Sylvia walked through the corridor carefully, holding a beautiful cream-and-green-colored bouquet until she stopped before a brown door.
She stared at the bouquet in her hand for a moment, then drew in a deep breath to calm her fraying nerves.
Her mother, Elois Quinn, had asked her to deliver the bouquet to Leslie and urge her to hurry because the wedding procession would be starting in less than an hour.
But knowing Leslie’s terrible temper, which seemed to have taken a drastic turn over the past few weeks, Sylvia imagined herself walking into a death trap.
She only prayed she would come out of that room with her face and body intact.
She had tried every means possible to stay far away from her, but with her mother stuffing the bouquet into her hand to deliver, there was practically no avoiding it.
Sylvia had to swallow the bullet and take a hesitant step toward the dressing room while being extremely careful with the bouquet because any dent meant she would die even faster, without a burial ground.
Yet, Sylvia couldn’t bring herself to blame her…not in the least.
Leslie had always been her sweet and caring elder sister until the last three weeks.
It was supposed to be a beautiful and memorable day.
It was supposed to be their birthday.
Though they were not twins, they both shared the same birth date, and Leslie was the elder.
She had only turned twenty-four, while Sylvia had turned twenty.
They were just four years apart.
It was supposed to be just a simple celebration with their family, and like every birthday, they had always looked forward to it.
It had always signaled a new step and a new direction for them.
With every birthday they celebrated, they set new goals and renewed their sense of purpose.
This day was no exception.
Sylvia and her sister had spent the entire day in the kitchen making the birthday cake and preparing the dishes.
They laughed, talked, and planned for their beautiful future.
Everything had been perfectly normal until the evening.
Their parents had promised to return early for the birthday, and as always, they kept their promise.
As the clock struck six in the evening, they both stepped into the house, their faces beaming with smiles as Sylvia and Leslie welcomed them.
Although they had always been more affectionate and caring toward her sister than toward her, Sylvia never minded.
She was her elder sister, after all, and Sylvia had believed always loved her…
or so she thought.
While their parents returned to their bedroom to freshen up, Sylvia and Leslie returned to the kitchen and began serving the dishes they had spent hours preparing together.
Right on time, as the last dish was set on the table, Elois and Morgan Quinn walked down the staircase.
Watching them descend, Sylvia’s lips curled into a soft smile.
People always said her parents were a match made in heaven—a perfect couple.
Seeing them always together, Sylvia couldn’t refute that claim.
She could only wonder if she would one day be fortunate enough to have such a perfect match in her own life.
She shrugged inwardly.
“It’s their turn.
I still have a long way to go.
I’ll become the world’s top researcher first, and then I can think about finding a partner.” “Everything is ready,” Leslie called from beside her, snapping Sylvia out of her thoughts.
Together, they walked over to the dining table, took their seats, and the meal began.
“Mom, I made this.
Try it,” Leslie chirped happily.
“Dad, I made this.
Do you like it?” Sylvia asked quietly as she placed the dish onto Morgan’s plate.
“Dad, that’s too salty.
Try mine instead,” Leslie said, scooping another dish onto his plate.
“Mom, how would you rate my cooking?
Have I improved?” Sylvia asked as she served her mother another dish.
The meal was a hearty one.
Their laughter echoed through the house, and the stress of the day gradually melted away.
Then a servant wheeled in the cake they had made together.
It was beautiful—a four-tiered cake decorated in their favorite colors.
Recalling that moment made Sylvia’s lips curl unconsciously.
Her sister had radiated happiness and contentment.
But that happiness was short-lived.
After eating the cake, they accepted their birthday gifts.
Then they all sat down to talk about their day.
It was almost like a family tradition.
They gathered in the living room, talked about everything that had happened during the day, and then everyone retired for the night.
It was at that moment that Morgan Quinn cleared his throat.
Sylvia felt her heart leave her chest immediately.
Morgan Quinn clearing his throat was synonymous with bad news.
Sylvia noticed Leslie tense beside her.
The last time he had done that, Sylvia had been asked to give up her scholarship to the research institute.
And this time, there was no doubt it would be something just as serious.
