Sinclair Ashes

Chapter 5: The Wedding Day

After I left the Sinclair household I knew I had to keep my life going, it’s something Ava would want me to do. I kept going because I had to. I poured myself into my work, into building the design studio Ava and I always dreamed of.

We were going to run it together one day. We used to joke about being unstoppable- her with the money and the fire, me with the creativity and the grind.

Now it was just me.

But somehow…. We made it work. I made it work.

The weeks turned into months, and I watched myself become someone Ava would have been proud of. Strong. Focused. Independent. I built a name for myself in interior design, secured high profile clients and finally opened my first real office downtown. A small space- but it was mine

…..

Three weeks later

Wedding day

The big day Sophie had been rumbling about all these months had finally arrived. The ceremony was held at a private vineyard just outside the city. An exclusive guest list, a sunset backdrop, everything was just top notch.

Everything Robert Sinclair could buy, he did. It was picture-perfect and nauseating.

I stood among the guests watching Sophie glide down the aisle like she owned the world. Her gown was custom-made French silk, encrusted with real pearls. Her hand rested gently on her stomach, now visibly pregnant.

Dominic looked… genuinely happy. His eyes never left Sophie as she approached. He smiled with ease, laughed with warmth, and he held her hands with certainty as they recited their vows.

The pastor announced them to be husband and wife and everyone cheered for them.

Everyone was now settled in the ball room having the time of their lives and the couple couldn’t get their hands off each other.

That’s when the music faded, just slightly.

A man stepped onto the small platform near the front—not part of the program. He held a glass of champagne, his tailored black suit immaculate, his expression unreadable.

People turned. Whispers rose. I recognized him instantly.

Ethan Blackwood.

Dominic blinked. Sophie’s jaw tightened.

“Good evening,” Ethan said smoothly, his voice calm, almost bored. “Apologies for the interruption—I wasn’t planning on speaking tonight. But love… deserves to be celebrated. Even when it comes unexpectedly.”

The crowd stilled.

“I suppose it’s fitting to share my own bit of news,” Ethan continued, lifting his glass casually. “I recently got engaged.”

The statement floated into the silence like smoke.

Some clapped politely. Others just stared.

“And my fiancée…” he turned slightly, glancing toward the back.

A woman emerged from the shadows near the side entrance—slow, poised. She wore a long black gown, simple but striking. Her face was turned slightly downward, hair swept up, lips painted deep red.

No one spoke.

It wasn’t just her dress or her walk. It was the air around her. Familiar. Electric.

I felt the breath leave my lungs.

From where I stood, I couldn’t see her clearly. But I knew.

Dominic’s face drained of color. Sophie reached for his arm, her own hand trembling.

A single murmur broke the silence: “Is that…?”

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t blink.

She looked up.

Only for a second.

And that second was enough.