C1 Madness

EPISODE 1

"Mister, please... will you marry me?" Jeslyn asked the man she saw entering the restroom near the wedding venue. He must be one of the guests, she thought.

Jeslyn was taken aback by the coldness radiating from him when he turned to face her. His eyes held so much darkness that she flinched.

All her senses screamed at her to run... but to where? She had been searching for a groom for a long time already and couldn't even find a janitor, let alone a waiter. Where else would she find a husband now? The auspicious time was slipping away.

The man assessed the withered bunny standing before him. Jeslyn’s once-elegant white wedding gown was now wrinkled and stained, and she didn’t seem to care about her disheveled appearance.

His aura softened slightly when he noticed the smudged makeup and the trail of tears staining her cheeks.

Seeing this, Jeslyn breathed a sigh of relief. She tried to gather her wits so she could interact with him like a normal human being.

The man glanced to his right and left. Seeing that they were alone, he pointed to himself in confusion.

"Young Miss..." he hesitated, frowning slightly. "You mean... me?"

Jeslyn nodded, wiping her face with the back of her hand, further ruining the mascara.

The man chuckled softly. This girl in front of him was the most daring bunny he had ever seen—tender, fearful, yet audacious.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" he asked after his strange chuckle.

Jeslyn swallowed and shook her head, replying timidly, her voice trembling with tears. "T–that makes it better."

The man raised a brow. "How so?"

"W—we'll sign a marriage contract and get divorced after a year. T—then you can continue your life," she explained.

"Oh? So you want to use my services when you don't even know me? Interesting."

He chuckled again. "It just so happens I need a woman for my brat. But before that, Young Miss, I should warn you..."

He stared down at her, his voice dropping lower.

"You might die."

He watched, waiting for her to flinch or show fear. But she didn’t.

"You are about to step into the abyss," he continued. "Are you still willing?"

Jeslyn nodded firmly.

The man squinted at her for a moment, studying her face for any hesitation. Finally, he relaxed.

"Deal."

"Good! I'll send my assistant to bring you the contract after our wedding," Jeslyn said quickly.

Grabbing his wrist with one hand and lifting her heavy wedding dress with the other, she hurried toward the hall.

The tall man watched her side profile with his dark chocolate eyes, an amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

---

Meanwhile, inside the wedding hall...

"Where is the bride? The groom has been waiting for more than fifteen minutes already!"

"I wonder what that young Miss' problem is."

"Hmph! Young brats from rich families think they can keep everyone waiting."

"Exactly! She should be afraid of upsetting people—especially on her wedding day.

But no... Jeslyn Lee only cares about herself."

"I still don't get why she’s marrying Young Master Ray. Her sister Christine would've been a better match!"

"Shh! Careful what you say. If Old Man Lee hears you, you'll regret it."

As murmurs of discontent filled the room, relatives and guests turned expectantly toward the entrance, waiting for the infamous bride.

The groom stood stiffly at the altar beside the priest, his hands balled into fists, knuckles turning white. His jaw was clenched so tightly that a muscle twitched in his cheek.

Did she dare stand me up? he thought furiously.

She knows what's at stake. She can’t back out now.

Among the guests, an elderly man sat lost in thought, his chin resting heavily on his hands atop a silver-headed cane. Old Man Lee's face was a mixture of worry and fatigue.

Just as he was about to signal one of his bodyguards, an uproar exploded from the back of the hall.

He turned sharply.

And what he saw nearly gave him a heart attack.

Jeslyn—his beloved granddaughter—rushed into the hall, dragging an unknown man behind her.

Her appearance was a disaster: mascara running down her cheeks, her gown disheveled, her hair a mess.

Gasps echoed around the hall.

The guests stared in disbelief as Jeslyn, the famous heiress of the Lee family, charged down the aisle with a stranger.

The groom, Ray, stood frozen with narrowed eyes, dread creeping over him.

"What do you think you're doing, Jeslyn?" he barked when she climbed the altar. His glare darted to the unfamiliar man beside her—who, infuriatingly, wore a faint smile.

Ray had always been proud of his good looks. Yet standing next to this stranger, even he had to admit the man was... stunning.

Something ugly twisted in his chest.

Ignoring him, Jeslyn turned to the priest.

"I'm sorry for being late and wasting everyone's time. I've decided to change my groom," she said firmly.

"Please proceed with the ceremony."

For two long minutes, the hall was silent.

And then—

"What?!"

"Is this a joke?!"

"Has she finally gone insane?!"

"I thought she was kidnapped!" a girl in a corner exclaimed, laughing.

"Right, Emma," another girl beside her nodded. "Jeslyn must have finally realized Ray wasn’t worth it."

"Or maybe she got hit on the head," Emma mused. "She loved that idiot way too much."

"I don’t think this is a prank," Ava disagreed. "Look at her. Something serious must have happened."

Emma nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe. We’ll ask her later."

Meanwhile, Old Man Lee forced himself to remain calm.

If Jeslyn—who had been glowing with happiness just this morning, dressed in the best designer gown and made up like a fairy—could show up looking like a broken doll, then something terrible must have happened.

So he stayed silent, his heart sinking as he watched the scene unfold on the altar.