Claimed by my ex-fiancé's brother

By noon, “The Vale Wedding” was already trending online. News pages posted videos of the floral entrance arch stretching across the front gardens of the Grand Aurora Hotel. Fashion bloggers analyzed Elena Hart’s custom-made wedding gown before she had even stepped out of the bridal suite. Reporters gathered outside the venue hoping to catch a glimpse of the city’s most anticipated couple before the ceremony officially began. Inside the hotel ballroom, crystal chandeliers glowed softly above hundreds of guests dressed in black silk, diamonds, and designer suits. The air smelled faintly of roses and expensive perfume, while classical music drifted through the room in smooth waves. Everything looked perfect. Exactly the kind of wedding people envied. “Elena, stop moving before they stab you with a pin.” A small laugh escaped Elena as her best friend Natalie struggled with the final adjustment on the back of her dress. “I’m trying not to breathe,” Elena murmured. “That would actually help.” The room burst into light laughter again. For a moment, Elena allowed herself to relax. Just for a moment. Her gaze lifted toward the mirror again, and her chest tightened quietly at the reflection staring back at her. The white gown fit perfectly against her body, soft satin falling around her like water. Her makeup was simple, elegant. Adrian once told her he preferred her this way. Simple. Beautiful. Real. The thought made warmth rise briefly in her chest. In less than an hour, she would finally become his wife. Not girlfriend. Not fiancée. Wife. The word still felt unreal. “You’re doing that thing again,” Natalie said suddenly. Elena blinked. “What thing?” “The emotional staring into space thing.” Elena laughed softly this time. “Sorry.” Natalie’s expression softened as she stepped closer. “Nervous?” “A little.” “That’s normal.” No, Elena thought quietly. This didn’t feel like normal nervousness. Something had felt strange since morning. Adrian barely answered her messages today. His calls were shorter than usual all week. Even during the rehearsal dinner last night, he seemed distracted, constantly checking his phone between conversations. At first she told herself it was stress. The wedding. The media attention. Family pressure. But now, standing here minutes before the ceremony, that uneasy feeling still sat heavily in her chest. A knock interrupted the room. “Elena?” her mother’s voice came gently from outside. “Sweetheart, it’s almost time.” Natalie immediately reached for tissues dramatically. “Oh God, I’m going to cry.” “You cry at everything,” Elena said. “Yes, and today is a valid reason.” Another laugh moved through the room, softer this time. Elena took one final breath before turning toward the door. The moment she stepped into the hallway, cameras flashed instantly from the far end where media photographers had been granted limited access inside the hotel. “Miss Hart! Over here!” “Elena, look this way!” Her brother Daniel immediately moved beside her with visible irritation. “Back up a little.” The photographers ignored him completely. Elena smiled politely anyway, even as the flashes grew brighter against her eyes. This was normal now. Ever since news broke that Adrian Vale, youngest son of the Vale family, was finally getting married, public interest had exploded. Business blogs, entertainment pages, society magazines — everyone wanted pieces of the story. The beautiful couple. The powerful families. The luxury wedding. The perfect romance. Elena used to find the attention overwhelming. Adrian simply learned how to live inside it. “You okay?” Daniel asked quietly as they walked toward the private elevator. Elena nodded automatically. “Yeah.” But Daniel studied her face for another second before saying, “You look pale.” “I’m fine.” She forced a smile. Daniel didn’t look convinced. The elevator doors opened downstairs directly behind the ceremony hall, away from the main crowd of guests. Staff members rushed carefully through the corridor with flowers, champagne trays, and tablets in hand. Everything moved quickly. Elegantly. Perfectly. And somehow that strange feeling inside Elena only grew worse. Then she noticed Adrian’s mother standing near the entrance. Victoria Vale looked flawless as always in a dark emerald gown, diamonds glittering against her throat. But the moment her eyes landed on Elena, something unreadable crossed her expression. Not warmth. Not excitement. Something colder. “Elena,” she greeted smoothly. “Mrs. Vale.” Victoria stepped closer, adjusting one of Elena’s earrings lightly. “You look beautiful.” “Thank you.” A pause followed. Then— “Adrian is running a little late.” Elena’s heartbeat stumbled faintly. “Late?” “Business call,” Victoria replied calmly. “You know how he is.” Yes. She did. Still, something about it felt wrong. Who took business calls thirty minutes before their wedding? Before Elena could think further, the wedding coordinator rushed toward them with visible panic hidden beneath her professional smile. “We’re ready to begin.” The doors to the ballroom slowly opened. Music swelled instantly. And suddenly all eyes turned toward her. The room was breathtaking. Golden lights shimmered across towering flower arrangements while hundreds of guests filled the massive hall. Media cameras remained positioned respectfully near the back, though flashes still sparked constantly through the crowd. Elena barely noticed any of it. Because her eyes immediately searched for Adrian. And found him standing at the altar. Relief hit her so quickly she almost laughed at herself. There he was. Tall. Handsome. Familiar. For one embarrassing second, emotion burned behind her eyes. God. She loved him so much. The music continued as Richard Hart offered Elena his arm. Her father looked unusually emotional tonight, though he tried hiding it behind composure. His suit was perfectly tailored, his posture straight, but Elena still noticed the slight shine in his eyes when he looked at her. “You look just like your mother did on our wedding day,” he