I went to the Holloway estate to pick up the wedding invitations for my boyfriend’s older brother.

But when the heavy, creamcolored cardstock was pressed into my hand, the goldembossed script didn't read "Brooks Holloway and Seraphina Moore." It read "Brooks Holloway and Sienna Hayes." I stared at my own name, tracing the letters until they blurred.

I pulled out my phone and messaged Bennett. The "typing..." bubble appeared, vanished, and appeared again. Minutes ticked by. Nothing. That was so typical of Bennett. In our three years together, his greatest talent was his selective mutism.

Whenever a question became too uncomfortable, he simply retreated into a fortress of silence. Do you love me? Silence. Why were you with Seraphina on New Year’s Eve when you told me you were working late? Silence.

He knew that if he waited long enough, my patience would fray, my resolve would crumble, and I would be the one to apologize for "overreacting." An hour later, the vibration of a text rattled my palm. [Sienna, don’t be petty.

It’s just a legal formality to get through the ceremony.] [Once you divorce my brother, we’ll go back to how things were. I’ll make it up to you, okay?] The pieces clicked together with a sickening metallic snap.

Seraphina—his precious childhood "best friend"—had gotten cold feet at the last minute. Bennett couldn't stand to see her distressed, yet he was too terrified to let the Holloway family lose face in front of the city's elite.

So, he had offered me up as the sacrificial lamb. I felt a hysterical laugh bubbling up in my chest. I typed back: [Have you thought for one second about the gossip?

About what this does to my life?] Silence. [Did you ever actually love me?] Total silence. If silence was his answer, I was done asking the questions.

On the day of the wedding, I walked into that courtroom, smiled, and signed the marriage license with a steady hand. Then, I vanished.

Three months later, Bennett cornered me in a hospital hallway, his eyes bloodshot and frantic. "Why the hell did you actually stay married to my brother?" I protected my slightly rounded stomach with one hand and flashed him a sharp, knowing smile.

Then, I did exactly what he had taught me. I pulled out my phone and showed him the message I’d prepared. [Don’t be petty.] [It’s just a marriage and a baby. It’s a process.] [Once this is over, we’ll go back to how things were.

I’ll still date you then, okay?]

When I first arrived at the Holloway mansion three months ago, I found Seraphina locked in her room. Bennett was pacing the hallway like a caged animal, his face a mask of anxiety. "Sera, honey, please," he called through the wood. "I’m here.

If you don't want to go through with it, no one will force you. I won't let them." He heard my footsteps and turned.

His eyes darted to my face, then down to the invitation in my hand, before flicking away as if I were a stranger he’d accidentally bumped into on the subway. "Sienna," he said, his voice flat. "What are you doing here?" I held the invitation up between us like a shield. "I'm here to ask why my name is printed on this." Bennett’s brow furrowed for a fraction of a second before he grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward the stairs. "Let’s talk downstairs.

Sera hasn't slept in days. Don't start a scene and trigger her." His voice was still that gentle, deceptive honey, but his grip was iron. I wrenched my arm away. "She’s triggered?

So I’m the one who has to be humiliated?" "It’s different for you." Bennett went silent for a few beats, then reached out to tuck a stray hair behind my ear.

It was a practiced, hollow gesture of affection. "You know Sera’s parents died when we were kids. She’s been a ward of this family forever. We owe her that extra care, Sienna. It’s just three months.

Once the dust settles, I’ll take you to the lawyer for the divorce myself. I promise." There it was. The "sister" excuse.

Seraphina was the fragile porcelain doll he’d grown up with, which meant I was the sturdy plastic one that could be dropped, kicked, and traded away.

He would throw me a crumb of tenderness whenever I was on the verge of leaving, just enough to keep me starving for more. And if I pushed for a real answer? The silence would return.

We walked into the living room, where a few of Bennett’s friends—the usual inner circle of trustfund legacies—were lounging. They clearly knew the plan. One of them, Nate, let out a sharp whistle. "Hey, Sienna. Why the long face?

Most girls would kill to even step foot in this house. You got lucky Bennett picked you up, and now you get to be Mrs. Holloway for ninety days.

You should be thanking your stars." "Think of it as a trial run," another laughed. "You'll have some experience when you eventually marry Bennett. Save him the trouble of training you." The room erupted in smug chuckles.

Bennett’s lips curled into a faint, selfsatisfied smirk. "Shut up, guys." Nate nudged him. "What? Scared your little girlfriend is gonna run off?" Bennett looked at me, his gaze brimming with an unbearable arrogance. "Not a chance.

Sienna’s been with me for three years. She’s loyal to a fault. She isn't going anywhere." "Of course," Nate added. "She loves you so much she’d probably jump off a bridge if you told her it would help Sera. Marrying Brooks for a few months?

She’ll swallow that pill just like every other one." In the middle of their laughter, Bennett didn't defend me. Instead, he reached into a drawer and pulled out a stack of documents.

