The Strange Groom's Cursed Bride
Chapter 57: What did she tell you?

Chapter 57: What did she tell you?

Alice jerked her hand back, pulling away like she’d been burned. "I—I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—"

She shut her mouth, not bringing herself to even make any flimsy excuse.

Hades didn’t move immediately. He just kept looking at her. Like she was a riddle he’d never seen before. Like he wanted to find whatever demon had possessed her to do what she had done.

Then, his phone vibrated.

He stood in one fluid motion, pulling it from his pocket. He looked like he wanted to end it but one intense look at the screen made his jaw tighten.

"I’ll be back," he said, voice low.

And then he turned and walked out the nearest door, disappearing into the corridor.

Alice let out a shaky gasp, the pounding of her heart echoing in her ears.

She must be crazy.

Absolutely insane.

Did she... by chance... have a crush on Hades?

The horrifying thought rang louder than church bells in her head, and it didn’t help that her fingers still tingled from where they’d touched his face. And her forehead tingled where he had touched her.

Jesus Christ! No!

Not Hades.

Why?

"Do you have a minute?"

The voice jerked her out of her spiraling thoughts.

Hardy.

She turned to find him standing a little too close while he looked down at her on the couch, his expression unreadable, eyes sharp. Her cheeks were still warm, her heartbeat erratic, but now from something else entirely. Reality snapped back around her like a vice.

This was it.

The moment she had been waiting for.

She nodded, and as they began to step away, she caught it. Dawin’s gaze following them from the other end of the room. His expression was calm, but his stare was as direct and cold as a sword tip.

Whether he was just curious or suspicious, she couldn’t tell. And she didn’t want to think too hard about it.

Hardy moved with practiced ease, leading her across the room. The crowd had thinned a little now with more of the guests shifting to the dining area, music shifting into something jazzier, slower, less demanding. Waitstaff floated around refilling glasses, and conversations had settled into small clusters. The earlier buzz of arrival had mellowed into a gentle hum.

She kept glancing back. Would Hades notice her absence? Would he get mad? Her stomach tightened with a strange nervousness, a mix of guilt and dread. But he was nowhere in sight.

Hardy led her down a quiet corridor lined with paintings she didn’t even see. Her skin felt clammy. A cold sweat had broken out along her back, and under her borrowed dress, she could feel the heat prickling behind her ears.

They stepped out onto a different balcony. Smaller, dimly lit, overlooking the silver garden below. The cool air hit her like a slap, and she shivered hard, rubbing her arms. Her knees felt weak.

He turned toward her. "Are you okay?"

She blinked. The question was too normal. Too kind. Her throat burned.

She didn’t want to make small talk. Not with Hardy. Not now. Her body felt colder by the second, but her mind was sharp.

"No," she said quickly. "I mean... not right now. I need to know—how... how did you know?" She paused, not able to bring herself to say it aloud even though they were the only ones there.

But she forced the words out.

"That... I’m not Aurora?"

Hardy didn’t flinch. He only tilted his head, as though mildly impressed she’d gone straight to the point. His lips curved into something too neutral to be a smile, but far too knowing to be innocent.

"Because," he said softly, folding his arms. "I know Aurora."

She wanted to tell him that at least half of the people here knew her too. And far as she knew of, Aurora was not particularly best friends with anyone. Also, according to what Priscilla had told her, Aurora had no records for being a twin or having any siblings, and everyone knew she was an only child. The daughter of Malay. Not even adopted.

That had annoyed her. The fact that Aurora had practically cut her off.

But then, it wasn’t her concern.

However, if Hardy had not only known that she had a twin but also knew her name, then he must not be wrong.

Someone did know Aurora in ways Priscilla knew nothing of.

And that was... trouble.

Her voice dropped. "How well do you know her? And how do you know me? Did she tell you she’s sick? That she’s dying? Did you know I’d be her advocate? Why did you send me those papers? Was it on purpose when you bumped into me? Was any of this—?"

"Slow down," he said gently.

"I don’t have time!" she snapped. Her pulse was racing. She felt faint. The fever from earlier hadn’t left, it had only simmered beneath the surface. And now it spiked again, hot and dizzying. Her stomach twisted. She clenched her jaw, swallowing back the urge to gag.

Hardy sighed and leaned on the railing, his eyes flickering toward the moonlit hedges.

"I figured you’d be like this."

"Like what?"

"Impatient. Sharp. Brave. Impulsive. She said you were."

Her heart skipped. "Aurora... talked about me?"

Hardy nodded slowly. "I’m sure you must learned how Aurora and I may know each other. We attended the same schools."

"So... you were close?" She asked, still trying to wrap her head around it.

Alice tried to imagine it. Aurora. Cold, perfect Aurora, opening up. Drinking. Maybe laughing. Talking about her.

"Maybe? Not really." He said softly before leaning on the railing. "We met a few times. Drank together once. Maybe it was the drink." His gaze looked far.

"Why did she... tell you about me?" She asked in confusion. "What did she tell you?"

"Said you were the stronger one. The one she admired. Envied, even."

Something cracked in Alice’s chest.

She didn’t know why it made her feel like crying. Like vomiting. Maybe both.