CHAPTER ONE

I stood in front of the full-length mirror, barely able to believe the reflection staring back at me. The wedding dress was perfect. White and flowing, with delicate lace patterns wrapping around the bodice. It hugged my body just right. I looked like a princess.

A bride.

My heart fluttered in my chest. This was it. The day I had been waiting for. A tear pricked my eye, but I quickly blinked it away before it could ruin my makeup. If only Mom could see me now, I thought.

I took a deep breath. And a soft smile formed on my lips. Mom would have loved Giovanni. He was charming, handsome, and always made me feel special. Every love song I wrote was inspired by him. Today, I was finally becoming his forever.

The dressing room door swung open, and Rachel, my stylist, walked in, gasping dramatically. “Angie, oh my God.”

I turned to her, laughing. “Is it too much?”

“Too much? Girl, you look like a dream.” She stepped closer, adjusting my veil, her eyes shining with excitement. “Giovanni is going to pass out when he sees you.” A giggle escaped my lips. “I hope not. I’d hate to have a groom faint at the altar.”

Rachel winked. “Trust me, honey. The way you look? He might.”

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by Michelle’s voice. “Angie! Can I come in?”

“Of course!” I called.

Michelle slipped inside, her silver bridesmaid dress hugging her figure. The moment her eyes landed on me, she gasped and pressed a hand to her chest.

“Angie.” Her voice was soft, almost in awe. “You are stunning.”

I twirled a little, letting the fabric swirl around me. “Do you really think so?”

She stepped closer, gripping my hands. “Are you kidding? You look like you walked straight out of a fairy tale.”

I bit my lip, excitement bubbling in my chest. “I can’t believe today is finally here.”

She grinned. “In just a few hours, you’re going to be Mrs. Rodriguez.” Hearing it out loud sent a thrill through me.

Mrs. Rodriguez. Giovanni’s wife. I couldn’t wait.

The lights were blinding, the stage was perfect, and I was happy. This is the happiest day of my life; my wedding day and the final concert of my second album, Forever in His Eyes.

The audience roared as I held the microphone, my white wedding dress shimmering under the spotlights. Thousands of fans filled the grand stadium, cheering my name. In the front row, Giovanni stood in his black tuxedo, smiling up at me. My heart swelled at the sight of him. I had loved him with every fiber of my being.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and started singing.

“You’re my forever, my only dream…”

My voice carried across the stadium, touching every heart. My fingers trembled slightly as I gripped the mic, but I smiled through it. This was my moment. I was so proud of myself. Then everything shattered.

The big screen behind me flickered. At first, I thought it was a technical glitch. But then, there it was. A video.

A video that crushed my soul into a million pieces. The crowd gasped. Whispers turned into murmurs, murmurs into shocked exclamations.

I turned around and my body froze.

On the giant screen, playing in front of thousands of people, was Giovanni, the person I was getting married too, Not just Giovanni.

I saw Miles, my personal assistant with Giovanni having sex on the big screen behind me. He cupped her breast gently, kissing her a thousand times as he made love to her.

I couldn’t breathe. The microphone slipped from my hand, crashing onto the stage with a loud thud. The cheers stopped, silence swallowed the stadium, except for the gasps and murmurs.

No. No. This Isn’t real. I tired so much to convince myself it was all a lie, that this couldn’t happen today. It all happened so fast, I didn’t know what to do.

Giovanni’s arms were around Miles. The same arms that had held me just last night. The same lips that had kissed me, promising forever. The room spun, my heart pounded painfully in my chest.

My fiance, The man I loved. The man I was supposed to marry today was cheating on me, tears burned my eyes, my knees felt weak, but I refused to cry .

Giovanni’s face turned pale. He rushed forward, reaching for me. “Angie, I…” I slapped him. Hard.

The sound echoed through the stadium. Gasps erupted from the crowd. Camera flashes went wild, A lot of reporters were present. The world was watching.

“Angie, please, let me explain”

“Explain?” My voice cracked. My entire body trembled. “You cheated on me… with my personal assistant.”

He looked around nervously, knowing there was nowhere to hide. Tears blurred my vision. Humiliation burned through me.

I needed to get out. Now, I thought.

I turned and ran. I didn’t care about the cameras. I didn’t care about the thousands of fans watching my humiliation unfold in real-time. I just needed to escape

I pushed through the shocked crowd, my veil trailing behind me. My breath hitched in my throat. I couldn’t breathe. My chest tightened. I was about to have a panic attack.

No. Not now.

I staggered, gripping my chest, gasping for air. My asthma. My body was betraying me just like he had.

And then I saw him. A man.

Tall, strong. Standing still in the chaos, watching me. His gaze was calm, steady like he had been waiting for this moment.

I had seen him earlier. When I was singing. His eyes had never left me. I didn’t think. I just moved.

My trembling hands grabbed his jacket, and before I could stop myself, I kissed him.

The crowd gasped. The cameras flashed again, but this time, it was different, I kissed a stranger. His lips were warm. Soft. Different from Giovanni’s.

For a moment, the pain disappeared. The betrayal, the heartbreak, it all melted away. To my surprise, the stranger didn’t pull back. He let me hold onto him, let me take whatever I needed from that kiss. His hands didn’t push me away. He just stood there, letting me breathe.

And when I finally pulled away, gasping, the world came rushing back. The crowd was stunned. Giovanni was still frozen on the stage, his jaw clenched.

The stranger’s emerald-green eyes locked onto mine. He didn’t look shocked. He didn’t ask why. I whispered, “please take me away from here.” He didn’t hesitate to grab my hands and pull me out of there.

And I followed him.