He took my hand, stroking my knuckles as if soothing a temperamental pet. "Ignore them. I’ve got the paperwork ready. You just need to show up and sign tomorrow. What do you want as a 'thank you' when this is over?

That new designer bag you were looking at?" I looked into his eyes—the eyes I used to think were my North Star. The insults were ringing in the air, and his only solution was a bribe. "Sienna?" Nate called out, his voice mocking. "Why so quiet?

Don't tell me you’re actually going to throw a tantrum after Bennett’s been so generous." Bennett watched me, waiting for my inevitable submission. I remembered every time I’d folded. The anniversary he skipped to pick up a "drunk" Seraphina.

The week he froze me out because I dared to complain. The time I was in the ER with a high fever, and he left because Seraphina had a nightmare and "needed a familiar face." My best friend Cassie called me a doormat.

I told her it was "unconditional love." But looking at the contempt in that room, the "love" finally died. It wasn't a slow fade; it was a sudden, violent extinction.

I pulled my hand back and closed the invitation. "Fine," I said, my voice cold and level. "I’ll do it. I’ll marry him. But Bennett?

Don't you dare regret this." Before he could respond, a heavy thud echoed from the bedroom upstairs, followed by the sound of shattering glass. Bennett’s face went white.

He didn't even look at me as he sprinted for the stairs. "Sera!" He burst into the room. Seraphina was slumped by the bed, shards of a water glass scattered around her bare feet.

Her eyes were red, her lip trembling. "I’m okay, Bennett," she whispered. "I just... I heard you guys arguing about me. I’m such a burden, aren't I?" Bennett didn't listen. He dropped to his knees, clutching her ankles. "Don't move.

You’ll cut yourself. God, Sera, stay still." Seraphina pulled back slightly, her eyes flickering toward the door. "Bennett, Sienna is right there. She’s going to be upset." "Who cares about that right now?" Bennett snapped.

He realized what he’d said and glanced back at me standing in the doorway. He swallowed, his jaw tightening. "Sienna’s fine.

She understands." He grabbed a towel and began wiping the dust from the soles of Seraphina's feet before sliding her slippers on with the kind of reverence a priest shows an altar.

He never once offered me an apology for the "who cares." The guys were leaning against the doorframe, sighing. "Sera’s got the best luck. Bennett’s always looked after her like she’s the only girl in the world.

No one’s ever gonna top that." Seraphina let a single tear fall. "No, don't say that. Brooks doesn't care who he marries. He just wants our father to stop hounding him about an heir.

As long as the wedding happens, he's satisfied." She looked up at Bennett, her gaze lingering. "The family has done so much for me. I should have been the one to help Brooks.

But the thought of being married to someone else... of having to keep my distance from the person I truly love... it was too much." The room went silent. The subtext was so loud it was deafening.

Nate broke the silence with a grin. "The person you truly love? He wouldn't happen to be in this room, would he, Sera?" Seraphina looked down, blushing. Bennett’s mouth quirked into a smile he couldn't suppress.

I stood there like a ghost in my own life. After a moment, Seraphina reached out and took my hand. "Sienna, don't be mad. Bennett and I grew up together. It’s a different kind of bond. You love him, right?

So don't make this hard for him." Bennett placed a hand on her shoulder. "I told you, she’s already agreed. Sienna’s all talk, but she has a good heart." "See?" Nate chimed in. "One look from Bennett and she’s tamed. Sera, don't feel guilty.

She’s not suffering. She’s getting a frontrow seat to the Holloway lifestyle. She should be grateful." Seraphina finally smiled. No one looked at me. I was a tool, a piece of equipment used to fix a leak in their perfect, gilded pipes.

Bennett stood up, his tone final. "It’s settled. Sera, get some rest. Sienna will take your place tomorrow." He walked me to the door later.

There was no guilt in his eyes, only a patronizing encouragement. "When this is over, I’ll seriously start thinking about our future. Show me you can handle being a Holloway wife, Sienna.

Be the woman I know you can be." He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "I'll pick you up at eight sharp tomorrow. I’ll be the one to walk you down the aisle and hand you over.

To make sure everything goes perfectly." "Fine," I said, looking him straight in the eye. "I hope you keep that promise."

The next morning, Bennett was two hours late. When he finally strolled into the bridal suite, he was yawning. "Sera was a wreck last night. She cried until dawn.

I had to stay with her until she finally drifted off." He stopped when he saw me in the gown.

For a second, a flicker of genuine shock—maybe even attraction—crossed his face. "You look... good." He smiled, then quickly checked himself. "It was tailored for Sera, though. It would have looked better on her." Old Sienna would have flinched.

New Sienna just kept adjusting her veil. Bennett seemed annoyed by my lack of reaction. "You still sulking?" "No." "Sienna!" He stepped behind me, gripping my shoulders.

