My Groom's Brother Married Me

Nathan's black sedan cut through the darkness of the city before passing through the towering iron gates of the Valmont family's main estate.

Silence lingered inside the car.

Elina rested her head against the window, watching the blurred glow of the city lights.

Her silk wedding gown felt stiff, wrapping around a body that had grown colder by the minute.

The car came to a stop in front of the Valmont mansion.

"Get out," Nathan said shortly as the engine was turned off.

Elina gave a small nod.

She stepped out of the car and followed Nathan toward the front entrance.

Her footsteps came to an abrupt halt when Nathan turned to face her.

He extended his hand.

"Hold my hand."

Elina obeyed.

She slipped her hand into Nathan's, feeling the gentle yet reassuring grip of his large fingers.

They entered the mansion together.

The moment they stepped through the front door, a shrill voice shattered the silence.

"Have the two of you completely lost your minds?"

Velicia stood in the center of the grand living room.

The middle-aged woman's face was flushed with fury, and her eyes glared at Elina as though she wanted to tear her apart.

"What exactly were you thinking at the wedding?" Velicia demanded as she strode toward them. She pointed a finger directly at Elina's face.

"You shameless woman! Jeremy only left for an emergency, and you took advantage of the situation to seduce his brother!"

Elina closed her eyes briefly and took a slow, deep breath to steady herself.

"Jeremy didn't leave because of an emergency, Aunt Velicia. He ran away."

"He went to help his sick friend at the hospital!" Velicia shouted hysterically, refusing to listen. "Jeremy called me! He said he was coming back to the ballroom as soon as he finished! He still intended to go through with the wedding!"

A hollow laugh escaped Elina's lips.

It sounded cold, unfamiliar even to herself.

"Come back?" Elina repeated flatly, meeting Velicia's gaze without fear. "He knew the doors would open in two minutes. He knew three hundred guests and the media were waiting inside. Yet he still chose to run to Rachel Laurent."

"Rachel was in critical condition!" Velicia snapped. "Why are you being so petty and jealous?"

She continued blaming Elina for marrying Nathan instead.

"Jealous?"

Elina raised an eyebrow.

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her gown.

"I'm not jealous. I simply realized that neither my dignity nor the Roswell family's honor meant anything to your son. I refused to wait for him."

"Watch your mouth!" Velicia screamed. "Jeremy was your fiancé! If you had even a little patience, none of this scandal would have happened!"

"Enough, Mother."

Nathan's voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable authority.

He stepped forward, positioning himself beside Elina and blocking Velicia's line of sight.

"Elina made the right decision," Nathan said coldly. "She is not a backup option to be abandoned at the altar."

"Nathan!"

Velicia stared at him in disbelief.

"You're his brother! How could you stab your own brother in the back? You planned this to ruin Jeremy's position in the company, didn't you?"

The accusation reflected the long-standing rivalry between Nathan and Jeremy over the future leadership of Valmont Group.

Nathan remained perfectly composed.

One hand rested casually in the pocket of his tailored trousers.

"Jeremy ruined himself. He abandoned his responsibility, and I simply took what he threw away."

"You—"

"What's all this commotion?"

A deep, commanding voice echoed from the grand staircase.

Trevor Valmont descended the stairs.

The stern lines on his aged face hardened, radiating an intimidating presence that immediately silenced Velicia.

His gaze briefly swept over Elina before settling on Nathan.

"Trevor! Look at what your son has done!" Velicia complained, her voice trembling with rage. "He married his own brother's bride! This is a massive scandal! The media will destroy us!"

Trevor ignored his wife.

He stopped three steps in front of Nathan.

"Do you understand the consequences of what you've done tonight, Nathan?"

"I understand them perfectly, Father," Nathan answered without blinking.

"Valmont Group's stock could become unstable tomorrow morning," Trevor said in a low voice filled with the weight of business concerns. "You replaced the groom in front of all our most important associates. Did you think this through?"

Nathan let out a quiet, sarcastic chuckle.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me instead?"

Trevor narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"If I hadn't stepped in to replace Jeremy," Nathan continued calmly, "tomorrow's headlines wouldn't just be about the stock market. Every newspaper would be reporting how your favorite son—the heir you've always been so proud of—ran away from his own wedding for another woman."

Velicia's face instantly turned pale.

Trevor clenched his fists at his sides, his jaw tightening.

"Aren't you afraid of becoming the laughingstock of every business associate in this city?" Nathan continued, meeting his father's eyes. "Were you prepared to be humiliated because your favorite son turned a multi-million-dollar wedding into a joke? I merely cleaned up the mess he created."

The room fell into complete silence.

No one dared interrupt Nathan.

Trevor exhaled heavily and closed his eyes for a brief moment, struggling to suppress the anger building inside him.

When he opened them again, his gaze shifted to Elina.

"Are you certain about this, Elina?" he asked coldly. "Your marriage is legally valid."

Elina met the older man's eyes before squaring her shoulders.

"I'm absolutely certain. Jeremy chose to leave, and I chose never to accept him again."

Velicia clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.

"You'll regret this, Elina! Once Jeremy returns from the hospital, he won't let this go!"

"Let him come back," Nathan interrupted immediately.

He cast Velicia a dismissive glance.

"And when he does, make sure you teach him how to be a real man."

Nathan gently placed a hand around Elina's shoulder.

"Let's go, Elina."

Without waiting for anyone else's response, Nathan led Elina upstairs, leaving behind a room filled with suffocating tension.