Chapter 3 — The Wedding of Lies

The morning dawned clear and cloudless — one of those days that seemed chosen for perfection.

But not even the sun could chase away the cold that gripped the Sanchez household.

Selena had been awake all night. The dress she was supposed to wear as Cassio's bride still hung behind the door, untouched.

Patricia knocked around eight, but Selena pretended to be asleep.

She wouldn't go. She couldn't bear to watch her sister marry the man who, just weeks ago, had promised to love her forever.

Meanwhile, in the mansion's main hall, preparations were in full swing.

White flowers, candles, crystals, and imported tapestries filled the space. Everything gleamed, reflecting the power and money of the Vieira and Sanchez families.

Rodrigo surveyed every detail, unmoved.

For him, this wedding was more than a ceremony — it was a merger of empires.

Ivan and Silvia Vieira, Cassio's parents, arrived early.

Silvia, an elegant and frigid woman, embraced Patricia with a fake smile — the kind that never reaches the eyes.

"We're sorry about what happened with Selena," she said, glancing sideways. "But we understand Cassio's decision. It was... sensible."

Patricia answered promptly:

"Life is made of difficult decisions, Silvia. What matters is that fate put Ingrid in his path."

Ivan, a businessman with a pragmatic gaze, agreed with a nod.

"This union will bear good fruit for both families." His tone was that of someone discussing a corporate merger, not a marriage. "The Sanchez family has strength, and the Vieira family has the name. It's a powerful combination."

Cassio stood near the balcony, listening without reacting. He looked impeccable in his gray suit, his expression unreadable.

He had the look of a man who knew the role he needed to play — and would play it, no matter the cost.

Upstairs, Ingrid was getting ready.

The room was overtaken by makeup artists, hairstylists, and photographers. The wedding dress — a one-of-a-kind creation — looked as though it had been made for the very moment she'd been dreaming of from the start.

When she looked at herself in the mirror, a triumphant smile appeared.

The reflection showed a stunning woman draped in white purity, but her eyes betrayed her soul: cold, calculating, victorious.

Patricia walked in and stopped behind her.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "No one can imagine how hard you fought to get here."

"Fought?" Ingrid turned, fastening the veil. "Mother, I simply took what was mine. Selena never knew how to hold on to what she had."

Patricia forced a smile, without the nerve to argue.

Outside, the guests were already taking their seats. The ceremony would be held in the mansion's gardens, beneath a structure of glass and golden lights.

When Ingrid appeared, a murmur rippled through the crowd.

She walked slowly down the illuminated aisle, her long veil trailing across the white carpet, escorted by her stepfather.

Photographers captured every movement, every rehearsed smile.

Cassio kept his gaze fixed on her, but his mind was elsewhere.

What he felt wasn't love — it was duty.

With every step Ingrid took, he tried to convince himself he was doing the right thing. But it was Selena he loved.

Ivan and Silvia watched with quiet pride, satisfied with the grandeur of the event.

For them, it didn't matter who stood beside their son at the altar, as long as the Vieira name remained intact and there would be heirs in the future.

Rodrigo, at Ingrid's side, smiled with satisfaction.

The alliance with the Vieira family meant stability for his business. And more importantly, it guaranteed that his biological daughter — Selena — wouldn't raise suspicions about the real reason for the switch.

When the officiant announced:

"I now declare you husband and wife..." — applause erupted, drowning out the silence that filled Selena's room.

In her bedroom, Selena heard the distant sound of fireworks celebrating the union.

She sat on the bed, hugging a pillow, trying not to think about how her life had been ripped away from her like a torn page.

Silent tears slid down her face.

Not out of envy, but out of helplessness.

Because she had been the victim of a game where love never held any value.

The ceremony, however, was a pageant of appearances.

Ingrid smiled for the cameras, paraded among the guests, toasted with champagne, kissed her husband for the photographers — but behind the scenes, the mood was different.

Cassio avoided looking her in the eyes.

During dinner, while the guests raised their glasses, he seemed distant, mechanical, as if every gesture were a social obligation.

"Is everything all right, my love?" Ingrid asked, touching his arm.

"Everything's fine," he answered without emotion. "Just tired."

She smiled, keeping up appearances.

"We're one now, Cassio," she whispered. "And no one will ever be able to separate us."

The words sounded like a promise — or a threat.

Patricia watched her triumphant daughter, and for an instant, something inside her faltered.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't ignore the emptiness in Cassio's eyes.

There was something about this marriage that seemed cursed.

But she swallowed the thought, raised her glass, and toasted with Rodrigo, who smiled with satisfaction.

The alliance between the families was sealed.

And the charade was complete.

When the party ended and the guests had gone, Ingrid stood before the mirror in the hotel suite where they would spend the night.

She removed the veil carefully, touching the necklace Cassio had given her.

"I did it, Mother," she murmured to herself, smiling. "Now I'm Mrs. Vieira."

On the other side of the city, Selena was still awake, staring out her bedroom window.

Moonlight seeped through the curtain, illuminating the medical report on the desk.

She stared at it, feeling a strange unease — something she couldn't quite explain.

It wasn't just sadness. It was a feeling — a premonition that this story was far from over.

And she was right.

The bridal suite was bathed in shadow. The scent of white roses mingled with the smell of champagne left forgotten on the table. Ingrid, wrapped in a silk nightgown, believed she was about to live the night of her dreams — the crowning moment of the victory she had so desperately wanted.

But Cassio remained distant, sitting in the armchair, his gaze lost in nothing.

"Cassio," she said, approaching with a hesitant smile, "this is our wedding night. I want you to know that I always liked you. I kept quiet because of Selena."

He looked up, serious, expressionless.

"Ingrid, I need time to come to terms with this situation." His voice was firm. "To me, you're still a stranger."

Ingrid's smile faltered.

"You're in love with Selena, aren't you? Am I wrong?"

Cassio took a deep breath before answering.

"No, you're not wrong. But sometimes we have to bury our feelings. Power comes first."

Ingrid looked away, swallowing her pride.

That night, she realized she had won the last name, the luxury, and the ring — but not Cassio's heart.

And the silence between them was colder than the marble of the suite.

She lay down on the bed, waiting for Cassio to come lie beside her.

But Cassio grabbed a blanket and settled onto the sofa, where he was already falling asleep.

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