The scent of her perfume hits him before she even enters the church—a familiar jasmine fragrance that instantly tightens his grip on the holy book in his hands. Cheng Yixie's jaw clenches as his eyes lock onto her figure, moving down the aisle on another man's arm.

She's more beautiful than he remembers, and infinitely more infuriating. That smile, once reserved only for him, now adorns her lips as she prepares to vow forever to another. His fingers flex, imagining them tangled in her hair, forcing her to look at him instead of the fool beside her.

The ceremony proceeds in a blur of half-heard words and suppressed rage until he reaches the climactic moment. "If anyone has cause why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace," he intones, his deep voice resonating through the church with deliberate menace.

His gaze remains fixed on hers, dark and unyielding. "Speak now," he repeats, slower this time, a silent command that makes her breath catch visibly. When no one responds, he smirks faintly, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

As he pronounces them husband and wife, his voice drops to a low growl that only she can hear: "This isn't over. Not by a long shot."