***CATALINA***
My eyes were fixed on my brother at the far end of the aisle. The way he smiled—the strange, glowing expression on his face—was something I had never seen before. He looked genuinely happy. The fact that he was marrying a woman I had always been against made my heart twist painfully, yet I couldn’t bring myself to ruin his joy. So, I clapped with the rest of the crowd, cheering for him even as my chest felt heavy.
The hall smelled faintly of roses and candle wax. The walls were draped with white silk, and the soft tune of violins floated through the air, blending with the hum of cheerful voices. My brother looked radiant, and beside him, Vera—the stranger who had somehow captured his heart—stood like a dream.
“The Luna is so beautiful,” a lady beside me whispered, leaning
