After lunch, Damon left to prepare for my ceremony. I'd thought it might be postponed due to recent events, but thankfully, it wasn't.

He drove me to Delilah's house before leaving. Delilah and I searched for an outfit. I was supposed to wear a white silk gown, signifying rebirth, but I didn't own one. Delilah owned thousands of silk dresses, but none were white.

"Ugh! This is so frustrating. Damon asked me to shop for a dress for you, but I've been so busy with Luca that I forgot. He's going to kill me," Delilah mumbled, pacing while I sat on the bed.

"Calm down, maybe we can quickly run to a shop," I suggested. She glanced at the clock, sighing.

"Damon will be here before we get back. He's picking you up in an hour and a half, and oh!" she exclaimed, eyes widening.

"What is it?" I asked. She squealed.

"Wait here, I know where to get a gown. Don't move!" Before I could reply, she ran out. I sighed and looked around. The room was a mess, so I cleaned while I waited.

As I hung clothes, something glittering caught my eye. Curiosity overriding caution, I went to a drawer. Gasping, I recognized the bracelet—the one Liam's father had given his mother on their last anniversary. She never removed it.

I picked up the bracelet and frowned. It was identical, even bearing their initials. What was going on?

I took the bracelet back to the bed and waited for Delilah. I needed answers. A few minutes later, she returned, breathless, holding a silk short gown.

"Oh, goddess, I almost got caught by Damon. My mother let you borrow her white silk dress, but we have to return it undamaged. Be careful! Go shower while I prepare," she said, placing the gown on the bed.

"Why do you have this?" I asked, showing her the bracelet. Her eyes widened; she gasped.

"Oh, goddess, I'd totally forgotten about her!" she exclaimed.

"Forgotten about who?" I asked. She bit her lip.

"Why don't we talk about this later? Damon will be here soon…"

"Now, Delilah. What's going on?" I insisted. She sighed and told me everything. I gasped. Liam's mother had been in the dungeon all this time? She was probably dead.

"With everything going on, we forgot about her, but it doesn't matter; we wanted her dead anyway," Delilah mumbled. I glared at her.

"I can't believe this," I muttered. Yes, Liam's mother and I clashed, and despite her actions, I preferred no further contact with that family, but if she was dead… Liam wouldn't let it go.

I didn't speak to Delilah afterward. I knew they'd done it for me, but still… She acted as if nothing was wrong, informing me that her aunt had sent Alicia to live with a distant cousin. This piqued my interest.

By the time she finished dressing me, I looked like a different person—always the case when Delilah styled me. I stood, awestruck, in the mirror. The gown fit perfectly; it was ethereal. Even though I wasn't speaking to Delilah, I had to commend her work.

She left to get ready. Damon arrived a few minutes later. I wanted to be angry, but when I saw him, my anger vanished.

"You look like a goddess, Clara," he said as I descended the stairs.

"You don't look so bad yourself," I replied. He approached, and it took effort to avoid his kiss.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. I glared.

"What did you do to Liam's mother?" I asked. Realization dawned on him.

"Clara, I…"

"We'll talk later. I don't want to ruin my mood. Are we leaving?" I asked. He stared, sighed, and nodded. "Let's go. The moon will soon be full; you must be ready," he murmured, taking my hand. I let him lead me to the car, studying him.

This was the first time I'd seen Damon in all white. His shirt was sheer, revealing his tattoos.

He opened the car door, and I got in.

"Has everyone arrived?" I asked as the driver headed to the venue.

"Not everyone, but it was last minute, so it's understandable," he informed me. We fell silent.

"I never forgot about her in the dungeon, if that's what you think. I had one of my men watch over her because she can't die unless she apologizes to you. I just didn't tell you because of everything going on," he revealed.

"Has Liam tried to contact you?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yes, but I ignored him." I sighed. Damon was stronger than Liam, but that was his mother. Liam loved his mother more than anything.

"After the ceremony, I'd like to see her," I said. He nodded immediately.

"Okay. Now stop frowning and give me a kiss," he murmured, pulling me close. I kissed his cheek, then his lips. I was weak against him.

We arrived at the venue. My nerves intensified seeing the crowd. This wasn't everyone?

Damon took my hand, smiling reassuringly. "You shouldn't be nervous when you look this beautiful, sweetheart," he said. I smiled, taking a deep breath.

"I didn't expect so many people," I admitted. He pulled me closer.

"Just keep your eyes on me, and only me," he murmured, kissing my cheek. I felt better.

He walked me to a small room. "Wait here. I'll be back when it starts. Don't be nervous," he said, kissing my forehead. I watched him leave, sighing.

I poured myself some red wine. Aurora entered, wearing a white gown. A frown crossed my face.

"You must be very happy, right? I remember when Damon promised to make me his Luna. We'd prepared just like this, but Dimitri sabotaged it. I hope you don't mind me wearing white; I wanted to reminisce," she said, her innocent eyes belying her true nature. I was done being nice.

I walked toward her and poured the wine on her gown. She gasped, glaring.

"You…"

"You take me for a fool, but you don't want to mess with me. I've tried being nice, but you're not appreciating it, so I'm done. Stay away from Damon, or I'll show you how wicked I can be," I threatened, flashing a fake smile. Her eyes blazed.

She reached for the wine bottle, but Dimitri grabbed it. "You wouldn't want to do that, Aurora," he said. My eyes widened. Aurora released the bottle, glaring at me before running away.

Dimitri dropped the bottle, smirking. "Who knew you had a backbone, peaches?"