LEAVING THE PAST BEHIND

Nadia slowly opened her eyes.

A sharp headache immediately greeted her, making her close her eyes again for a moment. The events of the previous night came rushing back little by little.

The wedding.

The betrayal.

The pain.

And the stranger.

Her heart tightened as she remembered the man she had met in the bar. The mysterious man who had shown her kindness when she felt completely broken. The man who had listened to her pain without judging her.

She slowly sat up, her gaze moving around the unfamiliar room.

She was alone.

The silence felt strange.

For a moment, she wondered where he was, but then fear replaced her confusion. She didn't know who he was, and she didn't want to face him while her emotions were still a mess.

Her eyes fell on her dress lying on the floor.

A reminder of the night she wanted to forget.

She quickly looked away.

Nadia had spent her entire life trying to maintain control, but yesterday everything had fallen apart. She had lost the man she loved, the family she fought so hard to please, and the future she thought she would have.

She couldn't stay here.

Not when she didn't even know the stranger's name.

Not when she didn't know what she had done or what he might think of her.

She noticed a dress placed neatly on the couch, probably left for her.

For a moment, she considered wearing it.

But she stopped herself.

She didn't want to leave behind any trace of herself. Last night was a mistake she needed to put behind her, and the less connected she was to this stranger, the easier it would be.

She took a bathrobe instead, grabbed her bag, and checked its contents.

Her car keys were still there.

That was all she needed.

Quietly, Nadia left the room.

She moved through the hotel corridors carefully, avoiding attention as much as possible. She kept her head lowered until she reached the underground parking lot.

A few minutes later, she entered her car.

Without looking back at the hotel, Nadia started the engine and drove away.

Just like that, she disappeared from the life of the stranger she had met in the dark.

Neither of them knew that their paths would cross again.

And when they did...

Neither of them would ever be the same..

Nadia returned to Jade's penthouse with a heavy heart.

The moment she stepped inside, exhaustion finally caught up with her. She went straight to the bathroom, hoping the warm water would wash away the memories of the night before.

But when she came out and looked at herself in the mirror, she froze.

There were marks left on her skin—a reminder of a night she could barely remember clearly because of the emotions and alcohol that had consumed her.

For a moment, regret washed over her.

Not because she owed anyone an explanation.

Not because she had done something wrong.

But because she hated that the broken version of herself had made a decision while drowning in pain.

She quickly pushed those thoughts away.

She was done punishing herself.

After changing into a simple dress that covered her skin, Nadia sat quietly for a while, trying to calm her thoughts.

Then she remembered her grandmother.

Genevieve.

The one person in the Laurent family who had always made her feel seen.

Nadia knew no one in that house truly cared for her grandmother the way they should. Despite everything that had happened, she couldn't abandon the woman who had always been there for her.

She grabbed her keys and returned to the Laurent estate.

The moment she stepped inside, she stopped.

The scene before her made her heart tighten.

Owen was sitting on the sofa, feeding Daphne while she smiled happily beside him.

They looked like a perfect couple.

The exact picture they wanted the world to see.

Both of them froze when they saw Nadia.

They clearly hadn't expected her to return so soon.

"Nadia..." Daphne stood up slowly, wearing her usual expression of concern.

"Sister, you're back. I was so worried about you. I thought something terrible might have happened."

Nadia looked at her for a moment.

The same sister who had destroyed her wedding.

The same sister who stood beside the man she loved.

Without saying a word, Nadia walked past her and headed upstairs.

But before she could take another step, Owen grabbed her wrist.

Pain shot through her arm.

"Let me go," Nadia said coldly.

"Aren't you even going to ask how Daphne is?" Owen demanded.

"She has been worried about you since you left."

Nadia slowly turned to him.

"Why would I care?"

Her voice was calm, but the hurt behind it was obvious.

"She is your fiancée now. Taking care of her is your responsibility, not mine."

She tried to pull her hand away.

"Now let me go."

But Owen tightened his grip.

In the struggle, the sleeve of Nadia's dress tore slightly, revealing the marks on her skin.

Silence filled the room.

Daphne's eyes widened.

Owen stared at Nadia, completely shocked.

Because he remembered.

He remembered every time Nadia had told him she wanted their wedding night to be special.

Every time she had refused to rush because she believed he was the man she would spend her life with.

And now...

She had shared that part of herself with someone else.

A strange mixture of anger, disbelief, and something dangerously close to jealousy flashed across his face.

"Who did you sleep with?" he asked.

Nadia looked at him coldly as she pulled her dress back into place.

"That is none of your business."

"You made your choice, Owen."

"You chose Daphne."

"So focus on the woman you are marrying and stay out of my life."

Before Owen could respond, another voice interrupted them.

"And what exactly is happening here?"

Everyone turned.

Evelyn Laurent stood at the entrance of the room.

Her eyes moved from Nadia to Owen and Daphne.

"Mom..." Owen began.

But Daphne spoke first.

"I think Nadia did something because she was angry."

Evelyn's expression darkened.

"Nadia?"

Her voice was filled with disappointment.

"You did what?"

Nadia stared at her mother.

"My private life has nothing to do with any of you."

"I came here to see Grandma. Nothing else."

Evelyn's face twisted with anger.

"After everything this family has done for you, this is how you behave?"

Nadia let out a bitter laugh.

"Everything this family has done for me?"

"Interesting."

"You mean raising me while reminding me every day that I was never truly one of you?"

Evelyn's expression hardened.

"You are unbelievable."

"A night was all it took for you to throw yourself at a stranger."

The words cut deeply.

But this time, Nadia didn't break.

Instead, she looked her mother directly in the eyes.