But before he could start his "soft" manipulation, Seraphina’s voice floated from the hall. "Bennett? Are you in there?" She walked in wearing a simple white sundress.

Bennett immediately let go of me to meet her. "It’s freezing out, why are you dressed so lightly? Your hands are ice." He draped his jacket over her shoulders and called for tea. Seraphina looked at me. "You look beautiful, Sienna.

I guess it doesn't matter who the groom is—a white dress makes anyone look like a bride." Bennett didn't catch the sting in her words. Or he didn't care. I watched him fuss over her and remembered when he used to do that for me.

He once drove across the city in a rainstorm just to bring me an umbrella. My texts used to be pinned to the top of his screen. He’d show up at midnight with my favorite takeout just because I mentioned I was hungry.

Everything changed when Seraphina finished grad school and moved back. Suddenly, I was the one left waiting in movie theaters. I was the one signing my own surgery consent forms. The official papers were brought in. I didn't hesitate.

I signed "Sienna Hayes" with a flourish. During the family reception, the Holloway parents looked surprised to see me. They glanced at Brooks, who was standing beside me.

He shifted slightly, shielding me from their direct gaze. "She’s the one," was all he said. Bennett’s friends were whispering loudly in the back. "Sienna’s really moving up in the world today. Bennett, you better watch out.

A woman who’s been a 'Mrs.' once might not want to go back to being just a girlfriend!" Bennett laughed, looking smug. He took my hand and placed it into Brooks's palm. "Take care of her for three months, brother." Brooks gripped my hand firmly.

His voice was deep and steady. "Marriage isn't a loan, Bennett." Bennett missed the weight of the statement. He winked and slid a hotel key card into Brooks's pocket. "Right. Play the part well.

Don't let Mom and Dad suspect a thing tonight." He turned to me, whispering, "I’ll be the first person waiting for you in three months. And then, we’ll have a wedding that’s actually ours." Seraphina’s eyes narrowed as she watched his hand on my arm.

She suddenly gasped, clutching her chest. "Bennett, I feel faint." He was at her side in an instant. "Did you skip breakfast?" "I just need some air." She leaned into him, giving me a tiny, apologetic smirk over her shoulder. "Stay put," Bennett called back to me. "I’ll call you when I’m done with her." I watched them walk away.

I reached up, unclasped the "promise necklace" Bennett had given me for our first anniversary, and dropped it into the trash can. Brooks was behind me. He opened the door to the waiting car. "The guests are waiting, Sienna." I took his hand.

Perfect, Bennett. This time, you’ll never find me.

That night, Bennett sent two texts. [Sera’s still not feeling well. I’m staying at her place tonight.] [Don't be mad. I’ll take you to lunch tomorrow.] I didn't reply.

He didn't follow up, assuming I was just "throwing a fit." The next afternoon, Bennett showed up at my apartment with a bouquet of lilies. But when he tried his key in the lock, it wouldn't turn.

My landlord stuck her head out of the unit next door. "You looking for Ms. Hayes? She moved out yesterday. Lease is terminated." Bennett’s smile died. He pushed the door open to find a hollow, echoing shell of an apartment. He dialed my number.

I had snapped the SIM card in half the moment I left the wedding. "The number you have dialed is no longer in service." His friends showed up shortly after. Nate shrugged, patting Bennett on the back. "Classic move. She’s trying to scare you.

You made her marry your brother—she’s gotta play hard to get to regain some leverage. Give her three days, she’ll be crawling back." Bennett nodded, forcing himself to breathe. Every time we fought, I was always the one to bridge the gap.

He left a message on my social media: [Three days, Sienna. Enough is enough. Come home.] A week passed. Nothing. A month passed. Bennett was starting to crack. He went to Brooks’s office.

The assistant said the CEO was out of town on personal business, return date unknown. "Even my brother is playing along with her little game?" Bennett hissed. "Totally," Nate agreed. "Sienna loves you too much to stay away.

When the ninety days are up, show up with a ring. She’ll be crying with joy." Bennett clung to that. He spent the next two months designing a custom engagement ring.

He booked a fivestar restaurant and bought two firstclass tickets to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. On the day the "three months" were up, he waited at the courthouse starting at 8:00 AM. He waited until the building closed at 5:00 PM. No Sienna.

No Brooks. Panic finally set in. He called everyone we knew. No one had heard from me. Then, Nate called him, sounding breathless. "Bennett, you sure Sienna hasn't reached out?" "What is it, Nate?" "I’m at the hospital. St. Jude’s.

I just saw her best friend, Cassie, coming out of the OBGYN wing. She was holding a prenatal file... and the name on the tab was Sienna Holloway." The world tilted on its axis. "You’re lying. We broke up three months ago.

Even if she was pregnant..." He stopped. Three months ago. The wedding night. Nate let out a gasp over the phone. "Bennett, it’s real. Your brother’s car is in the lot. I just saw Cassie hand the lab results... to Brooks."