The billionaire’s bride secret obsession

Chapter 2

The following Saturday was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. My brother, Leo, had practically begged me to go with Jade to her first wedding dress fitting.

"She doesn't have any sisters, Alana," Leo had said over the phone, his voice full of that annoying, happy glow. "And she really looks up to you. Please, just go and be supportive. It would mean the world to her."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him that his perfect fiancée was a predator who had spent her teenage years making me miserable. But I knew how it would look. I would look like the bitter, jealous sister trying to ruin his big day. So, I put on a fake smile and met her at The White Veil, the most expensive bridal boutique in the city.

When I walked in, the air smelled like expensive lilies and champagne. Jade was already there, sitting on a plush velvet sofa. She looked like she belonged there. She was wearing a sleek power suit that made her look professional and dangerous at the same time.

"Alana! You came," Jade said, standing up. She didn't hug me, but she stepped close enough that I could smell that sandalwood perfume again. It made my head spin.

"Leo asked me to," I said shortly. "Let’s just get this over with."

The shop assistant, a thin woman named Claire, brought out three dresses. They were all beautiful white, lace, silk. They represented everything a "perfect" bride should be.

"I think I’ll try the backless silk one first," Jade said, her eyes locked on mine. "Alana, come help me? The hooks are a bit tricky."

My heart hammered. "Isn't that what Claire is for?"

"Oh, I’d prefer family," Jade said with a sharp, sweet smile.

I followed her into the large, private fitting room. It was lined with mirrors, so no matter where I looked, I saw her. Jade began to unbutton her suit. I turned my back, staring at the wall.

"Don't be shy, Alana," Jade laughed. "It’s not like you haven't seen me in a locker room before. Of course, back then, you were too busy crying to look."

"Shut up, Jade," I hissed, my face heating up. "Why are you doing this? Why Leo? He’s a good man. He doesn't deserve to be a pawn in your weird game."

I heard the rustle of silk as she stepped into the dress. "Leo is a means to an end. He’s my ticket into your life. He’s the bridge that leads back to you. I told you, I’m not letting you go again."

"You're obsessed. You need help," I said, turning around to face her.

The words died in my throat. Jade was standing there in a shimmering white gown. It fit her like a second skin, showing off every curve. She looked breathtaking. But it wasn't the dress that caught my attention—it was the look in her eyes. The arrogance was gone for a split second, replaced by a raw, hungry vulnerability.

"Zip me up," she commanded softly.

I stepped closer, my hands shaking. As I reached for the zipper at the small of her back, my fingers brushed her skin. She shivered. The contact felt like a spark of electricity jumping between us. I struggled with the tiny hidden zipper, my breath hitching as I realized how close we were.

"You're shaking, Alana," Jade whispered. She turned her head, looking at me over her shoulder in the mirror. "Are you scared? Or is it something else?"

"I hate you," I whispered back, though the words felt weak.

"Hate and love are very close neighbors," Jade said. She spun around suddenly, trapping me between her and the wall of the fitting room. The heavy white silk of her dress pressed against my jeans. "You’ve thought about me every day since high school. Admit it. You wondered why I picked on you. You wondered why I couldn't leave you alone."

"I thought you were a bully," I said, trying to push her away. Her grip on my wrists was like iron.

"I was a bully because I was a coward," Jade admitted, her face inches from mine. "I saw you being so brave, so open about who you were, and I hated myself because I was hiding. I wanted to destroy the thing I wanted most."

The air in the small room felt thick and hot. I could feel her heartbeat against my chest. For years, I had built a wall of anger to protect myself from her, but now that wall was crumbling.

"And now?" I asked, my voice trembling. "What do you want now?"

"I want what I was too scared to take ten years ago," Jade said.

She leaned in. I should have moved. I should have slapped her or yelled for help. But I stayed frozen. When her lips finally met mine, it wasn't soft. It was a collision. It was ten years of anger, guilt, and hidden longing exploding all at once.

It was a kiss that tasted like a secret. It was a kiss that felt like a betrayal.

I found myself kissing her back, my hands moving to her waist, pulling her closer despite the layers of wedding lace between us. For a moment, the world outside Leo, the wedding, the past didn't exist. There was only the heat of her and the terrifying realization that she was right. I had been waiting for this.

Suddenly, a knock on the door made us jump apart.

"Everything okay in there, ladies?" Claire’s voice drifted through the wood. "Does the dress need any pinned?"

Jade smoothed her hair, her breathing heavy. Her lipstick was smudged, and her eyes were glowing with triumph. She looked at me, a silent challenge in her gaze.

"We’re doing great, Claire!" Jade called out, her voice perfectly calm. "Alana just had a little trouble with the zipper. We’ll be out in a second."

I leaned against the mirror, my heart racing so fast I thought I might faint. I looked at the woman in the white dress my brother’s fiancée, my childhood tormentor.

"You can't marry him now," I whispered, wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "Not after that."

Jade stepped toward the door, pausing with her hand on the knob. She looked back at me, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Watch me," she said. "If I marry him, I get to keep you forever. And after that kiss, Alana, I know you won't be able to stay away."

She walked out of the fitting room, leaving me alone in the dark silence. I caught my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were flushed, and my eyes looked haunted.

I was in deep trouble. I wasn't just the victim anymore. I was an accomplice.

Outside, I heard Jade laughing with the shop assistant, talking about veils and flower arrangements. She was a master of disguise. She was going to walk down that aisle, she was going to say "I do" to my brother, and she was going to use that marriage as a cage for both of us.

I walked out of the boutique five minutes later without saying goodbye. I needed air. I needed to think. But as I walked down the busy street, the only thing I could feel was the ghost of her lips on mine.

I had to stop this wedding. But a dark part of me the part I didn't want to admit existed was already wondering when I would see her again.