Ethan pov

As the media frenzy started to settle, and the cameras faded away, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. The pressure had been overwhelming, especially with the announcement of Celine's shares and our public appearance. But as I watched her stand there, handling it all with such grace, I felt something I hadn’t expected: satisfaction. I had made the right choice, at least in terms of the contract.

In the beginning, I knew this marriage was a necessary step. My family needed me to settle down, and I needed someone who could play the role without complicating things. Celine had fit the bill perfectly. She was beautiful, poised, and came from a background that wouldn’t raise any questions. She was someone who could make my family happy, and that was all that mattered.

But now, standing here, watching her interact with the people around her, I realized how wrong I had been to reduce her to just a 'role.' She wasn’t just fulfilling a contract; she was becoming an asset in her own right, and I didn’t just respect her for that. I admired her.

There was a quiet strength in Celine that I hadn’t noticed before. It wasn’t just about the way she carried herself in front of the media or how she managed to handle everything with a smile. It was the little things—the way she seemed genuinely interested in the people around her, the way she had connected with my family, and the way she made me feel more at ease with this whole situation.

I had expected to feel nothing more than a business partnership between us, but the more time I spent with her, the more I realized she was a good person. A genuinely kind and caring person who wasn’t in this for the fame, the money, or the power. She was here because she wanted to help her family and because she believed in doing the right thing.

When I first saw Celine, I saw her as a means to an end. She was beautiful, yes, but she wasn’t someone I thought would change my life. Now, standing here, watching her handle everything with such ease, I realized I was wrong. She was exactly what I needed—not just for my family’s expectations, but for me, too.

I could see how much she cared for her family, how important they were to her. That kind of selflessness was rare, and it made me respect her even more. In a world where people were always looking out for themselves, Celine was different. She put others before herself, and that was something I hadn’t seen in a long time.

As the day went on, I couldn’t stop thinking about how right I had been in choosing her. She wasn’t just a pretty face or a woman to fulfill a contract. She was someone who could bring something real to this marriage, someone who could be a true partner. Maybe not in the traditional sense—at least not yet—but in a way that made me feel good about the decision I had made.

For the first time since this whole thing started, I wasn’t just going through the motions. I was actually looking forward to what came next. I wasn’t sure where this would go—whether it would remain a business arrangement or turn into something more—but for now, I was content. I had made the right choice, and I was proud of it.

Celine had proven me wrong. She wasn’t just fulfilling a role; she was becoming someone who could be more than I had ever anticipated. I didn’t need to worry about whether this was the right decision anymore. It was. I could see it in the way she handled herself, in the way she interacted with everyone. I could see it in the way she had already started to make a difference in my life, even without trying.
As the evening went on, and I found myself once again lost in my thoughts, I couldn't help but wonder—could I tell Celine the truth? Could I be honest with her about who I really was? I had spent so much of my life hiding that part of me, burying it deep within. But now, with everything that was happening, I began to question if it was time to share that truth with someone, someone like her.

I looked at Celine across the room. She was talking to my manager, her face glowing with an expression of ease and comfort that was so rare for someone who had only just entered this world. I admired that about her—how naturally she seemed to fit in, how her innocence made everything seem so simple. But here I was, struggling with the simplest of decisions. Should I tell her?

Could I trust her with my truth? I wasn’t sure. I knew how society worked, how people reacted to things they didn’t understand, and the one thing I feared most was being judged. I had spent so much of my life being careful, holding back, pretending to be something I wasn’t. But could I tell Celine? Could I let her see the real me—the one who had been in love with my best friend, Oliver, and who had never been able to truly let go?
I realized with a sinking feeling that Oliver was still unaware of my feelings. He had no idea about the love I had for him, the emotions that had stayed hidden for so long. It was a secret I had never been able to share with him. And now, even if I told Celine, what difference would it make? Would it change the way she saw me? Or would it just create more distance between us, more confusion?

The more I thought about it, the more I felt like it was a lost cause. Oliver, in his own world, was busy searching for someone else. Someone entirely different from me. He had been looking for a girl, a girl whose mother had once stolen his purse. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy when I thought about it. What if he actually liked her? What if she became more important to him than I ever had been? The thought of Oliver finding someone else, someone who wasn’t me, was a hard pill to swallow. But it was the reality I had to face.

I had tried to push my feelings for Oliver aside, especially now that he seemed so consumed with this girl. He had been obsessed with finding her, and to be honest, I had no idea what he saw in her. But then again, who was I to judge? Perhaps he didn’t need me the way I had once needed him. Maybe he had moved on, or maybe he had never felt the same way. I was left with the bitter reality that my love for him was unrequited, and now, it seemed like he had found someone else to focus on.

I tried to shake off the bitterness that crept up every time I thought about it. But the more I thought about it, the more it became clear that if I told Celine, it wouldn’t change anything. She wouldn’t understand what I felt for Oliver, or worse, she might think that I was still stuck on him, unable to move forward. And in the end, it wouldn’t matter because Oliver was focused on something else now. I was just a shadow in his past, someone who had been a part of his life but had never really mattered in the way I had wanted to.
Oliver had been away, traveling to another country, keeping himself busy with his own life. But when he returned, it felt like the entire world shifted. As if his absence had created a vacuum, and the moment he came back, it threatened to pull everything back into chaos. And I knew, deep down, that I wasn’t ready to face him again. Not when things were so fragile between me and Celine.And now, he was standing here, wanting to meet the woman I had married. The woman I had chosen, the woman who, in many ways, had become my anchor
.I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to handle the situation. How would Oliver react to meeting Celine? How would Celine react to him? There was so much unspoken history between Oliver and me—emotions that neither of us had ever fully expressed. And now, in this moment, I was forced to face the truth.

