Chapter 2

I don't even know how I survived that night.

Cole didn't touch me. He slept in the guest room.

I lay alone on the cold bridal bed, staring at the ceiling until dawn.

Every single word from that journal was burned into my brain.

My youth, my love, my entire life—all of it was a massive joke.

But I couldn't just give up. Not for myself, and definitely not for my family.

The next morning, Cole sat at the dining table, eating breakfast as if nothing had happened.

When he saw me walk downstairs, he even offered a small smile.

"You're awake. Come have some breakfast."

I forced down the wave of nausea hitting my throat and sat opposite him.

I told myself: Toni, you cannot panic. Do not let him see you break.

From this moment on, you are the one who has to act.

"Cole, are we still going on our honeymoon?"

I did my best to make my voice sound normal.

He looked at me, slightly surprised.

"Of course. The tickets are already booked, aren't they?"

"Great." I forced a smile. "I really want to go to Paris. You promised you'd take me there."

He nodded, a hint of suspicion lingering in his eyes.

"Sure. Whatever you want."

After breakfast, I made an excuse to pack my bags and locked myself in the bedroom.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.

Julian Vance. He was our family’s legal counsel, and the man my father trusted most.

The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up.

"Hello?" Julian’s voice was professional but carried a hint of morning tiredness.

"Julian, it’s me. Toni."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"Toni? Happy wedding day. Is everything okay? It's pretty early."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice.

"Julian, I need some legal advice."

"If... hypothetically, a friend of mine found out that her new husband only married her to steal her family's wealth... what should she do?"

Julian let out a soft chuckle.

"Toni, you should really stop watching those lifetime dramas."

"Without concrete evidence, accusations don't mean anything in court."

His tone was detached, purely professional.

I knew he wouldn't believe something so wild without proof.

"Evidence... I'll find it."

After hanging up, my heart sank.

If even Julian thought I was being paranoid, how was I going to find proof?

Then, I remembered the last line of Cole's diary.

"Father, your vengeance is at hand."

Cole’s father? I thought Cole was an orphan?

Also, the diary mentioned a few other details—meetings with friends, and some unusual bank transfers.

I opened my phone and started checking our joint bank accounts.

Most transactions were normal living expenses. But one stood out.

Three months ago, there was a fifty-thousand-dollar wire transfer to a completely unfamiliar name.

The memo read: "Personal loan."

Cole never lacked money. My father had given him a black card with a massive limit. Why would he need to borrow fifty thousand dollars from a stranger?

I quickly took a screenshot of the transfer and sent it to Julian.

Then, I texted him:

"Julian, please run a background check on this account owner. I will cover the fees."

As soon as the message sent, I deleted all call logs and texts.

I walked out of the room. Cole was leaning against the living room couch, scrolling through his phone.

Seeing me, he looked up. "All packed?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Let's head to the airport."

He stood up and naturally reached for my hand.

I flinched, pulling away instinctively.

The air in the room instantly froze. Cole's eyes darkened.

"Toni, don't play games with me."

I forced myself to meet his cold gaze and smiled. "I'm just... still adjusting. We're actually married now."

He stared at me for a few agonizing seconds before letting it go.

But I knew. He was starting to doubt me.

This game was getting incredibly dangerous.