12 As the wedding was about to begin , a little boy clutching a glass of grape juice suddenly darted into the hall and crashed into Alayna . The purplish - red liquid instantly soaked most of her white dress . She let out a shriek " My dress ! " Who is this misbehaved child ? Who let him in ? Get him out of here right now ! " Duncan hurried over at the sound . But when he saw the irritation on Alayna's face , he froze mid - step . In his memory , she'd always been gentle and quiet , never so irritated , no matter what happened . Seeing her like this felt strange , unfamiliar . " Duncan ? When did you get here ? I didn't even notice . " Duncan looked up again . Her expression had softened into the usual gentleness , a stark contrast to moments ago . " I heard your voice , so I came to check . Are you all right, Alayna ? " " It's fine . A boy spilled grape juice on my dress by accident . I'll go change . Wait here for me . " " Okay . " Duncan nodded . But a strange sense of estrangement lingered . It wasn't the first time . Every so often , looking at Alayna , he felt like he barely knew her . It seemed she was different from the person he'd been with before . But he couldn't really say what exactly was different . And sometimes , the person who suddenly popped into his mind wasn't Alayna , but Kirsten . A flicker of doubt stirred in Duncan's heart , yet he couldn't voice it . After all , Alayna was his wife . He was merely Kirsten's brother - in - law . Brother - in - law . He suddenly recalled how Kirsten had called him that before he got in the car . She'd looked pale then , handing over the wedding gift she'd prepared before turning to leave . He hadn't even had time to call out to her . 10:13 1.8 % AD Binance : Buy Bitcoin & Crypto Install now > PG 广告 There's the usual crypto platforms , then there's Binance . See why we're different . Duncan thought of that box , a sudden urge to see what was inside . He took the elevator to the parking lot , searching his car thoroughly . He called his assistant , Richard Walters , over . Where's that box I gave you this morning ? " Mr. Glenn , do you mean the one from Ms. Wilkinson's younger sister ? " Richard sounded hesitant , caught off guard by the question . Duncan frowned . " What's wrong ? Can't you even handle a simple task ? " " Mr. Glenn , Ms. Wilkinson said it wasn't worth keeping , so she told me to throw it in the trash . " " What ? " Irritation surged in Duncan . " Do you remember where you tossed it ? Go get it back . Now ! " " Okay , I'll go right away . " Richard finished speaking and left right away . Watching Richard's retreating back , Duncan had a vague unease . Ten minutes later , Richard hurried back with the box . But just as he was about to hand it to Duncan , Alayna appeared , cutting them off . Richard quickly stepped away with the box , knowing better than to interfere . " Duncan , what are you doing here ? I just came out of the changing room and couldn't find you . " This is the one I changed into . Do you like it ? " Alayna twirled , her purple wedding dress with its long train shimmering under the lights . Duncan's gaze dimmed slightly . He distinctly remembered her saying she hated purple . So why choose a purple dress for their wedding day ? The doubts in his mind deepened , swirling chaotically . " It's nice , " " The color suits you , " he said , forcing a smile , Alayna , oblivious to his distraction , went on admiring her dress . The melodious strains of a zither filled the air . The host stepped onto the stage , delivering the familiar opening remarks . When he called for the bride and groom , Alayna's face lit up with anticipation , but Duncan's eyes remained calm , unreadable . 10:13 Menu 1.8 % AD Binance : Buy Bitcoin & Crypto Install now > PG 广告 There's the usual crypto platforms , then there's Binance . See why we're different . < 12 He held Alayna's hand , walking slowly onto the stage . But in a haze , the face that kept surfacing in his mind was Kirsten's . He froze there , rooted . " Duncan ? What happened to you ? "