Chapter Two

NYRA

The words spilled from my mouth, sharp and unforgiving, cutting through every heart like a two-edged sword. I didn’t bother to look at Draven. I didn’t need to. I knew he was stunned, shaken by the gravity of my words.

I walked up to my parents, their faces already carved with questions… expressions that demanded a series of explanations I wasn’t sure I was ready to give.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice barely holding together, trying to keep my emotions as steady as ever.

By now, the reporters had already surrounded both my parents and me, casting their recorders at us, trying to dig out information that would make a fascinating headline.

“Ms. Nyra, can you tell us what happened today? One of the female reporters asked, thrusting the mic towards me.

“What made you suddenly back out of the wedding?” another reporter chimed in.

“Ma’am, the public is dying to know… what went wrong,” They all pressed, their voices rising in unison.

*********

“Stupid child… Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” His words struck first, then his hand, my pale cheek stung from his slap, but the shame burned deeper.

I had done the unthinkable, and my dad wasn’t likely to forgive me. He had invited his business partners, stakeholders, and the media to witness what was meant to be my perfect day. My wedding. My moment.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” my voice decided to fail me as it turned sour, building up piles of lumps in my throat.

I stood face to face with my dad in the grand mansion he built with his own hands, a symbol of his pride and power. Across the room, my mom lingered at a distance, her eyes avoiding mine as if I carried some unspeakable disease.

His shoulders were tensed up, and his strong posture stood out, intimidating every presence and object. “Sorry doesn’t fix anything. You’re a disgrace to me.”

The maids and all other household staff kept their heads bowed, terrified of becoming the next scapegoats. No one dared to exhale too loudly in the carnivorous living room. They had long grown used to the daily drama that echoed through its sterile white walls.

“What the hell were you thinking, Nyra? You made us a laughing stock to the public, including the family name.”

That was it.

It was always about their own reputation, nothing else. My happiness meant nothing to them. All this time, they never cared to ask why I was hurting and why I backed out of the wedding. How selfish could they be?

Back then, during my whole college life, whenever I was harassed by jealous peers or caught up in a life-threatening situation. I remembered his words, “The Kingswell family has never been known for weakness. I won’t have you throwing dust on my name. I’ve worked so hard to build this empire. And I would not let you make a mess out of it.”

“But dad,” I choked on my tears, my fingers trembling as they caressed the bruises across my cheek. “I caught Draven on a phone call with someone I didn’t recognize.”

My voice cracked, but I forced the words out. “He said he never loved me. That I was just a stepping stone, someone to use so he could take his dad’s position at the company.”

“Please believe me,” I pleaded, hoping my sound of desperation would be enough to convince him. Even if it’s just once, “Do you want me to spend my future with that kind of man?” I searched his face for comfort, for fury, or anything, hoping the weight of my words would reconcile with him.

But all I saw was disbelief.

Draven wasn’t who they thought he was. He kept his sexual life hidden from me, tucked behind layers of charm and ambition. I thought he was special. I believed in him. But I was wrong. Clearly… he wasn’t.

“He was still going to marry you, Nyra. Don’t be so dramatic and naively stupid.”

His words sliced through me like glass.

“Draven was going to put a ring on your finger. You should be grateful for the life we gave you,” he spat the last sentence at my face, as if gratitude could erase betrayal.

I couldn’t believe it.

All my life with them suddenly felt like a performance, like I was raised to be a tool, not a daughter. Was I meant to be a prize? When was I ever going to receive the love and warmth I’ve always longed for?

“Do you even love me?” I barked at them, running into my room, with the door shut behind me. The missed calls lit up my screen, showing Zarina’s name, over and over. And then, the one name I couldn’t bear to see… Draven.

All the emotions that had been suppressed earlier came rushing out like a river. I was a mess, not just mentally but physically.

One moment I was crying, the next… I was gone, lost to sleep.

The loud yet gentle knock outside the door pulled me out of my miserable and sweet sleep. I darted my lazy head in its direction, just enough to see my best friend transfixed to a spot, looking down at me with eyes laced with sorrow.

“HEY!!!”

Zarina reached out to me with a hug, her rich perfume, strong like liquor stored in an ancient vase, stealing away the old scent in the room. “I’m sorry I got you worried,” I muttered, with lumps in my throat.

“Shhh…You don’t have to say anything, I’m here now,” she whispered, patting my back.

Due to the zero affection from my parents, Zarina was the only one who truly supported me. There were times back in the school cafeteria where she would save my ass from bullies and obnoxious jerks. And as the days went by, our bond grew stronger, leading others to mistakenly think we were sisters.

“We’re best friends; I should have known he was such an asshole, Nyra. But I failed to notice that.”

We stayed in each other’s arms for some while before disengaging. I noticed the discomfort and fear in her eyes, so I popped up the question, “What’s wrong?”

“You can tell me, okay?” I assured her, even though my heart was thumping loudly and my palms were sweaty. Still, I was curious to hear from her. Her silence was hitting me deeply.

“The ‘X’… have you checked it?” She dropped it slowly as if it were heavy.

‘The only daughter of the Kingswell left her husband-to-be, right on the altar. What could be the reason behind that? This was a huge slap on her parents’ faces. Sadly, she doesn’t portray the ideal daughter title of a wealthy business billionaire.’

The section had a lot of hateful comments from users who didn’t know the full story of what happened. At this point, I hated myself for being too nosy about wanting to know what it was.

“My parents…” I shuddered in fear. They must have seen the trendy headlines and harsh comments on the app.

Everything felt surreal. It was at this moment that I wished the ground would swallow me up. At least, I’d be guilt-free away from the constant backlash.

While grieving, drowning in sadness, and trying to bottle up the tears threatening to fall, my phone rang.

Guess who it was?

His call.

The continuous ringing left me no choice. Just as I reached for the phone, Zarina snatched it from my hands. It was her perfect chance to attack Draven. “Now listen carefully, you bastard. If you ever call this number again, I swear…”

“Mr. Draven drank too much,” a calm voice cut through the chaos. “We can’t leave him here. He asked that you come alone… to the VIP lounge.”

And that was it. The line went dead before she could respond.

“I need to go!!” My voice was sharp and low, but loud enough for her to hear.

Zarina froze, her body stiffening as if she’d just seen a ghost. She probably thought I was going insane.

Well… she guessed right. I was starting to lose it. My thoughts were scattered, my mind unsettled by everything that had happened. I needed clarity… and sitting here wasn’t going to help.

“Are you serious? Right now, Nyra?” she asked, trying to reason with me.

I didn’t answer. My silence said more than just words. It was clear I was beyond serious.

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not,” I stated firmly. “This is between the two of us. Don’t worry… I’ll be fine.”

I was going there alone… alone to meet him. The thought of it consumed my heart, but I was far from stopping. There was only one place he could be, a place we both knew.

And I was going.