With exactly thirty minutes left until the wedding ceremony, I found Tristan fooling around with his little side piece in the dressing room. Amidst the raucous, enabling laughter of his groomsmen, he exchanged a deep, passionate kiss with the girl, his expression utterly indifferent. "It'll be quick. The wedding goes on as planned. Don't make a scene." I didn't make a scene. I quietly ran away from my own wedding. Three years later, we crossed paths again. I was just walking out of a cathedral after lighting a candle to fulfill a promise, when Tristan grabbed my arm. "What did you pray for? A good marriage?" he sneered through gritted teeth. His brows were drawn tight, his gaze fierce. The window of the Maybach parked outside the cathedral rolled down. The man inside had a cold, aristocratic profile. Just as he was about to speak, a little kid popped her head out from the backseat first. "Nope, Mister," the kid answered earnestly. "Mommy prayed for me." 01 With thirty minutes left before the wedding march, I finally found Tristan in the VIP dressing room. Separated only by a slightly ajar door, I could hear the filthy, roaring laughter inside. "The bride's side is almost ready to start, why is Tristan still in here messing around with his little sweetheart?" His frat-boy groomsmen chimed in one after another: "You think Tristan cares about that? Our guy gets a new bride every day and acts the groom every night!" "True, but Tristan still has that ironclad engagement with the Bennett girl—" "Come on, you think anyone is actually afraid of Chloe Bennett? Her family went bankrupt ages ago. A fallen socialite is worse than a street rat." Tristan seemed to chuckle. "Alright, enough," he said. "If my family wasn't pushing so hard, I wouldn't bother. But Chloe is obedient enough." "Get out, all of you. I have some business to finish with your little sister-in-law here." The guys laughed rowdily as they pushed the door open to leave. And bumped right into me. "Hiss—Ch-Chloe." In the dead silence, someone sucked in a sharp breath. I stared silently at the chaotic mess of the dressing room. And at the girl sitting on Tristan's lap, her face buried in his chest. "You heard all of that?" Tristan looked completely unbothered. "Don't make a scene. The wedding goes on as planned. I'll be out in a minute." My fingers dug so hard into the white tulle of my dress it nearly ripped. I tried desperately to suppress the tremor in my voice. "You—" Just one word, and I choked on the rest. "Chloe, be good." He coaxed me absentmindedly, his fingers still twirling the other girl's long hair. Seeing that I hadn't moved, he finally frowned in genuine confusion. "Come on, Chloe." He noticed the tear stains on my cheeks, suddenly realized something, and bent over laughing. "No way. Did you actually think I was marrying you because I loved you?" Tristan looked as if he found this to be the funniest joke in the world, repeating it with a twisted sense of amusement. "Chloe, did you seriously take it to heart?" 02 Was I not supposed to? I stared blankly at Tristan, who was practically laughing to tears. Tristan and I were childhood sweethearts. We grew up together on the same wealthy estate. Later, my family went bankrupt, and we moved away. When we met again, over a decade had passed. The little boy who used to swear he'd marry me had grown up. He lit up the entire city skyline with fireworks to propose to me. Beneath that brilliant, exploding night sky, his eyes were deep and full of affection. "When you were little, you said you'd marry me, Chloe." "Does that still count?" My nails dug sharply into my palms, the sharp pain pulling me back to reality. Thank god I found out in time, I thought. It can still not count. The gazes of Tristan's groomsmen were all locked onto me. Mocking. Amused. I took a deep breath and walked right up to Tristan. Under his astonished gaze, I reached out and pulled the custom engagement ring—the one I had personally designed—off his left ring finger. "Chloe, what are you do—" His words cut off abruptly. I cleanly slid the matching ring off my own finger, and tossed them both straight out the open window, down into the estate's sprawling swimming pool. "It's fine. You can keep going." I explained earnestly, "I just didn't want the sight of those rings to ruin your mood." 03 I ran. I started off walking out of the dressing room at a normal pace. Then I ripped the restrictive mermaid hem of my wedding dress, and my steps grew faster and