My husband’s younger brother, Neo, decided the Felton family estate was the perfect backdrop for his new reality dating show. Which is how Adrian and I, his older brother and sister-in-law, accidentally became the show's reluctant counterparts. At first, the internet forums dismissed me as a mere prop. The neglected wife with the difficult mother-in-law, a pale shadow next to the show's glittering stars. But then, things started to change. Soon, the producers were being flooded with comments: [@FeltonLoveProducers: I live for the moments with the big brother and his wife! Petition to get them more screen time!] [I'm literally scouring the corners of the screen for crumbs of their sweetness!] [My sugar levels are dangerously low. I need a dose of Adrian and Celeste, stat!] 1 Neo Felton’s love life was a whirlwind romance, splashed across the tabloids and trending on social media every other day. His girlfriend was the one and only Penelope “Poppy” Vance, a bona fide movie star. The prodigal son had finally been tamed. He spent a solid month wearing down Adrian until my husband finally relented, agreeing to let them film the show at the family manor. Adrian didn’t bother to tell me until a week before the cameras were due to arrive. “We just have to cooperate for a few episodes,” he said. “If you don’t want to be on camera, we can move out for a while.” I was sprawled languidly across the sheets, my shoulders a pale gleam of skin against the dark cascade of my hair. “Forget it,” I murmured. “Too much effort to move.” I’d lived in the Felton estate for the three years I’d been married to Adrian. It was home. I was too lazy to pack. 2 The morning filming began, I drifted downstairs, still half-asleep. Adrian had already instructed the crew not to film me without permission, so the cameras were pointedly focused elsewhere. The ground floor was already buzzing with activity. Poppy Vance was the center of it all, surrounded by an entourage, playing the lady of the manor to perfection. She caught sight of me out of the corner of her eye and gestured graciously to the head housekeeper. “Mrs. Gable, could you please get Celeste some breakfast as well?” Mrs. Gable hesitated, her gaze flicking to me for confirmation. I stifled a yawn and gave a slight nod. Only then did she signal to the kitchen. Neo, already at the table, greeted me. “Morning, Celeste.” My eyes felt heavy with sleep. “‘Morning.” “Adrian already left for the office?” he asked. “Hm? I guess so,” I said, my voice thick with uncertainty. The man was up before the sun, every single day. Even after a long night, nothing could disrupt the routine he’d followed for decades. But that was Adrian Felton. As the heir to the Felton empire, his legendary self-discipline and control were ingrained in him. He never, ever lost his composure. Even our private life was scheduled with an almost clinical precision. While I waited for my food, Poppy suddenly glided over and sat beside me, linking her arm through mine with a practiced smile aimed at a nearby camera. “This is Celeste’s first time on camera, so she’s a little shy,” she cooed to her audience. “I hope all my fans will be extra sweet to her!” She turned to me, her smile dazzling. “Don’t be nervous, Celeste. My fans are the best.” And just like that, I was on screen—no makeup, a thoroughly bewildered expression on my face. Poppy kept an eye on the live comment feed, her own sweet smile never faltering as she cherry-picked questions to answer. “You think Celeste looks familiar? Hmm, maybe it’s because she has one of those familiar faces.” “You’re asking how old she is? Shhh! It’s not polite to ask a lady her age!” After answering a few more questions and realizing the focus was still stubbornly on me, she gracefully returned to her seat, trying to steer the conversation back to herself. The live feed, however, was still buzzing. [So that’s Neo Felton’s sister-in-law? The wife of the Felton Corporation’s CEO?] [She really does look familiar, and not in a generic way. I swear I’ve seen her on TV before!] [Is she trying to ride Poppy’s coattails to get famous?] [Poppy is so generous, letting her sister-in-law get free screen time.] [I’m only here for Poppy! She’s so gorgeous!!!] [Poppy is so lucky. Her fiancé is handsome, rich, and totally spoils her!] Meanwhile, my mind was a million miles away. I was exhausted. Utterly drained. Adrian had just returned from a week-long business trip. And last night, my meticulously disciplined husband had decided to… make up for lost time. All of it. My body was still protesting. 3 After breakfast, Neo disappeared into the study to handle some work, leaving me once again in the clutches of the relentlessly cheerful Poppy. She pulled me onto the sofa to look at wedding dresses. She and Neo were engaged and planning a wedding for the near future. “Celeste, what do you think of this one? Isn’t it gorgeous?” I glanced from her to the glossy bridal magazine in her hands. “It’s beautiful.” “What about this one?” Another glance. “That one’s beautiful, too.” “Celeste,” she began, flipping through the pages with feigned casualness, “I heard you and Adrian never had a wedding ceremony?” I took a loud bite of my apple. Crunch. “We didn’t,” I replied after a moment. Poppy gasped, her hand flying to her lips in mock horror. “Adrian didn’t even give you a wedding?” “I was the one who didn’t want one,” I clarified, shaking my head. Adrian and I had an arranged marriage, a union of dynasties. There were no feelings involved, at least not at first. Before we signed the papers, he’d asked me, “When would you like to have the ceremony? A church or a beach wedding?” Back then, I had zero expectations for our marriage. We were complete strangers, names in a contract. The thought of