เข้าสู่ระบบAlexander's POV The darkness on the back road was almost absolute, broken only by my headlights, cutting through the night like a blunt knife. The sound of my car engine was the only noise, a low rumble echoing in my ears, keeping pace with the rhythm of my own guilt.I had left the beach hours ago, after seeing Richard and the woman heading down towards the sand. I had run, shouted, but they had disappeared into the tree line before I could reach them. The helplessness was a bitter taste in my mouth. Warn the police? What would I say? That I had kidnapped the bride and, in the process, seen an armed fugitive? They would arrest me before hearing the rest.I had returned to the city, a buzz of panic and remorse in my head. I drove aimlessly, until a deeper instinct led me to a quiet residential neighborhood. The Williams' house.The car was there. A common silver sedan, parked a house away, headlights off. But it wasn't empty. Through the rear passenger window, I saw movement. A gli
Sophia's POVMichael had his arms around me, his hands resting on my waist, my face pressed against his chest. We weren't dancing anymore. Just swaying, caught in our own slow rhythm, listening to our own music: each other's breathing, the synchronized beating of our hearts."Are you tired?" he asked, his murmur warm against my temple."I'm exhausted," I admitted, without opening my eyes. "But I don't want this day to end.""It won't end," he promised, holding me gently. "Tomorrow is just… a continuation. Without a dirt-stained dress, I hope."I laughed, a sound muffled against the fabric of his suit. He had changed his disheveled shirt for a clean one, but the wedding suit had been left behind, lost in the chaos. We were both a little undone, a little messy. Perfect."I miss Liam," I whispered, the only shadow in this piece of heaven. The nurse had texted saying he had fallen asleep early, still very unsettled by the changes. My grandmother had sent a car and two security men to sta
Sophia's POVThe sound of the waves was the only sound that existed.A constant, soothing rhythm, erasing the echo of the car engine, the sweet, suffocating smell, from moments ago.Michael didn't ask. He just held on. His arms were the harbor after the storm, and I sank into them, letting his familiar scent – soap, clean cotton, and something that was just him – wash away the rest."He let me go," I whispered against his chest, my words muffled by the fabric of his shirt.I felt his chin rest on the top of my head. "I know. I saw.""How?""When you didn't show up… I knew. Only one person would do something like that. I ran outside, asked the guards. One saw a car heading towards the old beach road. I followed my instinct."He pulled me back just enough to look into my eyes. His hands framed my face, gentle, reverent. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?""No. Just… scared."He examined my face, my eyes, searching for any lie, any damage. Then, his lips found my forehead in a kiss that was
Alexander's POV The news in the magazine on my phone screen:Sophia Morgan & Michael Carter. Two days. In the Morgan mansion gardens.I had stared at those words until they lost their meaning, until only the fact remained: she was going to give up on me forever. She was going to pledge her love to another man. In front of our son.The plan hadn't emerged as a plan, but as a feverish dream. Take her away from there. Take her far away. To a place where we could talk, where she could see, without the pressure of Michael, of Eleanor, of everything. A place where she would remember what we had.But this… seeing her unconscious, her wedding dress a macabre parody of my despair… this was reality. And reality was a nightmare.A low moan escaped her lips.My heart raced. "Sophia?"Her eyelids fluttered, opened. They were cloudy, confused. It took a moment for them to focus on me, leaning over from the front seat. The confusion gave way to recognition, and then to pure terror.She recoiled, sh
Sophia's POVThe discomfort in my shoulder was just a distant thing, a subtle reminder my body was still healing. Everything else was light, laughter, and a happiness so intense it hurt.I was sitting on the stool in my bride's room – actually, one of the guest rooms in one of my grandmother's houses, transformed into a bridal preparation sanctuary. The air smelled of face powder, hairspray, and the white roses that filled every corner."Hold still," Emma ordered, a brush in hand and her tongue between her teeth, focused on my eyeshadow. "One more minute.""Princess!" little Lizzie was sitting on the big bed, swinging her legs, her eyes wide with admiration. She wore a pale pink flower girl dress, a small crown of flowers in her red hair."You look like a little princess, Lizzie," I said, smiling at her reflection in the mirror. She giggled, shy.Eleanor was sitting in an armchair by the window, watching everything with a calm smile on her lips. She wore an impeccable sky-blue silk pa
Victoria's POV The wrought-iron gate creaked open at a discreet service entrance at the back of the complex. The daylight hit me like a blow – not the gray light of the prison yard, but the raw light of a city morning. I blinked, blinded. The smell was of hot asphalt, car exhaust, and… freedom. Layla was there, standing beside a discreet car. She wasn't smiling. Just nodded her head toward the car. I didn't need to be asked twice. My feet, still clad in the cheap, dirty sneakers provided by the prison, moved on their own. Each step away from that gray wall was a triumph. I felt the weight of the hideous uniform on my shoulders, but now it was just a temporary disguise. Soon I would be in cashmere, in silks, in leather. Soon I would be Victoria Pierce again. I got in the car. The interior smelled of new leather and air conditioning. A luxury so simple it almost made me cry. Layla got in on the other side and the car pulled away smoothly. "How?" was the only word I could form,







