Caspian Hughes had proposed to Rose Harrison. He promised to be the father their child never had, swearing to cherish the baby as his own flesh and blood.

"Rose," he had said, his eyes burning with a lifetime of devotion. "I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember—from the moment you entered this world to this very second. And I will love you, and everything you hold dear, until my last breath."

He hadn't stopped there. "I know you’ve always seen me as nothing more than an older brother figure, but I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you today. Listen closely: marrying you has been my only ambition since we were children. Please, give me the chance to spend the rest of my life taking care of you."

It was a meticulously planned proposal. As fireworks erupted in the night sky, cascading in showers of gold and crimson, Caspian knelt on one knee, his gaze steady and filled with a desperate, soulful warmth.

In that moment, a strange peace washed over Rose. She thought of all the years she had spent begging for scraps of stability from Maximus Anderson, only to be met with ice and indifference. She realized then that love shouldn't be a battlefield. If it couldn't be won, it was time to surrender. She wanted a quiet life, a safe harbor, and in that flash of starlight, she gave Caspian her hand.

She didn't know that, standing in the dense shadows of a nearby oak tree, another man watched the scene unfold. Maximus Anderson stood frozen in the dark, his hands balled into fists so tight his knuckles bled. His heart felt as though it were being shredded in real-time. He finally understood—his wife was truly, irrevocably gone.

No one noticed the raw, jagged agony in Maximus’s eyes. He stood in the gloom, his own stifled love turning into a jagged blade he buried deep into his own chest, his heart spasming with every muffled sound of her laughter.

The wedding of Caspian Hughes and Rose Harrison was the event of the season, a spectacle that redefined the word "extravagant." Headlines across the city declared it the "Century Wedding." Caspian had pledged his entire fortune to make her his bride, a display of wealth that would have made a medieval prince look like a pauper.

On the day of the ceremony, a fleet of luxury cars stretched for blocks, forming an endless chain of opulence to usher the bride to the altar. Caspian had one philosophy: if he loved her, she deserved the absolute best.

When the bride finally appeared, the guests fell into a stunned silence. She was an ethereal vision. Rose drifted down the aisle in a custom white gown, the delicate lace clinging to her frame. The bodice was cinched to highlight the perfect curve of her waist, gracefully accommodating the gentle swell of her pregnancy. Even with the baby, she was breathtaking—a celestial being stepped down from the clouds.

The gossamer veil drifted around her face, casting a soft, hazy glow over her features. She was perfection. Even Caspian, a man who had known her all his life, seemed to lose his breath, rendered momentarily incapable of speech.

Albert Harrison felt a chaotic storm of emotions swelling in his chest. This was his daughter’s second walk down the aisle. Though few had attended the first, he was now, for the second time, placing his daughter’s future into the hands of another man. If he could have, he would have played the part of the protective father until his final day. But he knew his time was limited. Seeing her find genuine happiness was the only thing that would allow him to step aside and rest in peace.

Albert led Rose with solemn, measured steps. When they reached the end of the aisle, he found the groom, who looked as though he had been hit by a lightning bolt of sheer adoration.

Caspian stared at her, the little girl he’d watched grow up now transformed into a queen. Albert took Caspian’s hand and, with a heavy, unspoken sadness in his eyes, placed Rose’s hand into his. It was the silent surrender of a father’s most precious treasure.

Caspian finally pulled himself back to reality, taking her hand and leading her the rest of the way to the altar.

The officiant turned to the groom. "Mr. Hughes, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Caspian replied, his voice firm and unwavering.

The officiant turned to the bride. "And do you, Rose Harrison, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"