Chapter 1 I Want Both

• || LEAH’S POV ||
• “Let’s give it up for Dash Remington and Ivy Sinclair on their engagement—the perfect match between two powerful families…”
• The voice from the hospital room TV cut through the silence like a knife, booming in my ears.
• I blinked, groggy and disoriented, slowly turning my eyes toward the screen—only to feel my breath catch in my throat.
• There he was. Dash Remington.
• I watched the man I knew so well, smiling effortlessly at the cameras, striking that perfect pose like it cost him nothing.
• The man I’d loved for most of my life.
• The man my grandfather had promised to me when I was just a little girl.
• And now... he was standing beside another woman.
• Ivy. My stepsister.
• Wearing the same ring he once used to propose to me.
• What the hell is going on?
• I had no idea how long I had been unconscious. Thick bandages were wrapped around my head, and my temples throbbed with pain.
• I called Dash over and over, frantically, but no one ever picked up.
• Panic spread through my chest like wildfire, and I could barely breathe.
• Without thinking, I yanked out the IV from my hand and stumbled out of the hospital room, rushing toward their engagement venue.
• Every pair of eyes froze the moment I appeared.
• The cameras, which had been focused on the happy couple, instantly turned to me.
• A woman in a hospital gown, pale-faced and dazed, had barged into what was supposed to be a glamorous and polished engagement ceremony.
• —A heartbroken woman who looked completely out of her mind.
• “Baby…”
• That deep, familiar voice made me look up—and to my shock, Dash Remington was standing right in front of me.
• I stared at him, my voice trembling as I fought to keep my emotions in check.
• “Why?”
• “You know I only did this because of business arrangements,” he said after a brief hesitation.
• “My parents... they would never approve of our marriage because of your situation.”
• All the memories flashed through my mind like a slideshow.
• That day, Dash had brought his parents to my house to discuss the details of our engagement.
• It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.
• But instead, it became the beginning of a nightmare.
• I was dressed in a carefully selected gown, my makeup flawlessly done. Sitting beside my father, I offered Mr. and Mrs. Remington a warm, polite smile, doing everything I could to appear composed and graceful—desperate for their approval.
• Within seconds, a sharp, stabbing pain suddenly struck my head, pounding like a hammer deep inside my skull. The room blurred and spun around me as the agony surged rapidly, threatening to overwhelm me completely.
• Fear crashed over me like a tidal wave, but before I could even cry out for help, my body convulsed violently, my limbs flailing uncontrollably.
• Then, a piercing scream erupted from deep within my throat. I grabbed the tablecloth with both hands and yanked it hard—the plates and glasses crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.
• Shards flew everywhere, cutting Mrs. Remington. Even now, I can’t forget the look in her eyes—as if she was staring at a monster.
• At that moment, I was holding a shattered glass toward Mrs.Remington, looking as if I was about to strike. Just then, my father lunged forward to restrain me and jabbed a syringe into my arm.
• Before I lost consciousness, I clearly heard Dash’s father roar,
• “The Remingtons would never marry their son to a woman with a mental illness!”
• Yeah, I was having another episode.
• That day, just like always, I obediently took the medication Clara handed me, claiming it was to keep my condition in check.
• I don't understand what I did wrong - why did I break down that very day?
• I’d been locked away in a hospital ever since that day. And now, after all this time, I was finally face-to-face with Dash again—
• but his fiancée… wasn’t me anymore.
• Tears burned in my eyes, and I fought to keep myself from falling apart. My voice came out rough and barely audible:
• “This… this isn’t real, is it?”
• “I know you’re upset,” Dash said softly, his eyes carrying that same familiar tenderness—the kind that once made me believe he loved me.
• I just stared at him, waiting for an explanation… or at the very least, a clear answer.
• "Trust me, this wasn’t my choice," he continued, his voice soft, almost pleading. "My parents wanted me to marry Ivy instead."
• “So… we’re done, right?”
• My voice trembled as I spoke, my nails digging deep into my palms—
• but I couldn’t feel a thing.