said quietly. A small smile touched Elena’s lips. “Dad…” “I’m serious.” He covered her hand gently where it rested against his arm. “You look beautiful.” Emotion tightened briefly in her chest. For a second, the strange nervousness inside her softened. Because no matter what happened after today, she knew one thing clearly— her family loved her. The ballroom doors opened wider as the music swelled around them. Then slowly, Richard began walking his daughter down the aisle. Camera flashes lit the room constantly now while guests turned toward Elena in admiration. Some smiled warmly while others lifted their phones discreetly beneath the soft golden lights of the ballroom. At the altar, Adrian watched her approach silently. And immediately, that uneasy feeling returned. Something was wrong. His expression looked tense in a way she couldn’t understand. Not emotional. Not overwhelmed. Just distant somehow, like part of him wasn’t fully standing there with her. Elena’s grip tightened slightly around the bouquet. By the time she reached the altar, her palms had gone cold. Richard kissed her forehead softly before placing her hand into Adrian’s. “Take care of my daughter,” he said quietly. The words landed heavily between them. Adrian nodded once. But Elena noticed the hesitation. Tiny. Almost invisible. Still there. And suddenly, the nervous feeling inside her chest became fear. By the time she reached him, her palms had gone cold beneath the bouquet. “You look beautiful,” she whispered softly. “Thank you for coming,” Adrian answered automatically. The words hit strangely. Thank you for coming? The officiant began speaking before Elena could process it further. “Today, we gather to celebrate the union between—” The ballroom doors suddenly opened. The sound echoed loudly enough to interrupt the ceremony entirely. Every head turned. A woman entered slowly in a silver dress. Beautiful. Elegant. Confident. Sophia Laurent. The air inside the ballroom shifted immediately. Whispers spread through the guests like wildfire. “What is she doing here?” “Wasn’t she overseas?” “I heard Adrian and Sophia used to—” Elena felt her stomach tighten painfully. No. Sophia’s eyes moved directly toward Adrian. And Adrian looked back. That was the moment fear truly entered Elena’s chest. Not because Sophia appeared. But because of the expression on Adrian’s face when he saw her. Everything inside Elena suddenly went cold. The officiant stopped awkwardly. “Should we—” “Wait.” Adrian’s voice cut sharply through the ballroom. The entire room fell silent. Elena turned toward him slowly. “What are you doing?” Adrian ran a hand through his hair roughly, his composure visibly cracking for the first time all day. Camera flashes immediately intensified from the back of the room. “Elena…” The way he said her name made her heart start pounding harder. “No,” she whispered instantly. “Don’t do this here.” He looked torn for half a second. Then Sophia stepped closer. And whatever hesitation existed inside him disappeared. “I can’t marry you.” The words did not feel real. Around them, gasps exploded through the ballroom. Someone dropped a champagne glass somewhere near the back. Elena stared at him blankly. “What?” “I tried,” Adrian said quietly, frustration building into his voice now that everyone was watching. “I really tried to move on, but I can’t.” Elena couldn’t breathe properly. Hundreds of eyes were suddenly on her. Cameras flashing. People whispering. Phones recording openly now. “Adrian,” she said shakily, “what are you talking about?” He looked away briefly before saying the words that destroyed her completely. “I’m in love with Sophia.” The ballroom erupted instantly. Reporters near the back began speaking rapidly into phones while guests whispered loudly without even trying to hide it anymore. Elena heard none of it clearly. Only ringing. Loud ringing inside her ears. Sophia approached the altar slowly, heels clicking against marble. And Adrian walked toward her. Walked toward her. In front of everyone. Elena felt humiliation crash over her so violently her knees almost weakened beneath her dress. This couldn’t be happening. Not here. Not like this. “Adrian,” Daniel snapped suddenly, fury exploding across his face. “What the hell is wrong with you?” “Daniel, stay out of this.” “Stay out— you publicly humiliate my sister and you think I’ll stay out of it?” Guests were already filming openly now. The wedding coordinator looked seconds away from fainting. Victoria Vale closed her eyes briefly like this entire disaster merely inconvenienced her. Elena stood completely still at the center of it all. Like someone had stripped her apart publicly. Three years. Three years loving him. Defending him. Building a future around him. And he destroyed it in less than five minutes. “Elena.” Adrian stepped toward her again now, lowering his voice. “I didn’t mean for this to happen like this.” That sentence hurt more than anything else. Like the problem wasn’t the betrayal. Only the timing. Tears burned Elena’s eyes instantly. Not here. Please not here. She swallowed hard before asking the only thing she could still force herself to say. “You were going to marry me anyway?” Adrian’s silence answered loudly enough. A broken laugh almost escaped her throat. God. He would have stood here pretending. Pretending while loving someone else. The thought made her chest ache so badly she could barely stand upright. Around them, reporters pushed closer despite security trying to hold them back. “Miss Hart! How do you feel right now?” “Mr. Vale, are you leaving with Sophia Laurent?” “Elena, did you know about the affair?” Every question felt like another slap. Elena finally stepped backward. Then another. And another. She needed to leave. Needed air. Needed somewhere without cameras and pity and whispers tearing her apart. But the moment she turned toward the aisle— A deep male voice suddenly spoke from the front row. “Interesting timing.” The room shifted again instantly. Because everyone recognized that voice. Damien Vale had finally arrived.