For Nicholas, marrying Victoria was always about the money. The struggling young man saw the wealthy widow as his ticket out of poverty. He crafted his entire persona to appeal to her – the thoughtful listener, the romantic partner, the perfect groom. Their engagement sparked whispers in elite circles, but Nicholas didn’t care. He was playing the long game.
The wedding day arrived with all the trappings of wealth Nicholas craved. As he stood at the ornate altar waiting for his bride, he imagined the life ahead – the mansion, the cars, the financial security. Then Victoria approached, and his world imploded.
That distinctive crescent-shaped mark on her shoulder triggered a childhood memory – his adoptive mother mentioning his birth mother had exactly such a mark. The horrifying realization struck: he was about to marry his own mother.
The private confrontation that followed revealed tragic truths. Victoria had been a scared teenager when she gave birth, forced to relinquish her baby. Neither could have imagined fate would reunite them this way. The lavish wedding dissolved into chaos, the inheritance plans abandoned. Nicholas disappeared into obscurity, while Victoria was left to grapple with the cosmic cruelty of nearly marrying the son she’d lost decades before.