faster. The wedding venue was simply too massive. I had barely sprinted past the grand banquet hall and turned down an unfamiliar corridor when a "wanted" announcement echoed over the PA system. "Chloe is throwing a little tantrum with me, and I don't know where she's hiding." Tristan's low, raspy voice echoed through the speakers. "If any of our guests see her, please do me a favor and bring her back to the dressing room area. The Vance family will reward you handsomely." He was determined to drag me back to finish acting out his little play. A female guest passing by nearby sighed in admiration, "I'm so jealous of the bride. Mr. Vance spoils her so much!" "I know, right! You'd have to save a country in your past life to get that kind of luck!" If you love this luck so much, why don't you take it? From far away, I could feel people closing in on this direction. They had probably spotted me on the security cameras. In a panic, I ducked down the corridor of the VIP guest suites. The Vance family had prepared luxury suites for all the prominent guests attending the wedding. But this hallway was too long; I couldn't even see the end of it. Behind me, the sporadic, heavy footsteps of bodyguards were approaching. Fighting the sharp pain in my twisted ankle, I ducked into the closest unlocked room. Separated by a single heavy door, I could clearly hear the bodyguards muttering. "Weird, where did she go..." I covered my mouth, desperately stifling the heavy pants escaping my throat. A long time passed. The footsteps outside finally faded into silence. I let out a heavy sigh of relief, but when I looked up, I realized there was someone else in the room. It was a man in an immaculate, tailored suit. His long legs were crossed, his posture lazy and relaxed. Right now, he was resting his chin on his hand, watching me with quiet amusement. Seeing me look up, he let out a very soft chuckle. "Ah. Look what I found." "A runaway bride?" 04 It was the look of a predator locking onto its prey. I instinctively stepped back. My stiletto heel gave way, and I forgot about my twisted ankle. "Ah!" With a gasp, I crashed straight into a chest that smelled faintly of cedarwood. It was an elegant, crisp scent. Inexplicably familiar. I looked up in a daze, tears involuntarily spilling from the corners of my eyes. "Have I—" Have I met you somewhere before? Before I could finish my sentence, the man effortlessly scooped me up and placed me on the edge of the king-sized bed. "Are you that scared of me?" He frowned slightly, his long fingers gently probing my badly swollen ankle. Being stared at so intensely made my face burn. I was thoroughly embarrassed, trying to scrape together some shred of dignity. "I'm not." I defended myself quietly. "I just ran for too long, that's why I twisted it." The man kept his face neutral and didn't reply. I couldn't tell if he believed me or not. "Hey," I tugged gently at his suit sleeve. "Could you... please not hand me over to them?" He lowered his eyes to look at me. "The Vance and Bennett families have an ironclad contract. I can't help you." I let go of his sleeve, closing my eyes in near despair. "However, I am a Vance, too." The man let out a very light chuckle. "Miss Bennett, would you consider swapping your fiancé?" Over the PA system, Tristan's "wanted" broadcast played on an endless loop. I figured this man, much like Tristan, needed a marriage of convenience to get the family elders off his back. Even so. I gathered my courage and asked softly, "Are you going to have a bunch of other women tangled up with you, too?" "Don't worry, I'm not like those impulsive boys," the man shook his head. A faint, almost imperceptible smile danced in his eyes. "Older men are much better at keeping their vows." 05 The start of the wedding was delayed over and over. Tristan locked down the entire estate, searching for me with massive fanfare. It carried a terrifying vibe of I won't stop until I find you. As if he was dead set on marrying me today, no matter what. Unknowingly, night fell. "Tristan is going to lose his mind," Sebastian Vance remarked, glancing at me curled up on the bed nursing my injury. He sighed. "Looks like we're not getting out of here today." I swung my uninjured leg, messing around on my phone half-heartedly. Why do I feel like it's getting hotter in here? "Mr. Vance," I poked my head out of the duvet. "Can you turn the AC down? It's hot." The moment the words left my mouth, they sounded soft and completely