At the Coopers’ villa, a buzz of happiness filled the air in anticipation of the wedding. Hannah and Susan, both dressed, were in the bridal suite.

Susan, commenting on Hannah's appearance, abruptly declared, "By the way, did you or Charles choose this dress? It's awfully…plain."

Hannah remained silent.

"Charles, I bet," Susan guessed correctly. "You have such impeccable taste. You've always prioritized Charles's feelings, haven't you? You always agree with whatever he says."

It was true; in her past life, Hannah had catered to Charles's every whim, but not this time.

"I'm confused," Susan admitted, her gaze questioning. "Why marry him if you don't like him? And if you do like him, why are you involved with Oscar? What's the story?" Bewilderment etched her features.

Hannah offered no explanation. Susan would learn the truth soon enough.

A knock interrupted them. Jane entered, resplendent in an extravagant white gown, eclipsing Hannah's simpler wedding dress with its sparkling diamonds. Susan's expression hardened at Jane's arrival; the woman's ambition was palpable.

"Hannah, you're beautiful," Mary said sincerely, entering behind Jane.

Hannah offered a faint smile. "Thank you."

"Your dress is lovely," Jane complimented, her tone laced with insincerity.

"Yours is beautiful as well," Hannah replied.

"Oh, this?" Jane smiled. "A friend secured it for me. It's an unreleased design by Celina's chief designer. She pulled some strings, and I've been waiting for it for weeks—just to wear it to your wedding."

"Your boyfriend?" Susan interrupted pointedly.

Jane blushed. "No."

"Even if not, wearing such a lavish gown to someone else's wedding is inappropriate," Susan remarked gently.

Jane's face fell. "Why?"

"It's Hannah's wedding, not yours. Are you trying to steal her spotlight—or her man?" Susan continued, her tone sharper now. "If it's an ordinary friend, fine. But if it's your boyfriend… such a man is unworthy of you."

Jane's face flushed crimson under Susan's cutting words. While seemingly criticizing Jane's friend, Susan subtly rebuked Jane's lack of decorum.

Jane turned to Hannah, expecting her to smooth things over. Hannah, understanding Jane's intentions, smiled. "Susan's right, Jane."

Jane's composure crumbled. Susan was used to Hannah's subtle shifts.

Hannah continued, "What you wear doesn't affect me. You’ve always had better things than me, but I've never heard anyone say you're more beautiful." The irony was sharp. Hannah's simple upbringing, contrasted with Jane's extravagant lifestyle, hadn't diminished Hannah's beauty, a fact that everyone in Kensbury City acknowledged.

Hannah disregarded Jane's wounded pride. "That's not Celina, Jane. It's Mia Design, a second-tier brand that imitates Celina and is popular with white-collar workers."

"Mia Design couldn't produce such a dress!" Jane retorted.

Hannah stated calmly, "Celina's chief designer hasn't released anything new recently."

"How do you know?" Jane demanded.

Hannah shrugged. "I heard. Believe it or not."

Jane refused to believe it; she couldn't accept that Charles, who'd promised to make her more stunning than Hannah, would have chosen a lesser brand. He had commissioned the dress for her the previous night. Her joy at its beauty had been short-lived.

Fortunately, arriving guests diverted attention, allowing Jane to escape, Mary trailing close behind.

Once away from the crowd, Jane exploded. "Hannah, that bitch! Her dress is hideous, and she calls mine a fake! She's just jealous!"

"She's just envious of you," Mary quickly agreed. "The dress Charles chose for you proves he loves you. He's only fooling her!"

Jane preened, reveling in the contrast between her gown and Hannah's. She recounted their intimate encounter, Charles's confession of long-held feelings hampered by his arranged marriage to Hannah—a marriage he claimed was purely political and devoid of affection. He'd use Hannah to achieve his goals, then marry Jane.

Mary watched Jane's infatuation with a chilling amusement. Even if Charles didn't love Hannah, he'd never choose this fool! Mary waited for Jane's downfall, securing her position as Roger's sole heir and the Cooper family's rightful successor.

A sudden shout pierced the air: "The groom has arrived!"

Hannah’s eyes opened. This was the day she'd awaited since her rebirth.

Susan prepared to close the door, but Hannah stopped her. "No need," she said. There was no need to expend more effort on Charles; she simply intended to go through the motions of the marriage.