Shadows of the Altar

The bridal suite smelled of forced lilies and the metallic tang of a room where the air had been recycled too many times. Fourteen minutes. The clock on the vanity didn't tick; it pulsed, a silent countdown to a ceremony designed to erase her.

Lin Yue stood before the mirror, the silk of the gown cool and heavy against her skin. It was a masterpiece of tailoring, meant to drape over a woman who would be too grateful to notice the seams were pinned to hold her in place. She caught Gu Shen’s reflection in the glass. He

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