Chase Sterling always felt like furniture. The kind you don't notice, the kind that's easy to shove in a corner and forget. He was used to it: people looked right through him, brushed him off like lint. But it only takes one phone call to erase a lifetime of being overlooked. When his estranged family meets a tragic end, Chase suddenly finds himself in charge of the sprawling Sterling fortune. Turns out, riches aren't the only thing the family left him. There's a curse running through his blood, warping love into something hungry and dangerous, impossible to escape.

Vivian Ashford never set out to blow Chase's life to smithereens. Just one decision (a sharp, ruthless move at graduation) was all it took to set their worlds spinning out of control. While Vivian soaks up the Hollywood limelight and collects red-carpet headlines, Chase slips into his new role as Manhattan's most intimidating heir. But no matter how far they run, something keeps yanking them back together, like a stitch in an old wound that refuses to heal.

The wedding planning begins exactly one week after Helena's failed attempt to strip curse from Chase, exactly when accepting that rampage won't stop until I choose means accepting I need to either commit to Jackson fully or end engagement honestly, exactly when bridal magazines and PR managers and dread become my daily reality instead of just occasional pressure.


Jackson's publicist coordinates with mine. Creating timeline for wedding that maximizes publicity while minimizing drama. Planning ceremony that showcases our relationship as healthy redemption narrative instead of acknowledging complicated reality beneath public performance.


Chapter 171 - Vivian's Wedding Planning