Meanwhile, at the wedding venue, the guests had already taken their seats.

A marriage between two of Dornwich's most powerful families was bound to be a grand spectacle. But behind the scenes, chaos reigned.

Harrison's father, Matthew Steele's expression was dark as he snapped, "Harry, have you gotten in touch with Scarlett or not? The ceremony starts in 15 minutes! If there's no bride by then, we'll be the biggest joke in Dornwich!"

Harrison's face was just as grim.

He dialed Scarlett's number again, only to hear a cold, mechanical voice. "Sorry. The number you've dialed is unavailable."

With a sharp crack, Harrison slammed his phone down on the table.

What the hell was Scarlett doing? Wasn't this the wedding she had always dreamed of? Hadn't she schemed just to marry him? Hadn't her biggest wish been to be his bride?

And now that the moment had finally arrived, where the hell ha

Harrison exhaled in relief.

As he said, Scarlett loved him too much to miss their wedding. She was just playing hard to get.

At this thought, annoyance flared within him. Just as he was about to scold her for being childish, he looked up and froze.

"Hazel? Why are you…"

He was even more stunned when he saw what she was wearing.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

The "bride" standing before him wasn't Scarlett. It was Hazel. She was wearing the wedding dress she had designed.

At his question, her cheeks flushed red. She lowered her head and spoke in a small, timid voice, "Uncle Harry, I heard that Scarlett never showed up. The wedding guests are all waiting. If there's no bride, the entire city will mock the Steele family.

"So I put on the dress. I thought if Scarlett isn't coming, then let me take her place. Let me marry you, Uncle Harry!"

Hazel lifted her gaze, her eyes shining w

Scarlett let out a mocking smirk. Ignoring the searing pain in her leg, she dragged herself forward with every ounce of strength she had.

She had stopped believing Harrison's promises a long time ago. She had to get out on her own.

By the time she reached the first floor, the flames had nearly consumed everything.

Harrison was clearing a path to the exit. The moment he spotted her, his expression darkened. "I told you to wait for me."

But this wasn't the time for an argument. He turned to help Hazel up when she suddenly shouted, "Watch out!"

A massive wooden beam, charred and weakened by the fire, cracked and came crashing down. The first beam fell toward Scarlett.

"Scarlett!" Harrison's face paled as he instinctively stepped forward.

But before he could take another step, a second beam snapped loose, plummeting straight toward Hazel.

At the last moment, Harrison turned back and shielded Hazel in his arms.

The burning beam slammed into his back. He let out a muffled groan of pain.

At the same time, the other beam struck Scarlett's back.

Agonizing pain exploded through her body. Through the haze of fire and smoke, she barely registered the sight of firefighters finally breaking in.

And there was Harrison, still holding Hazel in his arms, protecting her with everything he had.

Scarlett smiled weakly.

Harrison made the same choice even in this life.

…

When Scarlett woke up, she was in a hospital bed. The first thing she saw was Harrison, already bandaged and treated.

The moment he noticed she was awake, his voice was stiff as he said, "I spoke to the doctor. Our injuries aren't serious. The wounds have been treated, so they won't affect the wedding today."

Scarlett stared at him in disbelief. Even now, he still thought she wanted to marry him?

She couldn't even be bothered to explain anymore. She got out of bed. "I want to be discharged."

Today was the day she was leaving for Project Aether. She couldn't waste any more time.

Harrison, however, assumed she was just eager to get to the wedding venue. A sense of relief washed over him.

As expected, Scarlett was still desperate to marry him.

For some reason, that thought put him in a strangely good mood.

Annoyed at himself for feeling that way, he quickly masked it with a stern expression. "I'm heading to the venue first. Come when you're done."

The moment Harrison left, Scarlett called for her driver.

"Ms. Yeager, are we heading to the wedding?" he asked.

Scarlett didn't hesitate. "No. Take me to the airport."

As she grabbed her suitcase and headed straight to the terminal to meet Dylan, countless messages from Harrison flooded her phone.

"Where are you, Scarlett? Why aren't you here yet?

"If you don't start getting ready soon, there won't be enough time! Do you still want this wedding or not?

"I'm giving you ten minutes. Show up. Now!"

Finally, his patience ran out. Scarlett's phone screen lit up with an incoming call.

Without even glancing at it, she powered off her phone, pulled out the SIM card, and tossed it into the nearest trash can.

Then, without looking back, she walked toward her gate and boarded the plane.

Only one thought filled her mind. "Goodbye, Harrison. From now on, I will live for myself."

Meanwhile, at the wedding venue, the guests had already taken their seats.

A marriage between two of Dornwich's most powerful families was bound to be a grand spectacle. But behind the scenes, chaos reigned.

Harrison's father, Matthew Steele's expression was dark as he snapped, "Harry, have you gotten in touch with Scarlett or not? The ceremony starts in 15 minutes! If there's no bride by then, we'll be the biggest joke in Dornwich!"

Harrison's face was just as grim.

He dialed Scarlett's number again, only to hear a cold, mechanical voice. "Sorry. The number you've dialed is unavailable."

With a sharp crack, Harrison slammed his phone down on the table.

What the hell was Scarlett doing? Wasn't this the wedding she had always dreamed of? Hadn't she schemed just to marry him? Hadn't her biggest wish been to be his bride?

And now that the moment had finally arrived, where the hell had she gone?

Meanwhile, Harrison's mother, Ella Carter, had just finished a call with the hospital.


Chapter 10