CHAPTER 1: THE WALK DOWN THE AISLE
The music began.
Soft. Elegant. Deceptively peaceful.
Three hundred guests rose to their feet as I stepped into the grand ballroom, my arm looped through Nolan’s. Crystal chandeliers shimmered above us, casting fractured light across faces that had no idea they were about to witness a collapse—not a union.
Nolan leaned closer. “Smile,” he whispered. “This is the most important day of your life.”
I did.
Not for him.
For the ending.
At the altar, the officiant began speaking, his voice echoing across the marble hall. My father stood in the front row, unmoving, his gaze locked on me—not confused anymore… but waiting.
He trusted me.
That was all I needed.
“Dearly beloved…” the officiant began.
“Before we continue,” I said calmly.
The room shifted.
Nolan’s fingers tightened around mine. “What are you doing?” he muttered through clenched teeth.
I turned toward the guests.
“I’d like to play something,” I said.
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd.
Then I nodded.
Across the room, one of my father’s assistants pressed a button.
And Nolan’s voice filled the hall.
Clear. Cold. Unmistakable.
May you like
“—you don’t get to question me. You’re mine. And if I have to remind you with bruises, I will.”
The silence that followed was absolute.
