CHAPTER 2

Clara Montgomery POV

The grand ballroom doors were right in front of me, but I didn't open them. Instead, I bolted down the service stairs, the heavy layers of my wedding gown rustling against the concrete walls. I could hear the faint sound of the live orchestra playing downstairs. They were waiting for me to walk down the aisle.

My lungs burned. I didn't stop until I burst through the heavy fire exit doors at the back of the hotel, stumbling straight into the alleyway.

It was pouring. The cold rain hit my face instantly, smearing my makeup and soaking through the expensive silk dress within seconds. I ruined my satin heels on the wet pavement, but I kept moving. I just needed to get away from Julian, from Sienna, from the whole fake setup.

"Clara!"

A sharp voice cut through the sound of the rain. I stopped and turned around. My father stood under the awning of the fire exit, his face twisted in absolute fury. He didn't look worried that his daughter was standing in a storm. He just looked angry.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he shouted, marching toward me. "The minister is waiting. The investors are waiting. Get your ass back inside right now."

"I’m not marrying him," I said, wiping the rain and tears from my eyes. "Julian and Sienna... they're sleeping together. They only wanted my mother's trust fund. Julian said it himself. He was going to divorce me in a year."

My father didn't even blink. He just stared at me, his jaw tight. "Do you think I care about their little affair? Welcome to the real world, Clara. People cheat. Businesses don't care about feelings. You sign that contract, we get the shipping routes, and you deal with your husband behind closed doors."

I felt like he had just slapped me across the face. "You knew? You knew what they were doing?"

"I knew Julian was ambitious, and that's what we need for this merger," he snapped, grabbing my wrist tightly. "You are going back inside, you are going to smile for the cameras, and you are going to marry that man. I didn't spend millions on your education and lifestyle for you to throw a tantrum on your wedding day."

I looked at his grip on my wrist. This was my father—the person who was supposed to protect me after my mother died. But to him, I was just a pawn. A piece of property to be traded for more power.

Something inside me snapped. I yanked my wrist out of his grip with all the strength I had left. "No. I'd rather die than let you use me to line your pockets."

My father’s eyes turned ice-cold. He stepped back, straightening his expensive suit. "Fine. If you walk out of this alley, you are no longer a Montgomery. I will freeze your accounts. I will revoke your access to your mother's trust fund. You won't have a dime to your name. You'll be begging on the streets by tomorrow morning."

"Keep the money," I choked out, my voice trembling but firm. "I don't want anything from you."

"Then get out of my sight," he said, turning his back on me without a second thought. He walked back inside the hotel and slammed the heavy metal door shut.

The click of the lock felt so final.

I turned around and started walking down the street, completely numb. The rain was coming down harder now, blinding me. People passing by under umbrellas stared at me like I was a madwoman—a drenched bride wandering through the city streets alone.

I didn't have my phone. I didn't have my purse. I literally had nothing but the soaking wet, heavy dress on my back.

My feet started to ache terribly. I kicked off my ruined heels and kept walking barefoot on the cold, wet pavement. I didn't even know where I was going. My friends were all part of my father's social circle; the moment word got out that I ruined the wedding, none of them would dare answer my calls or open their doors for me. I was completely, utterly isolated.

After an hour of wandering, my legs finally gave out. I collapsed onto a concrete bench at a dark bus stop, shivering violently. The cold was seeping deep into my bones. My head throbbed, and my vision was getting blurry from exhaustion and hunger.

I pulled my knees to my chest, trying to wrap the wet fabric of my dress around myself for warmth, but it only made me colder. I looked down at my bare feet, covered in dirt and small cuts from the pavement.

Just an hour ago, I thought I had everything. A loving fiancé, a wealthy family, a secure future. Now, I was sitting on a dirty bench in the middle of a storm, completely abandoned by everyone who was supposed to love me. I had never felt so small, so pathetic, and so utterly hopeless in my entire life. I wanted to just disappear.

A pair of bright, blinding headlights suddenly cut through the darkness of the street.

A massive, sleek black luxury car slowed down and pulled up right in front of the bus stop. The engine purred quietly, a stark contrast to the loud howling of the wind. The windows were heavily tinted, making it impossible to see who was inside.

I didn't move. I didn't even have the energy to care if it was a threat. I just watched as the driver's side door opened, and a man in a crisp black suit stepped out, holding a large umbrella. He didn't look at me. Instead, he quickly walked over to the rear passenger door and opened it.

A man stepped out of the back seat.

He was tall—easily six foot two—and wore a tailored, charcoal-grey suit that screamed wealth and authority. Even in the dim light of the streetlamp and the heavy rain, his sharp jawline and piercing dark eyes were striking. He looked completely out of place in this run-down part of the city. He looked like power itself.

He walked slowly toward the bus stop, the driver holding the umbrella over his head to keep the rain from touching his pristine suit. He stopped right in front of my bench, looking down at me.

I pushed my wet hair out of my face, squinting up at him through the dark. "Who are you?"

The man stared at me for a long moment, his expression completely unreadable. Then, a slow, dangerous smirk formed on his lips.

"Your saving grace, Clara," he said, his deep voice smooth and completely calm. "Get in the car."