Leslie exchanged a glance with Sylvia before they both turned to look at their mother.
“Mom, what’s going on?” they asked in unison.
Eloise lowered her head, not daring to meet their gazes.
Morgan glanced at his wife before looking back at his two daughters.
“Leave your mother out of this.” “Dad, what is going on?” Leslie asked, her voice betraying the unease creeping into her chest.
“Leslie, you are getting married to Damian Evercrest,” he announced.
“What?” They both turned to look at each other before staring back at Morgan.
“Damian Evercrest?” Morgan rubbed his brow wearily and nodded.
Leslie shook her head.
“Dad, that’s impossible.
I can’t marry him.
My future is at stake if I marry him.” Eloise sighed.
“My daughter, we really didn’t want to make this decision, but there is a marriage contract between both families that was arranged by the elders.” Sylvia stared at her parents dumbfounded.
“Dad, do you still remember Damian is barely a living human now?” Morgan nodded.
“He is, but the company needs Evercrest to inject capital into the business.” “What?” Sylvia couldn’t wrap her head around it all.
A marriage contract…
and now a capital injection… She couldn’t help but feel something was terribly wrong.
Her parents had never mentioned any marriage contract before.
If there was any reason they were agreeing to this marriage now, it was because of the capital.
Sylvia felt sorry for her sister.
Although she had been forced to relinquish her scholarship through her parents’ scheme, that had only been about her education.
She was certain she could earn another opportunity someday.
But marriage… That was completely different.
“Dad,” Leslie called, her voice surprisingly calm.
“I am not marrying Damian Evercrest.
He was already a devil when he was healthy.
What would he be now that he has lost the use of his legs and is visually impaired?” Morgan’s jaw twitched angrily.
“Leslie, the group needs their funding.
Otherwise, the Quinn family will go down.
Is that what you want?” “So I have to throw away my future just to save the company for you?” “You are the eldest daughter of the Quinn family,” Morgan answered curtly.
Leslie let out a bitter chuckle that echoed through the room.
“Fine.
I’m not the only daughter of the Quinn family.
You can just ask her to marry Damian instead.” The next moment, she turned to Sylvia, her eyes were cold, empty and emotionless.
They were the eyes of an enemy.
Sylvia instinctively shrank back.
But from that day onward, Leslie became a completely different person.
Making Sylvia suffer became her favorite pastime.
Watching her in pain became her greatest pleasure.
The sweet, caring elder sister Sylvia had always known was gone.
Thinking back on it now, Sylvia couldn’t help wondering if it had all been a façade from the very beginning.
Following Leslie’s resentment, everything changed drastically for her.
Her parents no longer cared about her.
It was as though she had become an outsider in what had once been a family of four.
Everything revolved around Leslie’s happiness.
What’s more… Leslie had eventually agreed to marry.
Sylvia only hoped and prayed she would survive the entire ordeal.
She drew in a deep breath and tapped gently on the door.
She was greeted with silence.
She knocked again and again.
Still, there was no response.
An unfamiliar wave of uneasiness washed over her.
“Sister…
should I come in?” she asked carefully.
She wasn’t ready to step into a landmine and get herself killed.
Sylvia knocked several more times, but the result remained the same.
Left with no other choice, she slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The dressing room was brightly lit.
Everything looked perfect.
Almost dreamlike.
Yet there was no sign of Leslie, nor was there a stylist.
Sylvia’s heart pounded against her chest.
The wedding dress lay neatly across the bed.
She swallowed hard.
Rushing toward the restroom, she pushed the door open.
Empty, just like the dressing room.
Sylvia’s heart sank into her stomach.
“Leslie…
where are you?” she called, hoping to hear an answer.
The only sound that greeted her was her own breathing echoing throughout the room.
She turned and headed toward the door when a piece of paper resting on the dressing table caught her attention.
With slow, cautious steps, she walked toward it, her hand trembled as she reached for the paper.
Just then the door was pushed open.
Everything froze.
My handsome and beautiful readers.
Welcome on Board the Sylvia and Damian ship.
I hope you will give this work a chance in your library.
I promise it would be an interesting journey.