breathless. Like a whimper. Sebastian frowned, walking over to feel my forehead. "What's going on with you?" My brain felt like a puddle of melted wax. I mumbled incoherently, "...Hot." Did I eat something bad and get a fever? I tried desperately to think back, and suddenly remembered— Right before I walked into the dressing room this afternoon, Tristan had handed me a glass of milk. It tasted a little strange. But he just smiled and said that's how imported fresh milk tastes. "Chloe will love it." That's what Tristan had said. The hand pressing against my forehead was long, elegant, and cool as jade. The unnatural fire burning in my chest eradicated whatever reason I had left. I leaned into it, burying my flushed face into Sebastian's palm, letting out a soft sigh of relief. So cool. In my mind, a voice kept screaming— Not enough. It's still not enough. By the time my sanity returned to me slightly... My wedding dress and Sebastian's suit jacket were scattered in a chaotic mess across the floor. Sebastian watched me lazily, his posture completely indulgent. From beginning to end, he hadn't struggled at all. He acted like a tolerant elder indulging an unruly junior. But when I saw the messy array of kiss marks across his chest, I couldn't help but flinch. "Mr. Vance... I-I'm so sorry..." What the hell did I just do! I scrambled in a panic, trying to hide back under the duvet. But Sebastian caught me easily with one hand. "You light the fire and try to run?" He laughed, a dark, amused sound. "No, I—Mmph!" Giving me no chance to explain, Sebastian forcefully parted my lips. ...It was too deep. When the kiss finally broke, I covered my mouth, coughing until my face turned completely crimson. "I'm quite annoyed by your 'tease and run' tactic." Sebastian's voice was low and laced with a smile. His thumb gently, deliberately traced my wet, swollen lower lip. "I'll teach you how to take responsibility, my little runaway bride." 06 I was woken up by frantic knocking on the door. My head pounded. Everything hurt. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. Older men keeping their vows, my ass. I thought groggily, but when I clearly heard the voice outside the door, I completely froze. It was Tristan's voice. "!" I looked around frantically for Sebastian. He had just stepped out of the shower. He was shirtless, droplets of water tracing the lines of his abs and disappearing into the towel wrapped low around his waist. I silently swallowed hard. My right ankle was swollen like a balloon. I lifted my left foot and kicked him resentfully. Sebastian caught my foot and laughed. "You're awake?" He casually tossed the unlit cigarette in his mouth into the trash can. I pointed frantically at the door. —Tristan is outside. What do we do?! Sebastian just strolled unhurriedly over to the door. "Tristan, what is it?" The violent knocking outside came to a sudden halt. "Uncle Sebastian," Tristan mumbled reluctantly. "You're here too." Sebastian hummed with a smile. "Still haven't found your little bride?" At the mention of it, Tristan grew even more agitated. "No. We're searching the rooms. The last security footage shows she might have run toward the VIP guest wing." As he spoke, he caught sight of the red marks on Sebastian's shoulder and asked suspiciously, "Uncle Sebastian, is there a woman in your room?" Listening from the bed, I went rigid, silently pulling the duvet all the way over my head. "It's your new aunt. I'll formally introduce you next time." Sebastian smiled casually. "Not right now, though. She was exhausted from last night and she's still sleeping." 07 I followed Sebastian back to his private penthouse. His reasoning was simple: Tristan had definitely stationed people around my apartment. If I went back, I'd walk right into a trap. I thoroughly agreed. Sebastian was incredibly busy. The very next day, he had to fly overseas for a business trip. Before he left, he kissed my forehead. A brief, fleeting touch. Very restrained. Very gentlemanly. "Wait for me to come back. I'll bring you a gift." He added a warning: "Try not to go out too much. Tristan is still looking for you." I nodded. Tristan's frantic city-wide search for his missing wife was the top headline in New York. The clueless public was buzzing about how "the billionaire heir was going crazy for love." Lately, though, the news had gradually died down. One afternoon, I was painting in the private studio Sebastian had renovated for me. Just as I set my brush down, I