I walked over to Oliver, my heart racing, and I could see the curiosity in his eyes. He was eager to meet her, eager to see the woman who had become a significant part of my life. But I couldn’t help but wonder—was he looking at her through the same lens he had once looked at me? Was he hoping to see something in her that reminded him of me?

"Oliver," I said, my voice steady but uncertain, "this is Celine. My wife."

Celine, standing beside me, smiled politely as she extended her hand to Oliver. I could see the hesitation in her eyes, the unspoken question lingering in the air. I could almost feel her trying to gauge the situation, to understand the dynamics between us. And I knew she must have wondered why I had introduced her to Oliver with such weight, with such a careful choice of words.

Oliver, for his part, was polite but distant. There was something about the way he looked at Celine that unsettled me. He seemed so... withdrawn, almost as if he were searching for something. His eyes scanned her, trying to place her in some way. I could feel the subtle tension, like a storm waiting to break.

As Celine spoke with him, trying to make small talk, I noticed something in Oliver’s expression. His eyes softened, just for a moment. A flicker of recognition. And I couldn’t help but wonder—had he seen something in her? Was Celine the one who could fill the void he had never known? The thought made my chest tighten.

I had spent so many years hiding my feelings for Oliver, pretending that everything was fine, that we were just friends. But now, in this moment, I realized just how much he had been a part of my life. And I also realized that I couldn’t protect Celine from the past, no matter how hard I tried.

For a brief moment, as I watched Oliver talk to Celine, I felt like an outsider in my own life. I had spent so long trying to push my feelings for Oliver aside, trying to convince myself that I had moved on. But in that instant, I saw something in Oliver's eyes—a glimpse of the past, a connection that couldn’t be ignored.

Oliver pov

I was going mad. For days, I couldn’t get that girl, Celine, out of my mind. I had been away on business, thinking I would return and figure out everything that had been bothering me. But deep down, I knew that there was one thing I had to do—find out more about her. This girl who had somehow disturbed my peace of mind.

I had heard the rumors, seen the whispers, and wondered just what kind of hold she had over Ethan. I had to know. I told myself that once I got back, I would finally face this mystery and make sense of it. I would figure out what made her so special, or if she was just another passing fascination. Little did I know, when I returned, everything would change in ways I never imagined.

The moment I walked into the wedding, everything felt off. The grand ceremony, the smiles on everyone's faces—it all felt too perfect. And then, there she was. Celine. But what caught my attention wasn’t just her presence—it was the reality that hit me hard in that moment. Celine wasn’t just some random girl who had caught Ethan's attention. No, she was the one he was marrying.

I stood there, frozen for a second, as the world around me seemed to blur. The smile on Ethan's face when he introduced her to me was something I couldn't ignore. It was like a punch to my stomach. This wasn’t the Celine I had imagined. The girl I thought was just a blip in Ethan’s life, was now standing here as his wife. My friend, the one who had once been so close to me, was now about to embark on a new chapter with her.

The truth hit me like a tidal wave. My heart raced, my thoughts scattered. Ethan’s voice, though steady, felt distant. He introduced her as his wife, and in that moment, I could hardly hear him. All I could focus on was the overwhelming feeling in my chest—the betrayal, the shock, the confusion.

"Oliver," Ethan said, his voice cutting through my thoughts, "this is Celine. My wife."

His words felt like an insult. I knew what he meant—he was proud of his decision. But for me, this was a stab in the heart. Celine? The girl who had been so mysterious, so unpredictable? The one I had let occupy my thoughts for days? And now, she was here, standing before me, not as someone I could explore or understand, but as someone who belonged to Ethan.

Celine looked at me with polite curiosity, extending her hand. I could feel the coldness in the air as I shook it. Was this really happening? Had Ethan really gone this far? I had been foolish to think that the Celine I had been obsessing over was anything more than a distraction. But now? Now, I was standing face to face with her, and the reality was like a slap. She wasn’t my distraction anymore. She was his.

I tried to act normal, to put on a smile, but my insides were screaming. I had come here with so many questions, so many feelings, and now they were all turned upside down. I couldn’t even look at Celine without seeing Ethan’s name written all over her. How had I not seen this coming? How had I been so blind?

But as I watched them interact, I began to notice something unsettling. There was something familiar about the way they looked at each other. It wasn’t just a marriage for the sake of convenience. No, they had something more, something deeper.

I wanted to believe it was all for show, that this was just a way for them to fool the world. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t. The way Ethan looked at Celine—it was different. There was no hiding it. He loved her. And that thought crushed me more than anything else.

I couldn’t deny it anymore. Ethan had chosen her. And I had been left behind, with nothing but my own selfish thoughts and regrets.

But I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t let go of the question—Why her? Why Celine? What made her so special? What made her the one Ethan would marry, when I had been by his side for years? What was it about her that had captivated him so completely?

And then I realized—I had no answers. No matter how hard I tried, I would never truly understand the connection they shared. I wasn’t part of that world anymore.