Chapter 99

Ayleen sat in the middle of the bed, her wedding dress sprawled around her like a pool of blood-red silk on the pristine white sheets. Roses and jasmines covered every bare surface of the room, their intoxicating scent mixing with the flickering glow of candles. To anyone else, it would have been the perfect romantic setting, but for her, it was nauseating—a cruel mockery of the life she was about to step into.

Murat’s aunt and cousins had seated her here over an hour ago, giggling and teasing, their words a blur as they bustled around her. Ayleen had forced a few weak smiles, her anxiety too overwhelming to engage with their playful banter. Only she knew the grim reality of what lay ahead.

Her nervous eyes darted around the room. The décor was exactly what she’d expected of him—black and gray, stark and imposing. The king-sized, four-poster bed with its maroon duvet embroidered with delicate white patterns dominated the room. A white chaise lounge rested elegantly again