly and took the cup, sipping it while looking out the window, as if something big was about to change. The sunlight felt different this morning, heavier somehow, like it was marking the beginning of something permanent.

"Uhh... I don’t feel like moving out of the bed," she said teasingly, her voice soft and lazy.

"What did you say?" he chuckled, turning toward her.

She kept her expression innocent, taking another slow sip.

"You little tease," he said, shaking his head. "If you don’t get up, I’ll take you to the shower myself and wash every inch of you properly."

He smirked.

"And it comes with dangers, you know."

She raised a brow slightly. "Dangers?"

"Very serious ones," he replied smoothly. "We might forget the time completely."

She kept the cup in her hand lazily, acting nonchalant, as if none of this affected her at all. But inside, she was anything but calm. Her heart was racing, excitement bubbling just beneath the surface.

She stretched slowly, arms lifting above her head, and that was it. Cassian could not take it anymore. In one swift movement, he leaned forward and lifted her off the bed.

"Hey, why, what? You can’t just—" she started, startled, gripping his shoulders.

"I can," he replied easily. "And trust me, I can do more than this."

She stared at him, half shocked, half trying not to laugh as he carried her toward the bathroom. He set her down once they stepped inside, but he did not move away immediately.

"Now, princess..." His fingers traced lightly along her jaw before he pulled her gently closer, her body warm and flushed against his. "You can shower yourself, or you can let my magical fingers do wonders. Your call."

He whispered the last part near her ear, his breath warm against her skin.

A shiver ran down her spine.

"I’m washing just fine," she said quickly, trying to steady her voice.

She pushed against his chest lightly. "Just get out, Mr. Draymond."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

"Okay, calm down, soon to be Mrs. Draymond," he said with a wink before stepping back toward the door.

He walked out, closing it behind him.

She stood there for a second, exhaling slowly.

"God help me, I’m marrying that man," she muttered under her breath. "I really chose danger, didn’t I?"

The smile that curved on her lips betrayed her completely.

She took her time in the shower, letting the warm water calm her racing thoughts. Each second felt surreal. This was really happening. Not a rehearsal. Not a pretense. Not something arranged for appearances. This was real.

When she finally stepped out and got dressed in something comfortable, she walked downstairs. The house looked different now—flowers being carried in, fabric steamed and hung properly, small decorative pieces arranged with careful precision. Staff moved in and out with purpose.

She stepped outside to check on Livia, who was currently directing the decoration team with surprising authority.

"Hi, sissy, you’re up," Livia said quickly, barely pausing as she handed a box of florals to one of the staff members. "No, no—those go to the left side of the arch. Yes, that one."

"Well, yes, I’m up," she replied with a small laugh.

Livia finally turned fully toward her, eyes softening.

"It’s going to be my sister’s wedding," she said, her voice thickening slightly. "A real one this time. I’m so happy for you, sissy."

She pulled her into a tight hug, squeezing her as if she didn’t want to let go.

She hugged her back just as tightly. "Thank you."

Livia pulled away, studying her face carefully. "You look calm."

"I’m trying to be."

"You don’t have to try," Livia said gently. "You deserve this. All of it."

The words settled somewhere deep in her chest.

"Now go get ready," Livia added, slipping back into her efficient tone. "The hairstylist and makeup artist will arrive any minute."

She glanced toward the entrance, already thinking three steps ahead.

"I’ll get you dressed if you want," Livia offered. "I don’t trust anyone else with that."

She smiled. "Of course you will. I wouldn’t let anyone else do it."

Livia grinned, satisfied. "Good. Today, everything has to be perfect."

As she stood there, taking in the flowers, the movement, the soft rush of preparation around her, her phone buzzed in her hand.

A message notification popped up.

Adrian.

Her stomach tightened before she even opened it.

Adrian:

So you really are this desperate?

Out of all the men in the world, you chose him. Our family’s rival.

How pathetic.

