Chapter 2 A Wedding for One

Six years later—

Cindale.

At the prestigious The Crown Platinum Hotel , an unusual wedding was taking place. There was no groom—only a bride.

The groom, Benjamin, had been in a car accident three months ago and had since fallen into a vegetative state. Doctors claimed he wouldn’t last even a month.

Benjamin was the youngest son of Old Mr. Schmidt, the head of the Schmidt family. Despite exhausting every possible method to save his son, the old man had failed to wake him up. In the end, he turned to one last resort—marriage for good luck.

As the most powerful family in Cindale, the Schmidts had plenty of options. Finding a woman whose birth chart matched Benjamin’s wasn’t difficult.

But what woman would willingly marry a man on the brink of death—one who even had a child from a previous relationship? And become a stepmother?

Everyone present at the wedding had come to watch the spectacle unfold.

“Old Mr. Schmidt must have gone senile. His son is sick and instead of hiring doctors, he’s relying on superstition?”

“He’s clearly obsessed with old beliefs. Just sit back and enjoy the show.”

The seats were full, yet every guest was murmuring about Benjamin and his condition.

When the auspicious hour arrived, the beautiful bride stepped out in a flowing white wedding dress, stunning the entire room.

A wave of awe swept across the hall as all eyes turned to the radiant woman.

Standing before the crowd, Amanda gave a soft, subtle smile. Under the lights, she gleamed like a star.

As her long, alluring eyes swept across the audience, they landed for a fleeting moment on Barry Schmidt and Carol. A shiver of hatred coursed through her body. She lowered her eyes slightly, hiding the intense loathing in them.

After six long years, Amanda was finally back.

Benjamin was the younger uncle of Barry, and her birth chart happened to be exactly what Old Mr. Schmidt needed.

She had successfully married into the Schmidt family—this was her first step toward vengeance.

The wedding ceremony was brief. In front of all the guests, she slipped on the wedding ring. The moment the ring was on, the ceremony was complete.

The entire time, Barry couldn’t take his eyes off Amanda. Something about her felt oddly familiar.

After the ceremony, Amanda was taken to the Schmidt family estate.

the Schmidt family residence was a luxurious manor nestled between mountains and water—serene, grand, and imposing.

The butler escorted her to her room, instructing her to remove her makeup and change before meeting Benjamin.

Sitting before the vanity, Amanda gazed into the mirror at her radiant reflection. After three long years of reconstructive treatment, her face was flawless again.

It wasn’t quite the same face from six years ago—most people wouldn’t recognize her. But it was still stunning.

Thinking back to what had happened six years ago, a searing hatred surged in her chest.

Snap— The brow pencil in her hand broke clean in half.

Back then, after escaping the fire, she had been saved by a benefactor and rushed to the hospital, where she gave birth to quadruplets. But her eldest was taken away immediately after birth.

Her face had been disfigured, and she had lost a child. Everything that had happened felt like it had been orchestrated behind the scenes.

All that pain—Barry and the Wilson family had inflicted it on her.

And now, it would all start with Barry.

She changed into a red evening gown that the servants had prepared and stepped outside, where the butler was already waiting.

The butler stepped forward respectfully. “Young Madam, I’ll take you to the Young Master’s room now.”

“Thank you,” Amanda replied calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.

The butler felt a growing sense of admiration. This new Young Madam had been obedient and composed since arriving.

Benjamin’s room was just next door. The butler opened the door and pointed to the man lying in bed. “That’s our Young Master.”

Amanda lowered her gaze.

The man lying there had features that looked sculpted by God himself—flawless and striking. Even unconscious, his powerful presence was undeniable.

The butler handed her a business card. “Madam, this is the private doctor’s contact. If anything happens to the Young Master, call this number.”

Amanda accepted it with a nod. After she thanked him, the butler left the room.

As the door closed, she heard the sound of the lock turning—it was clear she wasn’t meant to leave. This was, after all, their wedding night.

Looking around at the spacious room—with only a single bed and a man who couldn't even wake up—Amanda felt no threat.

She stood at the bedside, gazing at Benjamin for a long moment before sitting down. Then she calmly placed her fingers on his wrist and began to take his pulse.

A minute passed. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she turned to look sharply at the unconscious man, a trace of suspicion in her eyes.

She checked his pulse again—same result.

Silently, she moved her hand away, then rolled up her sleeve and removed a small pouch strapped to her arm.

From inside, she pulled out a silver needle and slowly inserted it into a spot near Benjamin’s throat.

Fifty seconds later, she removed it—and the faint shimmer of blue light on the needle’s tip made her eyes narrow slightly.

Such sophisticated technique…

She glanced down at Benjamin, hesitated for only a moment, then took out a pill and gently placed it in his mouth.

Then, picking up her phone, she sent a message to Cindy:

“Everything went smoothly. Take care of the three babies with Tara.”

The next morning.

After washing up, Amanda heard a hurried knock on the door.