He married me for revenge

chapter 2 A suicide letter

The last guest left just after nine.

When the bedroom door closed, silence swallowed the suite.

White roses, chilled champagne, petals on the king-sized bed—it looked like the start of a love story.

Valeria smiled nervously. She had imagined this night a thousand ways. None of them looked like this.

Adrian walked past her without a word. He loosened his tie, took off his jacket, and poured himself a glass of whiskey. Then another.

He didn’t offer her one. He didn’t even look at her.

Valeria clasped her hands. "...Are you angry with me?"

No answer.

She gave a small, shaky laugh. "I know today was hard. Ethan wasn't here to see this. He would have wanted you to be happy."

The crystal glass shattered in Adrian’s hand. Whiskey and blood splashed across the marble floor.

"Adrian!" She rushed to him, but he caught her wrist hard.

"So," he said quietly, "you still have the nerve to say his name."

"You're hurting me."

His grip tightened. "You should know something about pain."

She stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

For a moment, he only looked at her. Then he laughed—a bitter, broken sound.

Slowly, he released her, reached into his jacket, and pulled out a folded letter. He set it on the table. "Read it."

Valeria unfolded it with trembling fingers.

«Dear V,

I loved you with everything I had.

But love isn't enough when you're ashamed of me.

You said I embarrassed you.

You said you could never love someone like me.

Maybe you're right.

By the time you read this... I'll already be gone.

I hope one day... you regret breaking my heart.

— Ethan»

She read it twice, then looked up. "I've never seen this before. I don't understand."

His eyes turned cold. "That is my brother's suicide note. He wrote it the night he killed himself."

Valeria shook her head. "I don't understand what this has to do with me."

"He addressed it to 'V.'" He stepped closer. "There was only one woman my brother ever loved. And I married her tonight."

Her lips parted. "...What?"

"You heard me."

"I think you have the wrong person."

"You murdered my brother long before he took his own life."

Valeria could only stare at him."...What?"

Adrian looked at her with disgust."My brother loved you. He begged you to stay. You humiliated him. You broke him and when he couldn't take it anymore he killed himself."

Each word hit like a blow. Valeria shook her head."No. That's impossible I never dated Ethan."

His laugh was cold "You're still lying."

"I'm not lying." She stepped toward him. "I knew Ethan because he was your brother.That was all. I never loved him."

Adrian's expression darkened. "So now you're pretending there was nothing between you?"

"There wasn't. I only loved you." The words caught in her throat "I've loved you since I was eight years old. How could I love your brother?"

Something flickered in Adrian's eyes It vanished almost at once. "What a convincing performance."

"It's not a performance!"

"Think about it , if Ethan and I had been in love wouldn't you have known? He was your brother. He told you everything. ".

Adrian's jaw tightened. "Don't manipulate me ".

She stepped closer her tone placating"You've made a mistake."

"No."

"You have. My sister's name also begins with V."

He froze in doubt and hope surged in her.

"Vanessa. Maybe Ethan was writing to Vanessa. They knew each other , I saw them together."

For one brief second, she thought he'd listen.

Instead, his face turned colder. "So this is your defense?"

"It's the truth!"

"You expect me to believe you'd sacrifice your own sister to save yourself?"

"I'm not sacrificing anyone! I'm telling you what I remember!"

The slap came without warning. Her head snapped to the side. The sting spread across her cheek.

" Dont ever lie on your sister again ! "

Valeria slowly lifted a hand to her face. Then she slapped him back. The c***k echoed through the suite. A red mark bloomed across Adrian's cheek.

His eyes widened.

"You don't ever get to hit me again." Her voice trembled. " I didn't kill your brother. And I won't confess to something I didn't do."

For several long seconds, Adrian simply stared at her. Then he smiled.

" You're now showing me your true colours. To think I thought you were a docile woman ".

He removed his wedding ring and tossed it into the fireplace. Valeria gasped . The gold vanished beneath the flames.

"From this moment on..." He looked straight into her tear-filled eyes. "I'm not your husband. I'm your punishment."

He turned and walked to the door. Without looking back, he said, "I'll make you wish. ..you'd died instead of my brother."

The door slammed shut.

Valeria stood alone in her wedding dress , one hand pressed to her burning cheek the other clenched into a fist.

She stared at the fire where his ring had vanished.

"You've made a terrible mistake, Adrian." she whispered through gritted teeth,"And one day I'll make you regret it."