A hint of unease crawls down my spine as I walk into my parents’ house.

Mom sounded strange on the phone.

Too soft-spoken.

Too gentle.

And experience has taught me that whenever my mother speaks to me that sweetly, it usually means something terrible is about to happen.

The second I step into the sitting room, my suspicions are confirmed.

My parents are sitting together on the sofa, while Grandma Anne sits opposite them.

All three of them look tense.

“Raven,” Mom says immediately, relief flashing across her face the moment she sees me.

She pats the empty seat beside her.

I hesitate before sitting down, unable to read the atmosphere in the room.

What exactly is going on?

Wedding drama?

Did something happen with the preparations?

Grandma Anne gives me a reassuring smile, but it does nothing to calm the panic rising inside me.

Every instinct I have is screaming that something is wrong.

And somehow, I know it has everything to do with me.

“Hannah and Ares ended their engagement,” Grandma Anne says calmly. “Hannah has decided she wants to focus on her career for a while longer, and because of that, she chose to end the relationship.”

I blink in disbelief.

She… what?

I clear my throat and immediately look toward my parents, but the grim expressions on their faces tell me this isn’t some misunderstanding.

“I… are we postponing the wedding again?” I ask cautiously.

Honestly, after three previous postponements, another one doesn’t even shock me anymore.

But this is still unbelievably last-minute.

Half the wedding vendors probably won’t even refund us at this point.

Grandma Anne shakes her head slowly.

“The wedding will not be canceled.”

Her voice remains calm and decisive.

“This marriage is long overdue, and it was always intended to be an arranged union.”

Then she glances pointedly toward my parents.

“We allowed these children too much freedom, and now we’re paying the price for it. It’s time to correct the situation before things spiral further.”

My parents exchange a heavy look before my mother finally turns toward me.

“You have to marry Ares,” she says quietly.

A nervous laugh escapes me instantly.

Dad clenches his jaw.

Oh God.

They’re serious.

“Mom,” I whisper. “This isn’t funny.”

“Hannah and Ares have postponed the wedding multiple times already. We’ll work it out again. I’ll talk to Hannah.”

Grandma Anne smiles softly.

“This is not a joke, sweetheart.”

Her expression hardens slightly.

“I am no longer willing to accept Hannah into our family. If the merger between our families is to continue, then the bride must be you.”

I stare at her in complete disbelief.

What the hell is happening right now?

“Have you spoken to Hannah and Ares?” I ask carefully. “I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding, Grandma Anne. Let me talk to Hannah first.”

Grandma shakes her head.

“Even if Hannah changes her mind, my decision stands.”

Her eyes soften slightly as she looks at me.

“The woman I always wanted Ares to marry was you. Perhaps this is simply life correcting our mistake before it became permanent.”

Then she says the words that make my stomach twist violently.

“The wedding will proceed. And the bride will be you.”

I immediately look toward my parents for support, but neither of them can even meet my eyes.

This cannot be real.

“Does Ares even know about this?”

Grandma nods calmly.

“He’s been informed. The Windsor family has centuries of successful arranged marriages behind us. Ares understands what is expected of him.”

I stare at her, horrified.

Hannah never even told me they broke up.

And now I’m suddenly being informed that I’m supposed to marry her ex-fiancé in her place?

This is insane.

There is absolutely no way either Hannah or Ares would genuinely agree to this.

I stand abruptly and head toward the door, my thoughts spinning wildly.

I need time to think.

To talk to Hannah.

To talk to Ares.

Surely this whole thing is just Grandma Anne reacting emotionally and making impulsive decisions.

“Raven.”

I freeze with my hand wrapped around the doorknob.

Grandma’s voice remains calm, but there’s unmistakable steel beneath it.

“Your efforts will be futile. If you want this merger to proceed, then you must do your part.”

A heavy silence follows.

“You will marry Ares.”

I slowly glance back at her.

The determination in her eyes makes my stomach sink.

Grandma Anne is one of the kindest women I know.

But once she makes a decision?

Nobody changes her mind.

She rules the Windsor family with an iron fist hidden beneath velvet gloves.

I nod politely before leaving the room, her words echoing relentlessly inside my head.

“Sweetheart.”

I turn at the sound of my father’s voice and find him hurrying after me, guilt written all over his face.

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly. “The Windsors only informed us about this recently. I wish I could’ve told you differently.”

I fall into step beside him automatically.

“Dad,” I whisper, “you do realize this is insane, right? Hannah and Ares love each other.”

Dad sighs heavily.

“I’m not sure love is enough anymore.”

His expression darkens.

“Hannah made her choice, Rave. And now the Windsors no longer want her as Ares’s wife.”

I stop walking abruptly and stare at him.

“She made her choice,” I repeat shakily, “but somehow I’m the one being punished for it.”

Dad’s expression fills with pain.

“I’m sorry, Raven. But the Windsors won’t change their minds.”

He hesitates briefly.

“This arrangement always existed between you and Ares. The only reason it shifted to Hannah was because they fell in love. She took on the burden that was originally meant for you.”

My chest aches violently.

“If I was always supposed to marry him,” I whisper, “then she should’ve stayed away from him in the first place.”

Anger finally crashes through me.

“You can’t seriously expect me to marry my sister’s ex-fiancé, Dad. Do you understand how fucked up that is?”

My voice cracks.

“He’s in love with her.”

Dad exhales shakily.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. But you don’t really have a choice.”

I stare at him in disbelief.

He keeps talking anyway.

“We’ve relied heavily on the Windsors for years. If this merger collapses, we’ll lose everything.”

Then his expression hardens slightly.

“If you want to keep your company and the investment funds I promised you, then you’ll marry Ares.”

My eyes widen slowly.

Disillusionment crashes over me so hard it almost makes me dizzy.

“Are you threatening me?”

Dad immediately shakes his head.

“No. I’m telling you the truth.”

He steps closer.

“If this merger fails, we go bankrupt. Everything the Windsors have done for us… it would take me multiple lifetimes to repay them.”

Then he looks me directly in the eyes.

“Think carefully about this, Raven. Ares would treat you well. The Windsors already adore you.”

His voice softens.

“And if you marry him, Dreamessence will eventually become yours, not Hannah’s. I’ll make sure of it. You’ll inherit my shares even if your mother gives hers to Hannah.”

I stare at him in disbelief.

Does he genuinely think that sounds appealing to me?

That I’d willingly marry the man I love knowing he’s still in love with my sister… just for money and company shares?

I grit my teeth and walk away before I completely lose control.

My heels echo sharply against the marble floor.

I need to find Hannah.

I don’t know what the hell she’s thinking, but I refuse to clean up this mess for her.

I may love Ares.

But I have absolutely no intention of becoming my sister’s replacement.