Vows Forged in a Past Inferno

I stared at Cillian in shock, wondering what madness had seized him now.

"Avelina Carvallo, we had an agreement. Trinity will be a bridesmaid tomorrow. I saw the guest list. Why isn't Trinity's name at the head table?"

"Are you deliberately messing with me? Are you trying to publicly humiliate Trinity tomorrow?"

So that was it. His towering rage was because his mistress wasn't seated at the table of honor.

But I had already decided to cut my losses and let him have her. This wedding was never going to happen.

"Avelina, I know you're angry with Cillian for being so protective of me, but he's just taking pity on me and wants to give me some support. If you don't want me at the wedding, you could have just said so. Why cause a scandal tomorrow?"

Trinity continued, "The Donnelly family is respectable, prominent. Imagine the scandal—his fiancée throwing a jealous fit at her own wedding. What would Boston's elite say about Cillian? How could he ever show his face in public again?"

With that, she dropped to her knees with a thud on the cold marble floor.

"Avelina, I'm begging you, please just have a proper wedding with Cillian tomorrow. I won't go. I just ask that you don't let him be embarrassed in front of everyone."

"As long as Cillian truly loves me, a wedding is just a formality. I don't care about empty titles."

She spoke with a mix of stubbornness and grievance. With every word, Cillian's face grew darker.

"Avelina Carvallo, do you have to be so aggressive?"

"Do you have to force me to be a heartless bastard and humiliate Trinity? Who would dare spend a lifetime with a venomous woman like you?"

Because we were at the entrance of the estate, several visiting partners and our family's bodyguards had gathered nearby.

A pot-bellied politician sighed, "This girl... she knows the Donnelly kid has someone on the side, yet she still insists on marrying him. She must be after his family's power."

"It's normal for a man to have a woman on the side. If she were a little more magnanimous, this would all blow over. Making a scene at her own doorstep, how embarrassing."

"No wonder the Carvallo Principessa is so desperate. They've been entangled for a decade. All of Boston knows if a Donnelly doesn't marry her, she'll be ruined. No one in our world will touch her."

Their words were daggers in my chest. Seeing my face turn pale, Cillian thought I was scared and grew smug.

"Avelina, I'm not a completely heartless person. As long as you behave and accept Trinity, I'll still give you a wedding worthy of your name tomorrow and make you Mrs. Donnelly."

But in my past life, this monster had not only devoured my family's business but had also watched me burn alive. Seeing his self-righteous, smug look now, I found it incredibly ironic.

He probably thought he was God's gift to women.

Perhaps my expression was too desolate, because a flicker of guilt crossed Cillian's face.

"Avelina, I was a little worked up just now. I spoke too harshly."

"Don't worry, after we're married, you will always be the lady of the house. Trinity will have to respect you. How about this: I'll appear publicly with Trinity at events, and you just need to play the part of Mrs. Donnelly. In return, I'll fulfill my duties as a husband."

"See? I still favor you. Stop throwing your princess tantrums."

Hearing his arrogant words, I wanted to laugh out loud.

He acted like some emperor choosing his concubines, certain that every woman was desperate for his favor.

I suppose his confidence was earned. In my past life, when he’d gone on vacation with Trinity, I’d staged a hunger strike, crying and begging him to stay.

But in this life, whether he wanted to take Trinity to the movies or to a fancy dinner, it had nothing to do with me anymore.

Forcing a man whose heart isn't with you to stay only makes you feel disgusted with yourself.

"Alright, Cillian, it's getting late. We have a wedding to get to tomorrow. We should both get some rest."

Cillian was displeased with my cold attitude, his face darkening. He leaned in close, his voice a low threat only I could hear:

"You'd better play nice tomorrow and let Trinity walk down the aisle on my arm. Otherwise, don't blame me if I call the whole thing off and leave you standing alone at the altar. We'll see what man in this town dares to touch damaged goods like you after that."