Chapter 44 The Reckoning

• Cleo's POV
• As I stepped into the grand hall, the opulence of Ella and Miley’s wedding hit me like a wall of perfume and satin. Laughter and chatter filled the air, but I felt like an outsider, more like a ghost haunting my own past. The guests, dressed in their finest attire, cast glances my way, their expressions a mixture of surprise and confusion. The sleek black dress I wore was not just a fashion choice; it was a declaration. In a sea of white and pastels, I was the dark storm cloud that threatened to rain on their parade.
• I smoothed the fabric against my thighs, grounding myself in the purpose that had brought me here. With every step, memories of betrayal surged, heavy and unrelenting. I spotted Miley in the distance, whispering to his group of groomsmen, their laughter carrying across the room like some twisted incantation. Once upon a time, that laughter would have shattered me, but not today.