received a call from Tristan's mother. I stared at the caller ID, hesitating for a few seconds. My mother and Mrs. Vance had been best friends; that was the entire foundation of my childhood engagement to Tristan. On the day I ran away, my phone had been turned off. When I turned it back on, I was flooded with missed calls—many of them from her. Not giving her an explanation didn't sit right with me. I pressed answer. "Chloe." The older woman's exhausted voice came through the receiver. "Come back to the main estate for a bit. Tristan is refusing to take his medicine. He's throwing a fit and demanding to see you." She said that when Tristan couldn't find me, he had literally jumped into the estate's pool in the middle of the night to search for the engagement rings I threw away. He searched all night. He didn't find them, but he caught severe pneumonia and fell into a feverish coma. "..." I was trying to formulate a polite way to decline. Noticing my silence, Mrs. Vance sighed. "I still have a few of your late mother's belongings here." "I was planning to give them to you on your wedding day. Come over this time and take them with you." 08 Taking two of the bodyguards Sebastian left for me, I headed to the Vance family's main estate. Tristan was indeed terribly sick. In just a few days, he had lost so much weight he looked gaunt. "Chloe is here." Mrs. Vance shoved the bowl of liquid medicine into my hands and walked out of the room. The two bodyguards had been stopped at the door by the Vance family's security, leaving only me and a delirious Tristan in the bedroom. For a moment, the air was deathly quiet. I stirred the dark medicine in the bowl. The porcelain spoon clinked against the bowl, a crisp, sharp sound. Tristan weakly opened his eyes. Seeing it was me, he suddenly grabbed my wrist. "...Chloe." His voice was hoarse. "Don't go." I looked at him calmly, pressing the porcelain spoon against his lips. "Drink." Tristan stared at me for a long time before obediently opening his mouth. It wasn't until the bowl was empty that I set it down and turned to leave. "Wait!" I don't know where the sick man found the strength, but he gripped my arm like a vice. His trembling hand fumbled under his pillow and pulled something out, holding it up to me. It was the engagement ring. "I found it." Tristan spoke softly. "Forgive me, okay, Chloe?" "It's true that Vanessa crossed the line, acting up in front of you—" I didn't even look at the ring. I forcefully yanked my sleeve out of his grip. "Wow, you really are a fragile little victim, aren't you? Being forced by Vanessa to hook up in the dressing room." I mocked him lightly. "I get it. What are you, the delicate damsel in distress in some twisted romance novel?" Tristan's face instantly darkened. "Chloe Bennett! Watch your mouth!" He tried to say more, but I cut him off smoothly. "I don't care what you have to say. I came here today to officially break off the engagement." Before I walked out, I heard Tristan's cold sneer. "Chloe, walk out that door, and sooner or later, you'll come crawling back begging me." 09 A Vance family maid led me through the front reception hall, winding through several corridors into the inner courtyard. I frowned. "Where are we going?" The older maid smiled warmly. "Madam is in the back courtyard paying respects at the shrine. Please, Miss Bennett, just a few more steps." She then blocked my bodyguards. "My apologies. This is the inner residence. Uninvited guests are not permitted." We were at a standoff. I hesitated, but remembering my mother's belongings, I decided to compromise. "If I'm not out in two hours, contact Mr. Vance immediately," I whispered to the bodyguards before stepping into the Vance family's backyard. Ten minutes later, I stopped in front of an ornate, antique-style building. The Vance family chapel. My stomach sank. Then, I heard Mrs. Vance's voice. "Come in. I've been waiting for you." The maid next to me was staring daggers at me, looking ready to physically drag me inside if I didn't move. I crossed the threshold in silence. Mrs. Vance was sitting in a high-backed mahogany chair, staring at me coldly. "Kneel." "Excuse me?" I looked at her in total confusion, wondering if I was hallucinating. Before I could react, the maid who had led the way forced me onto my knees on the hard floor. Furious, I snapped, "Mrs. Vance, what is the meaning of this?!" "Where are my mother's things?" Mrs. Vance sneered. "Maria, slap her." In the next second, the