exchanging rings and kissing a man I didn’t know in front of a crowd of people was horrifying. “Let’s just skip it,” I’d said without a second thought. “It seems pointless.” I remember how he’d just stared at me, his gaze deep and unreadable. After a long silence, he agreed. And whenever anyone asked, he simply said it was his decision, taking all the blame and shielding me from the gossip. Poppy, however, seemed to have missed my explanation. “But every woman dreams of her perfect wedding day,” she went on, her voice laced with a pity I didn't want. “How could Adrian not give you that?” I didn’t bother to explain further. It wasn’t worth the energy. “Neo says he’s going to give me the wedding of the century,” she sighed, her tone a perfect blend of complaint and adoration. “I told him not to be so extravagant, but you know how he is. He says he’ll never let me have a single regret about marrying him.” She fanned the magazine pages. “But look at all these dresses! They’re all so perfect, I just can’t choose.” Her happiness was so radiant it practically glowed through the screen, and her fans lapped it up. [Neo spoils Poppy so much! She’s living a real-life fairytale.] [This is what I’m here for! Neo and Poppy are the sweetest couple ever.] [Talk about a reality check. Look at the scowl on the sister-in-law’s face.] [Can you blame her? Her marriage is just a business deal. I bet it was Adrian who refused to have a wedding.] “Celeste, my head is spinning,” Poppy declared dramatically. “Why don’t you pick one for me?” She pushed the magazine towards me. I flipped through a few pages at random and pointed. “This one is lovely.” Poppy gave it a cursory glance. “The waistline isn’t very flattering.” She snapped the magazine shut. “Oh, never mind. I’ll just have Neo help me choose later. He always has the best taste.” 4 After the wedding dresses, she moved on to rings. “Celeste, didn’t Adrian buy you a wedding ring?” Poppy asked, her eyes zeroing in on my left hand. On my ring finger was a simple, unadorned band. Its strange, stylized crest looked like something you’d find in a cheap souvenir shop. “He did.” I glanced down at the ring. The day we got our marriage license, I found two ring boxes on my nightstand. One held a diamond the size of a small planet. The other held this. Adrian had asked me which one I wanted to wear. I thought this one was ugly, but the diamond was so large it seemed impractical for everyday life. I chose this one without much thought. “That’s it? Did Adrian pick that up at a corner store?” She let out a tinkling laugh. “Oh, I’m just joking, you know me! Don’t take it seriously.” She stuck her tongue out playfully for the camera. Then, she held out her own slender hand, showcasing the massive diamond glittering on her middle finger—her engagement ring from Neo. She wiggled her fingers. “I told Neo not to spend so much. A diamond this big is just heavy, and it gets in the way. But he insisted. I couldn't stop him.” She sighed again, the picture of burdened love. “And just the other day, he told me I have to pick a wedding band with an even bigger diamond.” She turned her bright eyes to me. “Celeste, you have to help me choose.” “Sure,” I said. I had nothing better to do, so I started slowly flipping through the catalog she offered. Just then, Neo finished his work and emerged from the study. He wrapped his arms around Poppy from behind, planting a kiss on her cheek. “How’s the ring shopping going, beautiful?” Poppy snuggled back against him. “Celeste and I were just looking,” she said sweetly. Then her voice took on a concerned tone. “Neo, darling, don’t you think Adrian is being a bit… thoughtless? He didn’t even get Celeste a proper ring.” She looked at him with wide, compassionate eyes. “Maybe we should buy one for her? You know, to make up for it. It would be our gift.” She must have thought he’d agree immediately, praising her for her generosity. Instead, Neo’s gaze swept over my hand, and he chuckled. “Poppy, my love, you should never underestimate that ring.” He pointed at my hand. “That’s the Felton family signet. It has been passed down for generations. It signifies the matriarch of the family.” He paused for effect. “Wearing that ring, Celeste could walk into any room in this city and command it. Seeing that ring is the same as seeing Adrian himself.” The smile vanished from Poppy’s face. For a moment, she was completely still, her expression frozen. Her eyes, now fixed on my ring, were a mixture of disbelief, calculation, and a flicker of raw desire. Wait, what? This ugly ring meant that? Why hadn’t Adrian told me? I thought it was just a piece of metal. I only wore it because it was lightweight and didn’t get in the way. [HOLY— I knew that ring wasn’t some cheap knockoff! If you look closely, that crest is the Felton family emblem!] [I thought Adrian didn’t care about her, but he gave her the ultimate symbol of power!] [Don’t worry, Poppy, you’ll get one when you’re married.] [Doubtful. There’s only one matriarch. Unless something happens to Adrian and Neo inherits everything.] [Why shouldn’t Poppy get one?! Just because Neo is the second son, she can’t be the matriarch and wear the ring?!] [Adrian supposedly dislikes his wife, so why did he give her the ring?] [She’s his wife, and he’s the heir. Who else was he going to give it to, you?] The comment section exploded into a full-blown war over the ring. Poppy was practically vibrating with jealousy, her eyes glued to my hand. It was only when Neo prompted her, “Poppy? What’s wrong?” that she managed to tear her gaze away. She quickly grabbed Neo’s arm and pulled him to the other end of the sofa to look at diamond catalogs, her voice a little too bright.
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