The morning after the wedding that wasn't, the media storm hit like a tidal wave, drowning every corner of the city in scandal. News anchors, bloggers, and tabloids swarmed the narrative like vultures circling a fresh carcass. "Billionaire Groom Disappears on Wedding Day." "Emily Parker Left at the Altar." "Steele Empire on the Brink of Collapse."
Ryan Steele's sudden departure hadn't just devastated Emily, it had sent shockwaves through the business world. Investors panicked. Steele Industries' stock plummeted, wiping out millions in hours. No one knew where Ryan had gone. Some said he'd fled the country. Others speculated he had been sabotaged or arrested. But one thing was certain without Ryan at the helm, his empire was crumbling.
In the small coastal town of Sea Haven, Emily Parker sat curled on her porch swing, wrapped in a thick blanket as a cold breeze swept in from the ocean. The sunrise was muted, with gray clouds smothering the horizon. The light drizzle matched the melancholy she carried within. She sipped her coffee slowly, but every taste felt bitter. She hadn't slept. The memory of Ryan walking away, the deafening silence as the church doors slammed shut, haunted her.
She thought the pain would dull by now, that six years was enough time to heal. But the news of his company's collapse reopened old wounds she thought had scarred over. And then there was the message from Sophie.
Ryan was back.
He hadn't called. He hadn't explained himself. He had just appeared, unannounced, as if six years hadn't passed, as if the wreckage of their relationship wasn't still strewn between them.
Emily shook her head, setting her coffee cup down on the wooden railing. She had built a new life here. A safer one. Her event-planning business had flourished in this quiet town far from the chaos of Ryan's world. She had friends. And Lucas.
Her stomach twisted at the thought of Lucas. He was charming, kind, patient, all the things Ryan hadn't been. But something about him still made her uneasy. Maybe it was her own lingering trust issues, the scars Ryan had left behind. Or maybe it was the nagging feeling that Lucas wasn't being entirely honest with her.
A familiar buzz vibrated against the porch table. Her phone screen lit up, displaying Lucas's name. She hesitated, staring at the flashing icon for a beat too long, before finally answering.
"Good morning, beautiful," Lucas's smooth voice greeted her, warm but with a subtle urgency she couldn't ignore. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine," Emily lied. "Just tired."
There was a brief silence on the other end. Then Lucas's voice lowered. "I saw the news. Steele Industries is falling apart."
"I know," Emily whispered, her chest tightening.
"And Ryan? Have you heard from him?"
"No." The lie slipped out before she could stop it. She hadn't told Lucas about Ryan showing up at her event last night. She didn't even know why she was keeping it from him. Was it guilt? Or something else?
"Good," Lucas murmured, the word heavy with unspoken meaning. "You don't need him dragging you back into his mess, Emily. You're better off without him."
Emily pressed her lips together. Lucas was right. But something about the way he said it made her uneasy. It felt... too deliberate.
"I have a few things to take care of this morning," Lucas continued, his tone shifting back to light and cheerful. "But I'll see you tonight, okay? I'll bring dinner. Your favorite."
"Sure," Emily mumbled, though her heart wasn't in it. "See you then."
She ended the call and stared out at the ocean, the waves crashing against the rocky shore below. Her heart was restless, like the stormy sea. Something was coming. She could feel it.
---
In the heart of the city, Ryan stood in the center of his ruined empire. Steele Tower loomed above him, but the life inside it had drained away. Desks sat empty. Phones were silent. The once-bustling office now felt like a tomb.
Ryan stood at his desk, sleeves rolled up, his tie discarded. His jaw was tight, and his eyes burned with exhaustion, but there was no time to rest. The company was hanging by a thread, and he was running out of options.
He scrolled through the news reports, each headline twisting the knife deeper. Investors were jumping ship. Rivals were circling like sharks. And Victor? Victor was nowhere to be found. But Ryan knew better. His brother was out there, pulling strings, manipulating events from the shadows.
Ryan leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. He had tried to protect Emily by leaving her, but in doing so, he had only put her in more danger. Victor knew exactly how to play him. He had used Emily as leverage before, and now Ryan feared he was doing it again, through Lucas.
The name Lucas Hayes still burned in his mind. Ryan had found traces of Lucas's involvement with Victor's shell companies, but the full picture was still unclear. One thing was certain, Lucas wasn't who he claimed to be. And Emily was in the crosshairs.
Ryan slammed his laptop shut, the sharp sound echoing through the empty office. He couldn't sit here wait for the walls to collapse. He had to act, now.
Grabbing his coat, Ryan stormed toward the door. But just as he reached the exit, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and froze. It was Sophie.
Ryan's pulse quickened as he answered. "Sophie?"
"She's in trouble, Ryan." Sophie's voice was shaky, but there was urgency in her tone. "I think Lucas is hiding something. Emily doesn't see it, but I know something's off about him."
Ryan's blood ran cold. "What do you mean? What's going on?"
"Just—just come back, Ryan. Before it's too late."
The line went dead, leaving Ryan standing in the middle of his empty office, heart racing. Lucas had gotten too close. And now, Emily was in more danger than ever.
Ryan tightened his grip on the phone, his jaw clenched with determination. He had left Emily once to protect her, but he wouldn't make that mistake again.
---
That evening, Emily stood in front of the mirror, brushing out her hair. The reflection staring back at her looked calm, collected, even happy. But inside, her heart was a battlefield.
She told herself she was over Ryan. She told herself that Lucas was everything she needed. Safe. Reliable. But why, then, did her heart race whenever she thought about Ryan's return? Why did his name still have the power to unravel her?
A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Emily set down the brush and made her way to the front door, her pulse quickening. She opened it to find Lucas, standing there with a warm smile and a bottle of wine.
"Hey, beautiful," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. But something in his gaze made her uneasy, a flicker of something dark, hidden beneath the surface.
Emily forced a smile, stepping aside to let him in. As Lucas set the wine on the table, she couldn't shake the feeling that this moment was the calm before the storm.
And she was right.
Because across the street, parked in the shadows, Ryan watched them through the rain-streaked windshield of his car. His hands gripped the steering wheel as he saw Lucas step inside, and his heart twisted with equal parts jealousy and fear.
He had lost her once.
But he wasn't about to lose her again.