THE STRANGER IN THE DARK

Nadia walked out of the hotel in a daze.

Her wedding gown brushed against the ground as she made her way to the waiting car.

Inside, her best friend, Jade Gates, looked at her with worried eyes.

Without asking a single question, Jade unlocked the doors.

Nadia climbed into the passenger seat.

The silence between them was deafening.

After a long moment, Nadia finally spoke.

"I want to see Grandma."

Jade simply nodded and started the engine.

An hour later, they arrived at the Laurent Estate.

Without waiting for anyone, Nadia hurried upstairs and stopped outside the only room that had ever felt like home.

She gently pushed the door open.

Genevieve Laurent stood by the window, quietly admiring the flowers in the garden.

She didn't turn around.

She didn't notice Nadia had entered.

Nadia's eyes filled with tears.

Her grandmother had been the one person she could always confide in.

But Alzheimer's disease had slowly stolen away the woman she once knew.

Still...

Nadia walked over and gently held Genevieve's hand.

"Grandma... it's me. Nadia."

Genevieve merely smiled at the garden.

"I told you, didn't I?" Nadia whispered with a trembling smile. "Today was supposed to be my wedding."

Her voice cracked.

"But Owen never became my husband."

"He was in love with Daphne all along."

"They've been together for three years... and she's carrying his child."

Fresh tears streamed down Nadia's cheeks.

"Mom and Dad already knew."

"They asked me to step aside."

"They told me Daphne had to marry him... to protect the family's reputation and the company you spent your whole life building."

Nadia lowered her head.

"I don't understand, Grandma."

"Why am I always the one expected to sacrifice everything?"

"Why is Daphne always the one they choose?"

Genevieve remained silent, her gaze fixed on the flowers outside.

She didn't understand.

She couldn't.

Nadia let out a shaky laugh through her tears.

"I'm sorry."

"I keep talking as if you can answer me."

She gently rested her head on Genevieve's shoulder.

"I'm so tired, Grandma."

"So... so tired."

"I wish you could tell me everything will be okay."

Her voice became almost a whisper.

"I love you so much."

"And I promise..."

"No matter what happens," Nadia whispered, gently holding Genevieve's hand, "I'll protect everything you worked so hard to build."

Just then, voices echoed from downstairs.

Nadia frowned.

She quickly left Genevieve's room and made her way downstairs.

The moment she stepped into the living room, her footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

Her parents.

Daphne.

And Owen.

They had all returned.

The room fell silent as their eyes met.

Daphne hurried toward her, tears streaming down her face.

"Sister..." she sobbed. "Are you still angry with me?"

She reached for Nadia's hand.

Nadia took a step back.

"Don't touch me."

Daphne's hand froze in midair.

"Nadia," Owen said coldly, "stop being so harsh on her. She's been through enough today. Think about the baby."

Nadia let out a bitter laugh.

"The baby?"

Her eyes reddened as she looked at him.

"What about me, Owen?"

"You stood me up at the altar."

"You cheated on me for three years."

"And somehow... I'm the one who's supposed to think about everyone else?"

Owen lowered his gaze but said nothing.

Nadia turned to her parents.

"And what about the two of you?"

"I've spent my entire life trying to make you proud."

"I gave Daphne everything she wanted."

"I stepped aside every single time because you told me that's what an elder sister should do."

Her voice cracked.

"So tell me..."

"When was it ever my turn?"

Evelyn sighed impatiently.

"Nadia, enough."

"Daphne is your younger sister."

"She's carrying Owen's child."

"The only thing that matters now is protecting her and preserving the Laurent family's reputation."

Nadia smiled through her tears.

"Of course."

"I almost forgot."

She looked directly at Evelyn.

"No matter what I do..."

"I'll never be enough for you."

Evelyn's expression remained unchanged.

"You've always known you were adopted."

"We gave you a home, raised you, and treated you as one of our own."

"You should be grateful instead of making this family suffer."

Those words cut deeper than any knife.

Nadia nodded slowly.

"You're right."

"I've always known I wasn't your biological daughter."

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"But I spent years believing that love didn't need blood."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I was wrong."

Daphne cautiously stepped forward.

"Sister... please..."

She reached for Nadia's arm.

Instinctively, Nadia pulled away.

Caught off balance, Daphne stumbled backward and fell to the floor.

"Owen..."

She cried, instinctively protecting her stomach.

Before Nadia could react—

Slap!

A sharp sting spread across her face as Owen's hand struck her.

The room fell deathly silent.

Nadia slowly raised a hand to her burning cheek.

She looked at Owen.

Then at Daphne.

Finally, at the two people she had called Mom and Dad for so many years.

Not one of them defended her.

Not one of them asked if she was hurt.

At that moment, Nadia understood.

She had never truly belonged in this family.

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"I wish both of you a blissful marriage."

Without another word, she turned around and walked out of the Laurent Estate.

Outside, Jade was already waiting beside the car.

Nadia opened the door, got in, and quietly said,

"Drive."

As the car pulled away from the Laurent estate, Nadia never looked back.

Silence filled the car.

After several minutes, Nadia finally spoke.

"Jay... I want to change out of this dress of misery."

Jade glanced at her through the rearview mirror before giving a small nod.

"I was already thinking the same thing. I'm taking you to my penthouse. You can shower, change into something comfortable, and get some rest."

Nadia looked down at her wedding gown, now stained with tears.

"I was such a fool, Jay."

Her voice trembled.

"Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"He told me he loved me. We shared so many beautiful memories. I truly believed we were going to spend the rest of our lives together."

She let out a bitter laugh.

"Or maybe... he loved Daphne all along."

"Don't keep it all inside, Nadia."

"You don't have to be strong in front of me."

"I'm here for you."

"We'll get through this together."

Nadia closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears, but they kept falling.

"They'll never love me, Jay."

"I've spent my whole life trying to be the perfect daughter."

"I gave Daphne everything she wanted."

"I did everything they asked of me."

"But in the end... they still chose her."

Her voice cracked.

"Maybe I was never meant to be part of that family."

Jade tightened her grip on the steering wheel before speaking firmly.

"If anyone on this earth is a fool, it's them."

"They lost the best daughter they could ever have."

"They may not see your worth now, Nadia, but one day they'll regret the way they treated you."

She smiled gently.

"And when that day comes, you won't need their love anymore."

"You'll have built a life so beautiful that their rejection won't define you."

Nadia turned to look at her best friend.

For the first time since leaving the wedding, she managed a faint, genuine smile.

"Thank you, Jay."

"No," Jade replied with a reassuring smile.

"From today onward, we stop crying over people who never deserved you."

"We're going to rebuild your life."

"And I promise you this, Nadia..."

"One day, they'll be the ones wishing they had never let you go."

After freshening up at Jade's penthouse, Nadia felt the crushing weight of loneliness settle over her.

Jade had been forced to attend an elite charity gala with her family. It was one of those events where her presence was mandatory, no matter how much she wanted to stay with Nadia.

"I'm sorry," Jade had said before leaving. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Nadia had simply smiled and nodded.

Now, standing alone in the silent penthouse, the events of the day replayed endlessly in her mind.

Owen.

Daphne.

Her parents.

The slap.

The humiliation.

They were probably celebrating now.

Laughing.

Congratulating the happy couple.

While she...

She was left picking up the shattered pieces of her life.

A bitter smile crossed her lips.

"If they're celebrating..."

She whispered to herself,

"Then why shouldn't I forget everything for one night?"

She walked into Jade's walk-in closet and changed into a fitted black dress. Thankfully, they wore the same size. She let her long, curly brown hair fall freely over her shoulders and applied just enough makeup to hide the traces of her tears.

Grabbing her car keys, she drove toward one of the most luxurious bars in the city.

The moment she stepped inside, several pairs of eyes turned toward her.

She was breathtaking.

Her captivating brown eyes, elegant figure, and effortless beauty drew attention wherever she went.

A few men smiled at her.

Others openly admired her.

Nadia ignored every single one of them.

She walked straight to the bar.

"A whiskey," she said.

The bartender placed the glass before her.

She emptied it in one gulp.

"Another."

Then another.

And another.

The burning sensation in her throat was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

Maybe if she drank enough...

She could forget.

Forget Owen.

Forget the wedding.

Forget that her own family had chosen someone else over her.

As she reached for another glass, her eyes landed on a man seated alone in the VIP section.

He was impossibly handsome.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, he sat with quiet confidence, his sharp features illuminated by the dim lights of the bar. His cold, unreadable expression made him seem distant from everyone around him.

Yet somehow...

He looked just as lonely as she felt.

Almost as if sensing her gaze, the man slowly lifted his eyes.

Their gazes met.

For a brief moment, the noise inside the bar seemed to disappear.

The world around them faded.

The alcohol had already begun clouding Nadia's judgment.

She picked up her glass and walked toward him.

Stopping in front of his table, she smiled drunkenly.

"You're... ridiculously handsome."

One corner of the man's lips lifted slightly, but he said nothing.

Nadia tilted her head.

"So..."

"How much for one night?"

His eyebrow arched.

She quickly waved her hands.

"Don't reject me just yet."

"I've had a really terrible day."

She let out a soft, bitter laugh.

"And I'm a very beautiful woman."

She leaned forward slightly.

"I promise I'll pay you well."

For the first time that night, the mysterious man looked genuinely surprised.

"Are you sure you won't regret this?" he asked quietly, his deep voice calm and steady.

Nadia blinked before a small, drunken smile spread across her face.

"Damn..." she murmured. "You have a really nice voice."

She took another step closer.

"Regret? No." She laughed softly, though there was more sadness than amusement in it. "I think... forgetting everything for one night sounds wonderful."

The man studied her for a long moment.

He could smell the alcohol on her breath and see the heartbreak hidden behind her smile.

Without another word, he gently took her hand.

"Come with me."

He led her upstairs to the private suite where he was staying.

The moment the door closed behind them, Nadia leaned against it and let out a shaky breath.

The silence felt almost comforting.

Slowly, she reached for the zipper of her dress.

Before she could pull it down, the man stepped forward and gently caught her hand.

"Don't," he said softly.

Nadia looked up at him in confusion.

"You don't have to prove anything tonight."

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Their eyes met.

The pain they had both been carrying seemed to fill the room.

Drawn together by loneliness rather than desire, he slowly cupped her face.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Their eyes met, and the pain they had both been carrying seemed to disappear into the silence between them.

He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"You've been through a lot today, haven't you?" he asked softly.

Nadia's eyes filled with tears.

No one had asked how she was.

No one had cared.

Without thinking, she closed the distance between them.

Their lips met in a slow, gentle kiss—not born out of passion, but of heartbreak, comfort, and the desperate need to feel less alone.

Neither of them knew the other's name.

Neither of them realized that this single night would change their lives forever.