The church was a picture of perfection. Ivory roses lined the pews, the delicate scent mingling with the faint hum of whispered anticipation. Emma Caldwell stood at the altar, her fingers clutching the bouquet so tightly her knuckles turned white.
She smiled nervously at the crowd of familiar faces. Her dream day was finally here—except something was wrong.
Alexander wasn't there.
The doors at the end of the aisle remained closed. Minutes ticked by, and the whispers grew louder, their sharp edges cutting through her chest.
"Where is he?" her mother hissed from the front row, her voice low but laced with panic.
Emma forced a smile that felt like glass shattering on her face. "He'll be here," she whispered, though even she didn't believe it.
Her maid of honor leaned closer. "Emma, we need to talk—"
The church doors swung open, and Emma's heart leaped—only to crash when she saw the wedding planner rushing in, her expression pale and frantic.
"He's gone," the planner whispered, just loud enough for Emma to hear. "Alexander's gone."
The words hit like a thunderclap. Emma staggered back, her heels catching on the hem of her dress. Gasps rippled through the crowd, a wave of shock and pity that made her head spin.
"No," Emma breathed. "No, he wouldn't—he's coming. He promised—"
Her father stepped forward, his hand on her arm. "Emma, sweetheart, we should—"
"No!" she snapped, her voice cracking. She couldn't leave. Not yet. Not until she knew why.
Her chest heaved as she stared at the empty doorway, her perfect life crumbling with every second of silence.
★★★
Hours Later: A Motel Room in Nowhere
Emma didn't remember how she got there. One moment, she was running down the church steps, her veil whipping behind her in the wind. The next, she was sitting on the edge of a lumpy motel bed, staring at the reflection of her ruined makeup in a cracked mirror.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She lunged for it, hope blooming in her chest.
But it wasn't Alexander.
No caller ID.
She hesitated before answering, her voice trembling. "Hello?"
"Miss Caldwell," a man's voice said, smooth and cold as steel.
She froze. "Who is this?"
"Someone who can help you," the voice replied. "If you're smart enough to listen."
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
Emma dropped the phone, her pulse pounding in her ears. The room felt smaller suddenly, the shadows stretching longer across the peeling wallpaper. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the chill creeping up her spine.
Another knock. This time, at the door.
Her stomach dropped. She approached cautiously, her bare feet silent against the threadbare carpet. "Who is it?"
"Andrian Blackwood," the same voice said from the other side.
★★★
The Proposal
The man on the other side of the door was a contradiction. His tailored suit and polished shoes screamed wealth and power, but his sharp gray eyes were cold and calculating, as if they saw through her and found her wanting.
"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice shaky but defiant.
"To offer you a lifeline," Andrian said simply.
Emma snorted bitterly. "I don't need saving."
"Don't you?" He tilted his head, his smirk faint and humorless. "You're alone. Penniless. Betrayed by the man you thought loved you. If I were you, I'd reconsider."
Her stomach churned at his words. "What are you, some kind of fixer? Or just a stalker with too much time on your hands?"
He chuckled, a low, dangerous sound. "I'm a businessman, Miss Caldwell. And I always know when to invest in a promising venture."
She bristled. "I'm not some business deal."
"No," he agreed, stepping closer. "You're leverage."
The word struck like a slap. "Excuse me?"
"Marry me," Andrian said, his tone flat and matter-of-fact. "You'll get everything you need to rebuild your life. In return, you'll help me accomplish my goals. It's a simple arrangement."
Emma gaped at him, her mind spinning. "Are you insane? I don't even know you!"
"No, but you will," he replied, his smirk widening. "And if you want the truth about why Alexander left you, this is your only chance to find it."
Her heart stopped. "What do you mean?"
Andrian's gaze darkened, the teasing edge in his voice disappearing. "Alexander didn't leave you by choice, Miss Caldwell. He was forced to."
The room seemed to tilt. Emma grabbed the back of a chair to steady herself. "You're lying."
"Believe what you want," Andrian said with a shrug. "But you're already in the middle of something much bigger than you realize. The only question is whether you'll play the game—or be played."
She glared at him, her chest heaving. "Why me? What's in this for you?"
His smirk faded, replaced by something far colder. "Revenge."
The word hung in the air, sharp and dangerous.
★★★
Emma's phone buzzed again, breaking the tension. She glanced down at the screen, her blood running cold.
Another message, from a blocked number:
Don't trust him. He's more dangerous than you know.
Her breath caught. Before she could react, Andrian stepped closer, his shadow falling over her.
"Who's messaging you?" he asked, his voice low and threatening.
"I…" she stammered, clutching the phone to her chest.
The phone buzzed again, this time with an image. She opened it with trembling fingers, her eyes widening as the blood drained from her face.
It was a photo of Andrian and Alexander, shaking hands. The timestamp was from earlier that evening.
Emma's knees buckled, and she staggered back, her gaze snapping to Andrian.
"You're lying," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Am I?" Andrian said, his expression unreadable.
A sudden, sharp knock at the door made her jump.
"Miss Caldwell," a new voice called.
Her head whipped toward the door as Andrian's expression turned to steel.