"And three years was all it took for your precious daughter to betray her own sister and become pregnant with my fiancé's child."

The room went silent.

Owen stepped forward.

"Don't you dare insult Daphne."

Nadia looked at him.

A cold smile appeared on her lips.

"Excuse me?"

"Isn't that exactly what all of you have been doing to me since yesterday?"

The room fell silent.

Nadia looked at each of them—the people who were supposed to be her family, yet somehow always made her feel like an outsider.

"I am not here to argue with anyone."

Her voice was tired.

"I am only here to see Grandma and make sure she is okay."

She looked toward the staircase.

"After that, I will leave."

Evelyn's expression changed instantly.

"You think you can just walk in here after what you have done and leave whenever you want?"

Nadia frowned.

"What I have done?"

A bitter smile appeared on her lips.

"Interesting. Everyone remembers my mistake, but nobody remembers who destroyed my life first."

Owen stepped forward, his face cold.

"You are not going anywhere."

Nadia looked at him in disbelief.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

His eyes hardened.

"After sleeping with a stranger out of anger, you don't get to pretend nothing happened."

Nadia stared at him.

The audacity of his words almost made her laugh.

"You abandoned me at the altar for my sister."

Her voice trembled with anger.

"And you think you have the right to judge me?"

Before Owen could respond, Evelyn turned toward the guards.

"Take her upstairs."

Nadia's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Someone needs to remind her that this family still has rules."

Two people stepped forward.

Nadia immediately tried to move away.

"Don't touch me."

But they grabbed her arms.

"Let me go!"

Her voice echoed through the mansion.

"I am not a prisoner!"

She struggled against their grip, but they continued dragging her toward the stairs.

But no one moved.

No one defended her.

Not Owen.

Not Daphne.

Not even her mother.

As the door to her room closed behind her, Nadia stood there in disbelief.

The same house where she had spent her entire life now felt like a prison.

And for the first time, Nadia understood something painful.

She had spent years trying to earn a place in a family that had never truly made space for her.

As night fell over the Laurent estate, Nadia sat quietly on the edge of her bed, staring into the darkness.

Her mind replayed everything that had happened within the past twenty-four hours.

It felt unreal.

Yesterday, she had been a bride waiting at the altar, believing she was about to begin the happiest chapter of her life.

Today, she was locked inside her own room.

The person who had been betrayed was the one being punished.

A bitter smile appeared on her lips.

How familiar.

This had always been their way.

Whenever Nadia failed to act according to their expectations, whenever she disagreed with them, they reminded her of her place. They made her feel like she was lucky to belong to them.

But she was tired.

Tired of begging for love.

Tired of proving her worth.

Tired of being the person everyone sacrificed whenever Daphne needed something.

For years, she had allowed herself to be their pawn.

But no more.

Nadia wiped away the tears gathering in her eyes.

She knew what she had to do.

She had to leave.

Not because she was weak.

But because staying would destroy the little piece of herself she had left.

One day, she would return.

Not as the daughter they ignored.

Not as the sister they sacrificed.

But as someone they could never control again.

Most importantly, she would come back for the one person in this family who had truly loved her.

Her grandmother.

Her thoughts turned to Genevieve.

"I'm sorry, Grandma," she whispered.

"I have to leave for now."

"I promise I will come back for you."

Nadia reached under her closet and pulled out a small hidden phone.

The only device they hadn't found.

Without hesitation, she dialed the one person she knew would never abandon her.

The call was answered almost immediately.

"Jay."

"Nadia?"

Jade's voice was filled with worry.

"I've been trying to reach you. Your phone hasn't been going through."

There was a pause.

"Don't tell me those monsters did something to you again."

Nadia closed her eyes.

"Well..."

Her voice was quiet.

"They did."

A sharp silence followed.

"They locked me inside my room."

Jade's breathing changed.

"They actually did that?"

Nadia looked toward the locked door.

"I need to leave, Jay."

"I need to get out of this country."

"I want you to book me a flight somewhere far away."

There was no hesitation in Jade's response.

"Okay."

Nadia was surprised by how quickly she agreed.

"I know a place where we can stay. It's safe, and no one will find you there."

A small tear slipped down Nadia's cheek.

"Thank you, Jay."

"Don't thank me yet," Jade replied.

"I need you to stay awake."

"I'll be there tonight to get you out."

For the first time in hours, Nadia felt a small spark of hope.

Maybe she had lost everything.

Maybe the people she loved had chosen someone else.

But she still had one person who chose her.

And that was enough to begin again.

An hour later, Nadia sat inside Jade's car as they drove away from the Laurent estate. For the first time in years, she was leaving without looking back. The familiar gates of the mansion slowly disappeared behind them, taking with them the memories of the family she had spent her entire life trying to please.

Jade glanced at her, she knew Nadia needed this silence.

When they finally arrived at the airport, Nadia stepped out of the car and stared at the private jet waiting on the runway.

Everything felt unreal. Yesterday, she had been preparing to become Owen Donovan's wife. Today, she was leaving the country with nothing but a broken heart and a promise to herself. Before boarding the jet, Nadia stopped.

She turned around and looked back one last time, the pain was still there and the betrayal was still fres but something inside her had changed.She was no longer leaving as the abandoned bride everyone pitied.

She was leaving as a woman who had finally chosen herself.

Nadia released a heavy sigh before turning away.

"Goodbye," she whispered.

Then she followed Jade onto the jet.

As the aircraft took off into the night sky, Nadia closed her eyes. She didn't know what awaited her beyond the borders of Country D. She didn't know the secrets that would be uncovered or the power she would one day possess but one thing was certain. The Nadia Laurent was gone and as the plane disappeared into the night sky, a new chapter of her life began.