Damien Laurent

The ocean was black that night.YN stood at the edge of the yacht, the wind tangling her hair as fireworks burst across the sky. Twenty-seven. Powerful. Engaged. Untouchable.“Make a wish,” Eric whispered behind her.Sasha giggled softly.YN closed her eyes.She never heard the footsteps shift.Never saw the glance they shared.Only felt it— Two hands.A shove.The world tilted.The sky vanished.The ocean swallowed her whole.The last thing she saw before sinking was her sister’s face.Not shocked.Not guilty.Smiling.Cold water filled her lungs. Her birthday candles above blurred into distant sparks. The sea wrapped around her silk dress, dragging her deeper, quieter— Until everything went dark.One year later.Church bells rang through the city.White roses lined the aisle.Sasha adjusted her diamond earrings, radiant in custom couture. Eric straightened his cufflinks, smiling for the cameras.“They never found her body,” Sasha murmured.Eric squeezed her hand. “It was an accident.”They both knew it wasn’t.The doors opened.Their wedding planner walked in.Black suit. Calm posture. Unreadable eyes.Her face— Impossible.“Good afternoon,” the woman said smoothly. “I’m Carrie. I’ll be overseeing your special day.”Eric went pale. “You…”She tilted her head politely. “Have we met?”Her voice held no recognition. No emotion.No memory.Sasha’s nails dug into her palm. “You look like someone we used to know.”Carrie smiled faintly.“I get that a lot.”But behind those steady eyes lived something else.Something patient.Something burning. As the planning unfolded, subtle fractures began to form. Seating charts rearranged to place Eric too close to Carrie. Private rehearsals that lingered a second too long. Soft glances engineered to be seen. Sasha noticed.Paranoia bloomed.Was Eric staring?Was he hesitating?Was he remembering?And every time Sasha tried to remove Carrie from the wedding—The request was denied.