CHAPTER ONE THE SWITCH
357 Words
Chapter 1: The Switch
The air in the Vance estate was thick with the scent of lilies and old money. I stood at the top of the grand staircase, the lace of my Vera Wang gown itching against my skin. Today was the day I saved my father from bankruptcy. All I had to do was say "I do" to Julian Vance—the golden boy, the safe bet, the man I’d been groomed to marry since I was eighteen.
"Catherine," my father whispered, his face pale. "Remember, this vow secures our legacy. Don’t look back."
I nodded, numb. I walked down the aisle, my eyes fixed on the altar. But when I reached the front, the man standing there wasn't the smiling, soft-eyed Julian.
It was Xavier Vance. The black sheep. The brother who had been exiled to London for five years. The man whose name was whispered in boardroom deals like a threat. He stood there with his hands folded, his dark hair swept back, and a scar cutting a thin line through his left eyebrow.
"Where is Julian?" I hissed, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Xavier didn’t flinch. He stepped closer, his shadow falling over me. "Julian got cold feet, Catherine. He’s halfway to Paris by now."
"Then the wedding is off," I turned to leave, but his hand caught my wrist. His touch was like a jolt of electricity—hot, terrifying, and far too firm.
"If you walk out that door, your father’s empire falls by midnight," Xavier murmured, his voice a rich, dark baritone. "The vow says you marry a Vance heir. It doesn't say which one. Take the vow, Catherine. Marry the 'wrong' brother and save your skin."
I looked into his eyes—they were the color of a storm at midnight. I had a choice: ruin or him.
"I, Catherine Thorne, take you..." my voice trembled, but I didn't back down.
I took the wrong vow. And as Xavier slid the heavy diamond onto my finger, he leaned in and whispered, "Welcome to hell, Mrs. Vance
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