The time machine exploded into a blinding light. I squeezed my eyes shut, but suddenly, I heard Sebastian Pena’s mocking voice close to my ear.

“My parents are practically threatening to kill themselves if I don’t marry you, Sienna Rowse. You must be proud of yourself.

“But even if we go through with this wedding, what do you think you’ll actually get out of it? Do you think we’re going to be happy?”

My eyes snapped open, and there he was—Sebastian, standing right in front of me.

His hands were tucked casually into the pockets of his dress pants. Despite his lazy posture, the mockery flashing in his eyes was impossible to miss.

The Sebastian I knew in the future was poised and dignified, but the boy in front of me still carried the careless, untamed energy of youth, a look I hadn’t seen in what felt like forever.

My nose stung with emotion.

The time machine had worked. I was back in the past.

But something had gone wrong—it hadn’t taken me to the moment we first met.

Instead, I was standing at the spot from thirteen years ago, on the day Sebastian and I were about to get married.

At least it wasn’t too late to change things.

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat and stared at him greedily, trying to soak in every detail.

“Sebastian, you don’t want to marry me because the person you really love is Gillian Brown, right?”

Maybe I hit a nerve. His body stiffened for a split second before he looked at me coldly and said, “Yeah, but so what? We’re already standing outside the city hall. Do you think there’s still a way to back out?”