My Fiancé Faked His Death, So I Married His Uncle

The second Yolanda said it, all eyes locked onto the ring on my finger.

Someone in the crowd scoffed loudly.

"You know, I heard a story like this before," they said, voice dripping with amusement. "Some woman showed up in front of Mrs. Jagger, pregnant, claiming the baby was Mr. Jagger’s. And you know what happened? Mrs. Jagger took off ‘Only Love in This Life’ for one day—just one damn day. And the next thing you know, that woman was found in Atessa’s underground market. Collar around her neck. Limbs gone."

The room went still. Jason’s expression darkened, the arrogance in his face flickering ever so slightly.

Yolanda leaned into him, voice soft, full of fake concern. "Jason, there are so many people watching," she murmured, pressing a hand to his chest. "Before Uncle Colton finds out, we should handle this quietly."

Jason hesitated for about two seconds. Then, without a word, he reached for a knife from the table.

My stomach dropped. I stepped back, but his friends were already closing in. Blocking every possible way out.

"Jason," I forced out, my voice steady even though my heart was hammering. "If you touch me, Colton will come after you."

Jason didn’t react, but Yolanda let out a small, almost sympathetic sigh.

"Whitney, stop being so stubborn," she said, shaking her head. "You don’t understand how ruthless Uncle Colton is. If he comes for you, it won’t just be your hands. Jason’s at least giving you the easy way out."

Jason stepped forward, gripping the knife tightly. For a split second, there was something almost hesitant in his eyes.

Then he forced a smirk. "I’ll be gentle."

Panic shot through me as strong hands grabbed my arms, pinning me down. I struggled, my breathing sharp and uneven.

"Let go!" I shouted, voice raw. "My husband is Colton!"

The whole room went dead silent. Then, laughter. Mocking, cruel, loud.

Jason squatted down, his face full of amusement, like I had just told the funniest joke in the world.

"Whitney," he sighed, shaking his head. "I get it. You love me so much that you’ll say anything just to get my attention. But this?" He chuckled under his breath. "You don’t have to go that far. Even if you lose your hands, I won’t despise you."

Then, without another second of hesitation, he swung the knife down. A white-hot pain exploded through my body.

The ring, along with my ring finger, dropped to the floor.

My vision blurred, black spots dancing at the edges. The pain was unreal, like my entire body had been set on fire.

Through the haze, I saw her. Yolanda.

She moved fast, grabbing my severed finger off the ground—then, before I could even process what was happening, she tossed it out the window.

When she turned back, her lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile. Jason’s friends shifted uncomfortably. One of them finally spoke up, voice low and uneasy.

"Jason… maybe that’s enough," he muttered. "Be careful, man. If you do get your memory back, this might not end well."

Yolanda’s expression twisted in an instant.

"Jason, don’t listen to him," she cut in, voice urgent. "Uncle Colton will be here any minute. Do you really want to stand here and watch as she gets all her limbs chopped off and ends up tied up in a pole?"

Another voice chimed in. "She’s right. Better to let her go with a prosthetic than to lose her life."

Jason clenched his jaw. For the first time all night, he actually looked uncertain. However, his hesitation lasted all of two seconds before his expression hardened again.

Jason’s grip on the knife tightened, his jaw clenching as he looked down at me; curled up, trembling, bleeding.

"Whitney, this is for your own good," he muttered through gritted teeth. "I’ll make it up to you later."

I couldn’t even respond. The pain was unbearable, my body shaking uncontrollably. My vision blurred, my breath shallow. All I could do was let silent tears slip from the corners of my eyes.

The knife gleamed under the light as Jason raised it again. I braced myself.

And then, the ballroom doors slammed open. The entire room went still. The once lively, mocking atmosphere instantly turned ice cold.

Colton Jagger walked in, his presence sucking all the air from the room.