• Dash stepped forward, reaching out like he used to, as if to pull me into one of his familiar embraces. His voice was gentle, his gaze achingly familiar—like nothing had changed between us.
• But instinctively, I took a step back, pulling away from him.
• A flicker of anger flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, he grabbed my elbow and yanked me toward him.
• “Baby,” he murmured against my ear, his voice low and meant for me alone.
• “This is only temporary. I have to marry Ivy to secure the family inheritance. Once I inherit everything, no one can keep us apart. It’s always been you—I’ve never stopped loving you.”
• “And… no matter who I marry, baby, we can still be together. Just… secretly.”
• Secretly?
• “What… what did you just say?” I could hardly believe my ears.
• He wanted to marry my step-sister… and keep me as his dirty little mistress?
• I stood frozen, stunned as if my chest had been crushed by a hammer. A fierce wave of disgust surged from deep inside me.
• That’s when I finally understood—I never really knew this man at all.
• By now, the wedding photographers had swarmed us like vultures, snapping relentlessly. The flashes exploded around us like gunfire, instantly making us the center of attention.
• I was terrified of the crowd closing in, so I whispered harshly at Dash to let me go. Clenching my teeth, I tried to wrench my hand free from his iron grip, but he held on tight, refusing to budge.
• “What’s going on here?”
• Suddenly, Dash’s father, Mr. Remington, barked angrily from behind him. Startled, Dash finally released my wrist.
• I stumbled, nearly losing my balance, but someone caught me just in time.
• I glanced back to see my stepmother, Clara, standing there with her usual soft smile.
• “Aunt Clara…” I tried to say something, but the thought that she’d agreed to let her own daughter take my place as Dash’s fiancée stopped me cold.
• I had always treated her like my own mother. After my parents’ divorce, everyone—including my father—stopped caring about me. Only she was there, offering comfort when I was down, and always siding with me whenever Ivy and I clashed.
• But this time, she stayed silent. Like everyone else, she chose to keep the truth from me, watching helplessly as I lost the person I loved.
• She noticed my silence but said nothing, gently patting my hand before turning to Dash.
• “Dash, Ivy’s looking for you. The media is asking for more photos,” Clara said, her tone syrupy as ever.
• Dash didn’t reply, but he finally turned on his heel and walked toward the stage—where Ivy stood, smiling, waiting for her perfect photo.
• After Dash left, Clara stepped closer and handed me a glass of juice.
• “Leah, dear,” she said gently, “I know this is painful. I didn’t mean to keep this from you… it’s just that lately, you’ve been so fragile, I was scared you’d do something to hurt yourself.”
• I took a deep breath, fighting to stay calm.
• “But why Ivy?” I finally asked, needing an answer.
• “We have no choice. Ivy had to do this—for the family. She was heartbroken when we asked her to sacrifice her own happiness and marry Dash Remington just to fulfill the arrangement.”
• I stared at Clara in disbelief.
• Heartbroken?
• Sacrifice?
• If that was heartbreak, Ivy was hiding it behind the smile of a girl living her dream.
• She clung to Dash like he was her prize, her eyes glued to his face, full of admiration and triumph. Not sadness. Not regret.
• “It’s all for show—just for the world, you know,” Clara said smoothly, noticing I watching Ivy with a confused expression.
• “Dash is the American Don’s nephew. No one in the States would dare offend the Remingtons without signing their own death warrant. You know that, right?”
• Of course, I had heard the whispers—how Dash’s family had deep ties to the mafia. His uncle was the American Don, and their connection was far from distant.
• But none of this matters to me anymore.
• A dizzy spell washed over me, like my mind was on fire.
• Clara quickly steadied me and led me to a quiet corner to rest. Then she left to attend to the guests.
• I leaned back, took a few sips of juice, but soon my chest tightened and my head spun, as if the whole world was spinning around me.
• I braced myself on the chair, fighting to stand.
• Before I could even cry out, darkness swallowed me. I fell unconscious on the floor.