The Strange Groom's Cursed Bride

It was still hard for Alice to process. She had been abducted and smuggled into the West. The place everyone in the East and South dreamed of. As for Northerns, they couldn't even have such dream. It was just impossible. Their fate.

And yet, here she was.

Maybe that's why Aurora hadn't hesitated all those years ago. Pricillia was from the West. Aurora must have seen a way out, a golden ticket she couldn't refuse.

But then Pricillia's next words hit her like a freight train.

Pretend to be Aurora.

What? The words didn't fully sink in, not yet. They didn't matter.

She was in the West.

The realization warred with a fresh surge of anger. "YOU KIDNAPPED ME AND SMUGGLED ME INTO THE WEST? DO YOU EVEN REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE? I COULD GET ARRESTED!" Her voice climbed higher with each word.

She stopped herself before adding, again. That wasn't the point right now, but the gnawing thought wouldn't leave her. She was on a blacklist, for crying out loud. What would happen if anyone found out?

She forced herself to focus. "How did we even get here? What's… what's today's date?"

"It's only been six hours," Pricillia replied smoothly, her calm tone grating against Alice's nerves. "A helicopter ride takes just two hours."

Alice blinked. A helicopter. She had been smuggled into the West on a helicopter. They should have at least woken her up to see—

That was not the point!

She shook her head, trying to clear it.

Six hours. Paula must be frantic by now.

Pricillia sighed, her voice carrying a practiced serenity that only fueled Alice's fury. "Alice. I understand your anger, but you're safe. I've taken care of everything." Her tone softened just a touch. "And I can take care of anything."

That tone. Alice didn't trust it.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Oh, well, isn't that comforting? Because being drugged and dragged here against my will is exactly what I needed to feel safe."

"ALICE!" Pricillia's voice snapped like a whip, startling her.

She didn't just dare!

The woman's sharp tone stilled the room. Pricillia's composure faltered for a brief moment, but she quickly regained it. "I know you're pissed. And I knew you wouldn't come willingly if I asked. That's why I had to resort to this."

Alice's laugh this time was sharp, caustic. "Oh, so the great Pricillia Malay couldn't bring her wonderful self to the North? Was it beneath you?"

The woman didn't answer immediately.

Alice furrowed her brows as her slow brain began to work, piecing things together, and then her anger sharpened into something colder. She fixed Pricillia with a hard stare. "You knew, didn't you?"

Pricillia's expression didn't shift, but her silence was answer enough.

"You knew I couldn't return on my own," Alice said, her voice trembling with rage. The realization burned in her chest.

The woman had left her with no choice from the beginning.

"What do you think you're doing right now, Pricillia?" Alice demanded, her voice rising again. "You're not afraid I'll report you for this? For kidnapping me?"

"Alice," she said softly, "you can't do anything to me."

Alice clenched her fists, trembling with frustration. That calm assurance, that arrogance—it was infuriating because it was true. What could she, a blacklisted Northerner, possibly do to a Westerner who controlled the country's largest law firm?

"…But I can do everything for you," Pricillia continued, her voice low but charged with meaning. She stepped closer, opening the file she had been holding and pulling out a document.

Alice wanted to look away, but her eyes betrayed her, glancing at the page. Her breath caught when her gaze fell on the number printed boldly at the bottom.

It was money. More money than she'd ever seen in her life. More than she could have imagined.

Her heart sank. Whatever this was, it wasn't going to be simple.

"I could double it," Pricillia said, her tone steady, unwavering.

"You'll get a house. You can live in the West if you want or anywhere else. And…" Her voice softened, carrying that dangerous allure of a devil's bargain. "I can make it all go away—the records that have haunted you, the blacklist, everything. You can live the life you've always dreamed of." She stepped closer, her eyes fixed on Alice, her words honeyed but heavy with undertones. "You have nothing to lose, Alice. But so much to gain. Trust me—I'm risking everything to do this."

Alice hated herself at that moment. Was it the temptation of a life she had only dared to imagine in her darkest hours? Or was it Pricillia's masterful manipulation, weaving promises so skillfully that even Alice, hardened by life, found herself rooted to the spot, unable to turn away? Her gaze fell back to the papers, the promises outlined in black and white.

"Just one year, Alice," Pricillia pressed, her voice almost pleading. "Until Aurora recovers. I know it's too much to ask, but… you can pretend to be her."

"Pretend?" Alice's voice cracked as she stared at the woman. "Why… why would I need to pretend to be her?"

For some reason, it hadn't actually struck her that she and Aurora would still remain identical after all these years, at least in their features.

"Life here in the West is different," Pricillia explained, her mask of calm slipping as her eyes glistened. "Even a whisper of scandal can destroy everything. People are already questioning Aurora's absence. I can't even bring myself to tell her fiancé's family about her illness. It would ruin everything."

Fiancé?

Aurora was getting married. Of course, she was. To someone wealthy, no doubt.

"If they're her in-laws-to-be," Alice asked sharply, "why can't they know the truth?"

Pricillia flinched, then composed herself. "It's complicated," she admitted. "But it must remain a secret. That's why I need you." She stepped even closer than she already was, her voice softening. "Don't think of this as me paying you. Think of it as me trying to make amends. I was wrong to separate you and Aurora all those years ago. Let me give you the life you deserve."

Alice's lip curled. Lies.

But the gains…

Money.

A house.

Paula could finally have a stable life.

Vivian's medical bills—she would be able to pay.

But...

Pricillia must have sensed her hesitation. "I know about your sick friend," she added casually, her tone soft. "I'll cover her medical expenses. You won't have to lift a finger. I told you—I'll take care of everything. You can start over, Alice. Be brand new."

Alice's eyes widened in disbelief. "You… investigated me?"

Was this for real?

She would also pay the medical bills?

Pricillia's lips curled into a wry smile. "Investigating is such a big word," she said smoothly. "Let's just say I found out everything in seconds."

Seconds. The arrogance in her voice was unmistakable. Alice felt a shiver run down her spine.

Was this what the shaman hinted at?

She wasn't prepared for this.

The promises were too good.

Money.

A clean slate.

A chance to save Paula and Vivian.

Even if every instinct screamed that this was a bad idea, how could she walk away? She was no saint. She'd sell her soul if it meant survival.

Her throat was dry when she finally spoke. "And... what exactly do you need me to do?"

"Attend her wedding," Pricillia said simply.

Alice's blood turned to ice as dread filled her. She could already imagine what was coming next even before they came.

"As the bride," Pricillia added in a whisper. Then, as if to drive the final nail into Alice's resolve, she said, "To the WildFire heir."

The name hit Alice like a physical blow. Her knees threatened to buckle, and her vision blurred.

The Wildfires.

Their name was synonymous with power, wealth, and a ruthlessness that knew no bounds. They controlled industries, dictated policies, and their reach extended beyond borders.

"W-What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"It's in one week," Pricillia said. "The wedding."