"What's wrong? You don't look well. Are you sick?" Jade's eyes were full of concern as she looked at me.

I finally snapped back to reality, gulping in air as I tried to calm down, pinching myself to regain control.

Forcing a smile, I said, "I'm fine."

I kept repeating to myself, "Jade is my best friend, and Dylan's about to be my fiancé. There's no way they'd betray me. This has to be some kind of cruel joke."

"Hurry up and get in that dress."

Just then, Dylan walked up to me with a grin.

Hearing that familiar warmth in his voice, I suddenly thought about the cold, distant "Amelia" from the phone call. I couldn't quite shake it.

"What's up? You feeling okay?"

Dylan leaned in close, pressing his forehead against mine. His face was so near, I could almost feel his breath, like he was just a second away from kissing me.

I froze, my body going rigid as I took a step back in confusion.

I wasn't sure if I was scared or just embarrassed.

"Jeez, can you two stop with the PDA already? I can't take it!" Jade teased, playfully covering her eyes with her hands.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, a mix of irritation and fluster. "What are you talking about? Let's go try on the dress."

I placed my hand over my chest, willing my racing heart to slow down. "You're overreacting, Amelia. You've got a loyal best friend and a fiancé who adores you."

I kept telling myself that, trying to bury the nagging doubts.

Once I had the wedding dress on, I pulled back the curtain, but just then, flames erupted outside, smoke filling the room in a thick, suffocating cloud.

The clock on the wall pointed exactly to five.

"Dylan! Amelia!" I called out as I stumbled through the haze, the heavy fabric of the wedding dress dragging against the floor, making it harder to move with every step.

Thankfully, I spotted Dylan a moment later.

Jade's violent coughing came from just behind me.

Panic surged through me as I tried to lift my dress and go to her.

But Dylan moved faster.

He rushed right past me, straight to Jade, shouting, "Jade! Stay with me! I'm getting you out of here!"

The fire was spreading fast, and in the chaos, one of the burning beams started to give way.

It was going to fall on the three of us.

"Jade!"

At that moment, without a second's hesitation, Dylan threw himself over Jade, shielding her as the flames scorched his clothes.

He let out a painful groan but refused to move, keeping himself over her.

Meanwhile, the beam crashed down on me, pinning me to the ground. The sharp pain in my legs was unbearable, making it impossible to move.

The searing agony ripped through me, and I screamed, my voice trembling with fear. "Dylan, my legs—they're trapped under the beam!"

But it was like he didn't hear me at all.

Without even glancing my way, Dylan stripped off his jacket, wrapped it around Jade, and carried her, step by step, out of the burning room.

"Dylan!" I screamed, disbelief and shock flooding through me as I called out his name with every bit of strength I had left.

For a split second, he paused—but then kept walking, holding Jade close as he left me behind.

The thick smoke choked my lungs, and I couldn't catch my breath. The wedding dress, too heavy to move in, had started to catch fire.

The burning sensation crawled up my calves, the flames licking at my skin, while Dylan carried Jade away without a single glance back.

"How is this happening?"

A bitter wave of helplessness washed over me, and for the first time, I felt the cold grip of death closing in.

"Was the phone call real? Was Jade really Dylan's dream girl?"

Doubt crept in, swirling with confusion and pain.

But even then, deep down, I hoped—no, I prayed—that Dylan would come back for me.

Yet, even as the beams collapsed, crushing me under their weight, I never saw him again.