Chapter 1 Chapter 1 The Bride Who Was Taken at the Wedding

"Hey! Let go of me! Help!" Ashley Carter screamed as the man threw her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. She kicked and flailed, pounding at his back, but he didn't budge, like a wall of steel.

Her pure white wedding gown stood out sharply as she struggled, attracting every pair of eyes around.

She couldn't believe it. Just twenty minutes ago, she had been standing beside her fiancé, about to say her vows. Now, this random guy in a sleek suit had barged into the ceremony with a bunch of men in identical black suits and dark glasses-then straight-up carried her away like a scene from a bad action movie.

Crashing weddings might be old news in rom-coms, but could someone explain why the guy who kidnapped her was a complete stranger?!

Ashley's resistance only made him clench his jaw tighter, a vein on his forehead twitching. Clearly pissed, he suddenly swung his free hand and smacked her hard across the butt.

The sound stunned her. For a second, she was frozen. Then she shrieked, "You-!"

"Easy now, okay?" he said, coming to a halt. His calm was unnerving. The expensive, dark-toned suit hugged his tall, sharp figure, easily over six feet. Chiseled jaw, perfectly proportioned nose, and those eyes-cold, emotionless, untouchable.

He leaned down and muttered the words in a deep, warning-laced voice, brushing close to her ear. It made her hair stand on end.

Ashley wasn't dumb. Surrounded by his people and facing a guy who seemed like he could snap at any second, she bit her lips hard and forced herself to stay quiet.

Only then did he allow a faint, almost smug smile to tug at the corners of his mouth.

"Sir!" The moment they entered the grand villa's lobby, the dozen or so uniformed staffers stood at attention and greeted him in perfect unison. Not once did he look their way.

He just strode past them, carrying Ashley up the wide staircase like a sack of potatoes.

Ashley clenched her teeth, forcing herself to stay calm. She peeked from his shoulder, scanning the place for exits, anything she could use, mind spinning with escape plans.

Bang! He reached the second floor, lifted one long leg, and kicked open a nearby door like it owed him money. He walked inside and dumped her onto a huge bed with zero hesitation.

Ashley winced but sat up fast, trying to slide off the bed.

She didn't even make it to the edge before he pushed her back again. "Where do you think you're going, huh?"

His voice was low, with that gravelly kind of tone that sounded way too steady for someone who just broke into a wedding.

There were barely a few inches between them now.

His gaze locked onto her face, sharp and intense, like a hawk sizing up its prey. Something dark flickered in his eyes-he was clearly holding something back.

"Who are you? Why did you bring me here!" Ashley tensed up, trying to squirm out from under him, but he was too strong. No matter how hard she resisted, it was useless.

"Who am I?" His expression turned even colder, his voice laced with sarcasm. "We've shared a bed, and now you're playing the 'I don't know you' card? That's a pretty lousy excuse to pretend nothing ever happened."

Shared a bed? What?! That was insane.

Relief washed over Ashley as a possible explanation hit her. He'd gotten the wrong person. "Sir, you've clearly mistaken me for someone else. I don't even know you, let alone have that kind of history. You need to let me go now. If my fiancé reports this to the police, you'll-"

Fiancé...

His grip on her wrist tightened abruptly. His eyes turned icy, filled with something almost murderous. Three years ago, that word should've belonged to him...

Ashley noticed his silence and cautiously hoped he was reconsidering. She pressed her palms against his chest, trying to push him away. "Okay, so the misunderstanding is cleared up, right? Can I leave now? My wedding is-"

She moved to get off the bed, eager to get out of there.

But before she could get far, his weight pinned her again. He leaned down, caging her in with an arm. His voice was low and threatening. "You really think I'm just gonna let you walk away after that?"

Ashley...

Ashley!

He held her down with terrifying force, his eyes practically on fire.

The white wedding dress she wore only stoked his anger-it was blinding to look at.

"You actually know me?" Ashley froze when he said her name so accurately. She'd thought this was all just a huge mix-up.

"Don't you think your act's getting a little too fake?" he sneered, his hand on her arm tightening without him even realizing.

"Maybe there's someone out there with my name and face? Look closely at me-I'm serious, you've got the wrong person!" It was the only logical explanation she could think of.

"Oh, so same name, and just happening to look exactly like you too?" His words came out through clenched teeth, eyes nearly spitting fire.

"..."

God, what kind of absurd coincidence would that even be?