Chapter Three: The Bride who left

Aria’s POV

“You almost got yourself killed.”

The stranger’s hand was still wrapped around my wrist, I pulled away immediately I realized.

“I’m fine.”

The lie came too quickly.

His gaze moved over me once, taking in the wedding dress, the slipping veil, and the tears I hadn’t realized were still falling.

“You don’t look fine.”

Something about the blunt honesty made my chest ache.

Behind us, guests continued entering the hotel where my wedding was supposed to happen in less than three hours. White flowers decorated the entrance. Everything looked beautiful but it was all built on fakery.

My phone vibrated in my hand, it was Luca. The sight of his name made my stomach twist.

I stared at the screen until the call ended.

Then another came.

And another.

And another.

The stranger noticed.

“You should answer.”

A bitter laugh almost escaped me, if I answered, what exactly would he say?

What could possibly explain what I’d heard?

The calls finally stopped and a message appeared instead.

WHERE ARE YOU?

Another followed immediately.

ARIA PICK UP THE PHONE.

Then:

DO NOT DO THIS RIGHT NOW.

I stared at the screen.

Not I’m sorry.

Not Please let me explain.

Did he even know what he had done to me? A strange feeling settled in my chest.

Why did he sound desperate?

Before I could finish processing my thought, another message appeared.

This one from Sofia.

Aria, where are you?

I locked my phone immediately while the stranger watched the entire exchange in silence.

“Your fiancé?”

Ex-fiancé.

The thought hurt more than I expected.

“You ran.”

He didn’t ask, he stated it. Heat rushed into my face.

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“No.”

His expression remained calm.

“But I know people.”

Something about the way he said it made me uneasy.

Before I could respond, a man in a black suit approached him.

“Sir.”

The stranger barely glanced at him.

“What is it?”

“There’s an issue upstairs.”

“I’ll deal with it later.”

The man nodded immediately then his eyes briefly landed on me.

The wedding dress, the tears, the veil, recognition flashed across his face before he quickly looked away.

Without another word, he left, the moment he disappeared, I looked back at the stranger.

Who exactly was he?

“You should go somewhere safe, it’s getting late.”

A laugh escaped before I could stop it. Safe?

I didn’t even know where was safe anymore.

“I’ll figure it out.”

His eyes settled on my face again.

“Your mascara is running.”

Humiliation hit me instantly, I turned away. My phone buzzed again.

Luca, again, again and again.

The stranger glanced at the screen.

“Who exactly were you about to marry?”

I froze because before I could answer, a familiar voice echoed across the entrance.

“Aria!”

Every muscle in my body locked, Luca.

I turned instantly, he was arguing with hotel staff near the entrance, his tie loose around his neck as he searched the crowd, searching for me.

Panic hit so hard it stole my breath, I took a step forward and my heel slipped. Strong hands caught me before I fell, one hand around my arm, the other briefly steadying my waist.

The stranger released me almost immediately and stepped back, the simple gesture should not have mattered, but it did.

He wasn’t trying to hold me, he was helping me stay upright, nothing more.

“You don’t want him finding you.”

Again, not a question.

“No.”

The answer came out barely above a whisper and Luca was getting closer, my chest tightened, I wasn’t ready, not yet, not to confront him or speak to him, not yet,

The stranger looked toward Luca once, only once, then his attention returned to me, the irritation on his face was obvious.

“He’s making a scene.”

“I don’t care.”

“I do.”

The response surprised me, so did the faint edge of annoyance in his voice.

A black car suddenly pulled up beside us. The suited man from earlier stepped out and opened the rear door, silently waiting.

The stranger turned to leave then looked at me.

“If you stay here, he’ll find you.”

I glanced between the car and Luca, every instinct I had was screaming at me not to trust strangers. Especially men who looked like this. Dangerous, controlled and powerful but another part of me knew something even worse.

If Luca reached me, I might forgive him, I might listen, and if I listened, I might stay. The realization terrified me, the stranger seemed to sense my hesitation.

“Get in the car.”

“I don’t even know your name.”

For the first time, something that looked almost like amusement flickered across his face.

“Romano.”

My heart skipped, not because of the name but because Luca was getting closer.

“Aria!”

Passersbys were starting to stare. The humiliation I’d been running from was about to become public.

Romano remained completely calm, waiting, not pressuring, not persuading, simply waiting for me to decide.

I looked back toward the hotel, toward the wedding, toward Luca, toward the life I thought I wanted, then I looked at the open car door.

The choice should have been obvious but it wasn’t, getting into that car meant more than escaping Luca. It meant walking away from everything I had spent three years building, it meant accepting that there was no wedding, no future, no going back.

“Aria!”

Luca’s voice was closer now, I closed my eyes briefly then made a choice. Without looking back, I got into the car. The door shut behind me and for the first time, the reality of what I had done finally hit, I wasn’t running anymore, I had left and there was a difference.