"You need to decide," he said, his voice like ice. "Right now."
Emma's chest tightened as the knocking grew louder. The walls seemed to close in, the air thick with tension.
Trapped between the devil she knew and the secrets she couldn't escape, Emma's world fractured in an instant.
And then the door began to open.
★★★
The door creaked open, the sound slicing through the suffocating silence. Emma froze, her breath caught in her throat. Her heart pounded as she instinctively backed away, colliding with the edge of the desk behind her.
A man stepped into the room, his face obscured by the shadows of the dim hallway. He wasn't Andrian, nor was he anyone Emma recognized. Dressed in dark, nondescript clothing, his sharp gaze swept the room before locking onto her.
"Miss Caldwell?" he asked, his voice low and tense.
Emma couldn't speak. Her mind screamed at her to run, but her legs felt rooted to the floor.
Andrian moved faster than she could process. In a single, fluid motion, he placed himself between Emma and the intruder, his posture relaxed but his presence radiating danger.
"Who sent you?" Andrian's voice was a cold blade, cutting through the tension.
The man didn't flinch. "This has nothing to do with you, Mr. Blackwood. Step aside."
Andrian tilted his head, a faint, chilling smile curling his lips."Wrong answer."
Before Emma could blink,
Adrian lunged. He grabbed the man by the collar, slamming him against the doorframe with enough force to make the walls shudder. The intruder grunted in pain but didn't struggle, his composure unnervingly calm.
Emma pressed her hands to her mouth, her breath coming in shallow gasps. What was happening? Who was this man?
"Who sent you?" Andrian growled again, his voice a low, dangerous rumble.
The man smirked, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "You know who."
Andrian's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as if weighing his next move. Emma took a shaky step forward, her voice trembling.
"Stop! Just tell me what's going on!"
Andrian didn't look at her, his grip on the man unrelenting. "Stay back, Emma."
Her name on his lips felt like a command, and it sent a shiver down her spine. But she refused to be sidelined in a moment that clearly had everything to do with her.
"No," she said, her voice louder this time. "I deserve answers!"
The man chuckled, the sound strained but taunting. "He won't tell you the truth, Miss Caldwell. He needs you blind and obedient."
Andrian's fist slammed into the doorframe beside the man's head, making Emma jump. "One more word, and I'll make sure you regret it."
The intruder's smirk faltered, but his gaze shifted to Emma, his voice softening. "You don't know what you've stepped into, do you? You think he's saving you? He's the reason you're here in the first place."
The words hit Emma like a punch to the gut. She stared at Andrian, her mind reeling. "Is that true?"
Andrian turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable.
"Emma, don't listen to him."
"Answer me!" she demanded, her voice breaking.
The intruder took the opportunity to twist out of Andrian's grip, shoving him back with surprising strength. Andrian staggered but recovered instantly, his stance shifting as if ready for a fight.
But the man didn't attack. Instead, he stepped toward Emma, his hands raised in a gesture of peace.
"I came to warn you," he said, his tone urgent. "You're walking into a trap. This man isn't your savior-he's your captor."
"Enough," Andrian snarled, closing the distance in a heartbeat. He grabbed the man by the arm, twisting it behind his back with practiced ease.
"Emma," Andrian said, his voice cutting through her daze. "Call the police."
But she couldn't move. Her hands trembled as she clutched her phone, her mind a whirlwind of doubt and fear. Was this some elaborate setup? Was Andrian lying? Or was this stranger manipulating her into running from the only lifeline she had left?
"Don't listen to him," the man groaned, his voice strained under Andrian's hold. "If you want the truth, come with me. I'll show you who he really is."
Emma's knees threatened to buckle. The room swayed as the weight of the moment crushed down on her.
"Emma," Andrian said again, his voice firmer this time. "Make the call."
Her gaze darted between the two men. Every instinct screamed that she was being played-but by whom?
The decision clawed at her chest, each second ticking away like the strike of a hammer. Her phone buzzed in her hand, startling her.
Another message appeared on the screen, this time with a single line:
If you stay, you'll regret it. He won't let you leave.
Her breath hitched. She looked up at Andrian, his expression unyielding but laced with something she couldn't read. Fear?
And then, the man twisted free again. Before Andrian could react, the stranger pulled something from his pocket-a small, sleek device-and tossed it onto the floor.
A deafening bang erupted, and a flash of blinding light consumed the room. Emma screamed, instinctively covering her face as she stumbled backward. When the haze cleared, the man was gone, and Andrian was standing by the shattered window, his jaw clenched and his fists trembling.
He turned to Emma, his gray eyes stormy with fury and something darker- something dangerous.
"You can't trust anyone, Emma. Not even me."
Her heart stopped at his words, and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
"Pack your things," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We're leaving."
"Leaving? To where?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"To the only place they won't dare follow" he replied, his gaze locking onto hers. "But you need to decide now. Are you coming with me, or are you staying behind to face them alone?"
The weight of his question crashed over her like a tidal wave. She didn't know who "they" were or what danger lurked beyond the door. But as she looked into Andrian's eyes, she realized one thing:Whatever choice she made, her life would never be the same again.