maid raised her hand, and my cheek exploded in stinging, burning pain. Seeing me shocked into silence, Mrs. Vance took a slow, elegant sip of her tea. "Before our ancestors, today I will discipline my son's bride in his place." "You clearly had a contract with Tristan, yet you ran away in front of everyone, bringing total humiliation to the Vance family!" "The Vance family has helped the Bennetts so much over the years, both openly and in secret—and this is how you repay us?" My heart turned to ice. Mrs. Vance never had my mother's belongings. She had deliberately set a trap to lure me out here. The maid was still pressing heavily against my back. I could only stay silent. Mrs. Vance grew more agitated as she spoke. "Evelyn died early. I'm doing her a favor by disciplining her wild daughter." "If she knew her daughter grew up to be such an ungrateful, backstabbing wretch, Evelyn wouldn't be able to rest in peace!" How she spoke to me. How dare she... how dare she bring up my mother?! I could no longer suppress my rage. Like a madwoman, I lunged at Mrs. Vance. She jumped back in fright, dropping her teacup, which shattered into pieces on the floor. I grabbed a fistful of her hair, just about to unleash a threat, when the bodyguards stationed outside the chapel rushed in and pinned me down. Mrs. Vance was hyperventilating, her finger trembling as she pointed at me. "Treason... this is absolute treason!" "You lunatic!" She gritted her teeth, looking ready to order a public flogging. "Mrs. Vance," I said coldly. "Get this through your head. I am not married to Tristan. We didn't even sign a marriage license." "What you're doing right now constitutes kidnapping and false imprisonment." I pointed to my swollen cheek. "Add assault and battery to the list." Mrs. Vance's face turned pale with rage. Her lips trembled, and finally, she spat, "Then you can kneel right here!" "You don't come out until you've thought long and hard about your mistakes!" 10 The heavy wooden doors slammed shut, plunging the chapel back into darkness. I found a comfortable corner to lie down in, waiting for Sebastian to come save me. He... he would definitely come save me, right? I was starved for an entire day. That night, a knock came from outside the chapel. I rushed to the window, but the face on the other side belonged to Tristan. "I didn't know my mom locked you in here." He looked slightly angry. "Chloe, just apologize to her." "If you just surrender and apologize, you'll still be the daughter-in-law my family values—" I couldn't help but interrupt him. "Am I the only woman left on Earth? If your mom is so unhappy with me, just switch to someone else!" Tristan's eyes darted away. "I can't." His next words were barely a whisper. "My mom had a psychic read our astrology charts. We're a perfect match. You're my good luck charm." Utterly disgusted, I shrank back into my corner, curling into a tight ball. Outside the window, Tristan's furious voice echoed. "Chloe Bennett, stop acting so high and mighty!" "You think you can play the saint after acting like a whore? It's pathetic!" It'll be fine once the sun comes up. I covered my ears, thinking quietly. When the bodyguards realized I hadn't come out, they would report back. Sebastian should know by now that I was locked up in the Vance estate. Thinking about that, my mind started to wander again. Did Sebastian only marry me because of my astrology chart, too? I was jolted awake by the deafening sound of something smashing against the door. Outside the chapel, it was pure chaos. "Sir—you, you can't do this!" Sebastian's cold, detached voice cut through the noise: "I said, open it. If you don't, I'll smash it to pieces." When the chapel doors were finally broken open, the sudden flood of daylight blinded me, making my eyes water uncontrollably. A tall, elegant silhouette walked in against the light. I felt myself being lifted effortlessly into his arms. He gently touched my cheek. I gasped in pain and instinctively flinched away. As if terrified of frightening me, Sebastian softened his tone as much as humanly possible. "She hit you?" I nodded pitifully, dramatically recounting yesterday's events with a bit of extra flair. "...And that's what happened." I carefully tugged at his sleeve. "You'll back me up, right—" "Uncle Sebastian?" Sebastian's footsteps paused. He reached up and stroked my hair. "I will. I'll make them pay for every single thing they did to you."
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