THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: MARRY TO RIVAL'S SON

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rmly in place as she surveyed the room. Her wine glass felt comfortably solid in her grip, grounding her amidst the excitement and chatter. This was her masterpie

cceeded brilliantly. Tonight wasn't just a celebration of her twenty-eigh

countless tests and challenges, that she was the future of Meyers Industries. She had earned this moment. As she stood among New York's elite, gliding through conve

"You have it in you, Mia," she'd said, her eyes meeting hers in the mirror. "One day, you'll rule over everything your father and I have built." That day, Mia had known with a child's unwavering certainty that her

eaming face. This wasn't just about proving herself to her father, it was about fulfilling the promise whispered during th

him. Mia felt her heart lift slightly. This was it, the moment she had rehearsed a thousand times in her mind. Samuel adjusted the micr

ng glimpses of admiration and curiosity. Her father continued, his words laced with authority, his pauses measured. And th

eps smooth and deliberate. Mia tilted her head slightly, watching him approach. Surprise flickered in her mind, but her certainty didn't waver. Perhaps her

nto her chest. His warm brown eyes, flecked with gold, were undeniably familiar. They were her eyes. The

urs, calm and authoritative. "It is

stiffening around its stem. Ethan Meyers? The name felt foreign, wrong.

. The gesture was unmistakably paternal, filled with pride Mia had spent h

rs Industries to even greater

r Mia, the sound was muffled, distant. Her smile faltered for the briefest moment bef

on her. She glanced at the audience, the smiles and nods they exchanged, their glances at Ethan. Her gaze flicked back to

o see how she would react. She raised the wine glass to her lips, the cold rim pressing against her skin as she sipped slowly. Her fingers tremb

to prove herself. They all felt meaningless now. Her father had chosen Ethan. And he had ch

the room, meeting hers for a fleeting moment. There was no warmth in his expression, no sense of reco

a clenched her jaw, swallowing the bitterness rising in her throat. She wouldn't

ped away. Her hands lowered to her sides, the weight of the wine glass suddenly unbearable. Her

ll, she