Dorian’s POVCandice was about to speak up of what she wanted to tell me when the door suddenly burst opened. The loud crash from the door slamming open made my heart jump. Candice flinched behind me, and I immediately turned my head toward the entrance.I should’ve known.There she was—my stepmother—storming into the room. Several men in black suits trailed behind her like shadows. Her heels clicked violently against the floor with each furious step.“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Dorian?!” she snapped, her voice filled with anger. “You ruined everything! You humiliated us in front of everyone! Do you even know how much face I’ve lost today?!”I didn’t say anything at first. I just stood there, breathing deeply, trying to stay calm for Candice’s sake.Candice squeezed my hand gently from behind. “You shouldn’t have forced that wedding down my throat,” I said coldly. “You knew it was a lie. All of it. Yet you still tried to tie me to someone like Alora.”She scoffed, tos
Dorian’s POVI stood there at the altar and I smiled A slow, satisfied smile. My work here was done. “Have a great time in jail and see you soon… in court.” I said to them as I turned around and walked out of that cursed wedding hall Alora was screaming something behind me, her voice sharp and ugly. Her mother was sobbing, and her father, well—he was already in handcuffs. I didn’t bother turning around. I’d had enough of their faces to last me a lifetime.“You’ll regret this, Dorian!” Alora shrieked behind me.“Rot in hell, you bastard!” her father shouted.“You ruined our daughter’s life!” her mother wailed like a dying goat.I didn’t reply.What else was there to say? The show was over. The curtain had closed. The clowns had been dragged off stage.I walked out of that chaotic wedding. All I cared about right now was one thing.My Candice.I got into the car, slammed the door, and floored the gas pedal like I had eight extra lives to spare.I couldn’t sit still.My knee was bo
Dorian’s POVThe police officer stepped forward, his voice steady and professional. “We received a report,” he said, loud enough for the entire banquet hall to hear. “It was about a man who had been illegally detained… and beaten.”Whispers started again. Phones came back up. Eyes widened.The officer didn’t stop. “After thorough investigation, we traced the report and gathered evidence. We’re here to arrest the person responsible for the illegal imprisonment and assault.”Then, slowly, the officers turned… and walked straight toward me.I stepped forward, meeting the lead officer halfway. His face softened when he saw me.“Mr. Dorian,” he said quietly. “Can you confirm that you were the one who sent in the report?”I nodded. “Yes,” I replied simply.“Can you walk me through what happened? From your perspective?” he asked, his tone still calm.“I’ll tell you everything,” I said.I told him about the threats. The cover-ups. The silence money. The beatings. The false suicide act. The ma
Dorian’s POVI stood there, watching Alora’s family squirm.Her oh-so-perfect parents looking pale like they’d seen a ghost… or maybe like they’d just realized the mask they wore for years was finally cracking in front of the whole world.And honestly? It was satisfying.I smiled.Finally, everyone was seeing it for what it really was.The crowd inside the hall was still trying to recover from the video. Some were whispering. Some were full-on gossiping. Others just stared at Alora like they’d never really seen her until now.The camera then moved across the guests, searching for something. Or someone.Then, it landed on him.The photographer.The one Alora had panicked about earlier—just before the wedding started. She didn’t want him inside the hall. Said she was “worried” he was from some sketchy media group.Little did she know I invited him over myself and made everything seem like he was part of a media team.He was sitting quietly in the corner, his head slightly lowered. The
Candice’s POVThe video kept playing.Even with Alora screaming her lungs out and begging Dorian to shut it down, the screen stayed bright, and the sound stayed loud. There was no going back now.On-screen, the man finally loosened his grip from Alora’s neck. She coughed, gasping for air, her hands trembling. He stood back, breathing heavily. “I’m not just gonna stand by and let you kill my child, Alora,” the man said, his voice low and broken. “You promised me… and now you wanna erase everything like it never happened?”Alora wiped her tears roughly, shaking her head. “It’s gone,” she said, her voice weak. “The child is gone. I already did it, okay? There’s nothing left. So just… just leave.”The man’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”“I’m not.”“I know you didn’t go through with it,” he snapped. “I know everything, Alora. You think I wouldn’t find out? I’ve seen the clinic records. They said you never showed up. Never took the pills. Never did anything.”Alora looked away, silent.“J
Candice’s POVJust as the vows ended, the priest stepped forward, holding his holy book and smiling like this was the happiest day of his life.“If there is anyone here,” he began in that serious, dramatic voice, “who believes these two should not be joined together in holy matrimony… let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”I blinked at the TV screen. My lips parted a little.Alora immediately turned her head and looked around the hall like a scared rabbit. Her hands tensed around Dorian’s arm. Her eyes filled with fear. I could practically feel her anxiety through the screen.And I couldn’t help it—I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they’d stay that way.“Oh please,” I muttered, half-laughing, half-pissed. “If I wasn’t stuck in this damn hospital bed, I swear I would’ve marched into that wedding in heels and shouted, ‘I OBJECT!’ right in that priest’s wrinkled face.”I threw a pillow across the bed.But of course, no one in that fairy-tale wedding hall said a word.The prie