Everyone froze. The whispers died instantly, and the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Weston looked down at him coldly, his voice dripping with mockery. "Sebastian, do you think kneeling can fix everything? Nat is my treasure. I will not give her up to you."

Sebastian’s face paled even further. "Weston, I’m goddamn begging you... I don't want anything else. The projects, the land, the company—I’ll give it all to you. Just give her to me in exchange. I only want her... I only want her..."

Weston didn't respond, merely waving his hand to signal the security guards to drag him out. The guards stepped forward, grabbing Sebastian by the arms. But Sebastian gripped the floorboards with all his might, his nails nearly sinking into the wood. His voice was filled with despair. "I’m not leaving! I’m not leaving!"

Weston sneered. "Fine. If you won't leave, then stay and watch us have our wedding with your own eyes."

A swarm of guards rushed up to pin him down. He tried to struggle but couldn't break free. Sebastian could only sit in his seat, watching Natalia and Weston in agonizing pain. His heart felt as though it were bleeding, and Natalia’s words kept echoing in his ears—"I don't love you anymore, and that's a fact."

The ceremony continued. The chaplain’s voice echoed through the hall. "Weston, do you take Natalia to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?"

Weston’s voice was firm and tender. "I do."

The chaplain turned to Natalia. "Natalia, do you take Weston to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?"

Natalia’s voice was soft yet resolute. "I do."

A sound like a massive collapse rang in Sebastian’s head.

Chapter Twenty-Three

After the wedding, the guests gradually departed, leaving only a few people in the hall.

Sebastian remained slumped on the floor, the bandages on his chest soaked through with blood, yet he seemed oblivious to the pain, staring blankly ahead.

Natalia had changed out of her wedding gown into a simple white dress. She walked over to him and placed a first-aid kit gently in front of him.

"The blood has soaked through your clothes. Take care of it yourself." Her voice was calm but carried a distinct sense of distance.

Sebastian looked up, his eyes filled with agony and regret. "Nat, do you really... not love me anymore?"

Natalia said nothing, looking down at him with an unwavering gaze.

Sebastian’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed. He whispered, "Don't come to the southern city anymore. We won't be seeing each other again."

Sebastian’s face turned white. "Nat, do you really have to be this way?"

Natalia didn't answer, turning to leave. Sebastian suddenly grabbed her wrist, his voice pleading. "Nat, do you really love him? Or is it... just to get back at me?"

Natalia paused for a few seconds before saying softly, "Sebastian, I really have fallen for him. Only a lunatic would use someone else for revenge."

Sebastian’s hand fell away weakly, his heart feeling completely hollowed out.

After Natalia left, Sebastian sat on the floor, staring blankly into space. His mind was a mess, and her words kept echoing—"I really have fallen for him."

His friends walked up and patted his shoulder. "Seb, don't be like this. At least you tried."

Sebastian didn't speak. He just looked down at his hands, his eyes full of pain and regret. He knew he had lost her—lost the Natalia whose eyes used to be filled only with him. And he had brought it all upon himself.

Two years later, on an afternoon in the southern city, sunlight filtered through the curtains into a room. Natalia held her newborn daughter, a tender smile on her face. Weston sat beside her, gently holding her hand, his eyes full of doting affection.

"Nat, look. she looks just like you," Weston whispered with a smile.

Natalia looked down at her daughter and gently touched her cheek. "Yes. She has your eyes and my nose."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Weston went to answer it and found an exquisite gift box at the door with a card attached.

He checked the card, and his expression turned complex. He walked back into the room and handed the box to Natalia. "Nat, this is from Sebastian."

Natalia froze for a moment. She took the box and opened it to find a document inside. Her pupils contracted as she scanned it—it was a transfer deed for 100% of the shares of the Sebastian Group.

She picked up the card, which had only one short sentence: "I said I’d give you a surprise for your birthday. I’ve owed it to you for two years and never gave it. These shares are the gift the current me wants to give you. And underneath the deed is the gift I wanted to give you two years ago. Won't you... take a look?"

Natalia didn't look. She threw it into the trash.

As the wind blew over the box, a ring was revealed inside.

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THE END