Do you have any idea how stupid this makes you look? Or do you just not care anymore?

You’re not in love. You’re obsessed. And you’re too blind to see you’re being played.

Dad warned you. I warned you. But you always think you know better.

If you walk down that aisle, don’t call me your brother anymore. I won’t stand next to you while you disgrace our name.

Go ahead. Marry him. But don’t come crying when it all falls apart, because it will.

Her fingers went cold.

The words blurred for a second.

It wasn’t the insult toward him that hurt the most. It wasn’t even the rivalry being brought up again. It was the final line. The quiet threat wrapped inside it.

Her phone slipped from her hand and fell onto the floor.

She stared at it.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

It wasn’t because her brother had spoken against the man she loved. It was because her brother was against her.

Livia noticed immediately.

"Hey—" she rushed over, kneeling in front of her. "What happened?"

She didn’t answer right away. She just handed her the phone.

Livia read the message, her expression hardening.

"Oh, please," Livia muttered. "He doesn’t matter."

"He’s my brother," she whispered.

"He’s being a mean idiot," Livia corrected firmly. "He still thinks that rivalry is some kind of sacred war. That was their generation. Not ours."

She wiped her sister’s tear gently.

"In this generation, families meet. People move on. Business rivalries don’t decide marriages anymore."

She shook her head.

"And forget about Dad for a second. Yes, both of them are against it right now. But they’ll understand when they see you happy. When they see this isn’t about ego or pride."

Her voice softened.

"It’s about you."

She held her shoulders gently.

"You love him. He loves you. That’s it. That’s what matters."

Another tear slipped down, but this one wasn’t as heavy.

"It’ll be okay," Livia said with quiet certainty. "Let them be dramatic. Let them hold on to old grudges. You don’t have to."

She gave her a small, encouraging smile.

"Today is your day. Not Adrian’s. Not Dad’s. Yours."

And slowly, she nodded, trying to steady her breathing, trying to hold onto that truth.

"Fine." She turned away, lifting her chin. "It’s my day. No one is going to ruin it."

With that, Mira went to get dressed.

She slipped into a beautiful champagne-colored mermaid gown that shimmered softly with tiny beads and crystals. The sweetheart neckline fit her perfectly, shaping her figure with quiet elegance, while a sheer cape rested gently over her shoulders and flowed into a long, light train behind her. She looked graceful, radiant, and truly breathtaking.

Just as she adjusted the fall of the cape, Livia stepped in from behind — and froze.

Her eyes widened dramatically. "Oh. My. God."

Mira turned slightly. "What?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"You look ’illegurl’. " Livia gasped, placing a hand over her heart in exaggerated shock. "This is not fair. How is anyone supposed to function today?"

Mira felt her cheeks warm instantly. "Stop it."

"I’m serious!" Livia rushed closer, gently lifting the edge of the train and spreading it perfectly behind her. "Cassian is going to forget his own name."

She carefully adjusted the bodice, smoothing the fabric and fixing the fall of the cape so it sat flawlessly on her shoulders.

"There," Livia said softly, stepping back to admire her work. "Now you look like the main character you are."

Mira tried to hide her smile, but the blush on her face gave her away.

On the other side, Cassian got ready.

He slipped into his black tuxedo, perfectly fitted, every line sharp, every fold in place. The satin lapels caught the light just right, and the crisp white shirt with the black bow tie made him look... well, exactly how he knew he looked: unstoppable.

He leaned in front of the mirror, one brow raised. "Yep. Still perfect." He smoothed a lapel, then checked his profile. "Mira’s gonna lose it. Honestly, who wouldn’t?"

A small smirk appeared. "Not everyone gets this much charm in one package... lucky girl." He adjusted his bow tie again, because one check was never enough. "Okay, fine... I might actually be the best thing in the room today."

And just like that, calm, collected, and entirely aware of it, Cassian nodded at his reflection. "Perfection. As always."