Chapter 4 4

The walls of the fitting room seemed to be closing in. The white damask wallpaper was pulsating. Harper clawed at the neckline of the dress. It felt like a vice.

"Ms. Quinn, please, the lace is delicate," the assistant scolded gently.

From the other side of the heavy velvet curtain, voices drifted in. Two other employees, whispering. They thought the privacy curtain was a sound barrier. It wasn't.

"I heard the Sterling IPO is just smoke and mirrors," one voice murmured. "My cousin at the SEC says they're looking into the numbers."

"Doesn't matter if he has the cash now though. Did you see the alert on Page Six? Spotted at the St. Regis with a blonde. Poor girl in there doesn't have a clue."

"They never do. The ring is just a consolation prize."

The words hit Harper like physical blows. Consolation prize.

They thought she was a gold digger. They thought she was complicit. They thought she was selling her dignity for a spot on the social register.

Her phone buzzed again. Not a text. A video file. Unknown sender.

Her fingers trembled so badly she almost dropped the device again. She pressed play.

The video wasn't a sleek spy shot. It was shaky, dark, like a phone had been left recording in a pocket or a bag. The audio was muffled but unmistakable.

"Marriage?" Archer's voice was tinny but clear. He laughed. It was a cruel, dismissive sound. "It's just for the investors, Felix. Family man image. Harper is... manageable. She's safe. She doesn't ask questions. She's easy to control."

The video cut to black.

Manageable. Easy to control.

Air. She needed air.

The panic attack hit her like a tsunami. Her chest seized. Her fingertips went numb. The room started to spin.

She couldn't stay here. She couldn't let them see her cry. She couldn't listen to her mother cooing over the iPad about flower arrangements while Archer was calling her "manageable" to his bros.

Harper didn't think. She grabbed her black coat, throwing it over her bare shoulders. She didn't take off the dress. She couldn't deal with the zippers and the buttons. She just gathered the massive skirt in her arms, hiking it up to her knees.

"Ms. Quinn! Wait!" The assistant gasped as Harper ripped the curtain open.

Harper ran. She was barefoot. Her feet slapped against the cold marble floor. She ignored the receptionist's shocked face. She ignored the doorman who scrambled to open the door.

She burst out into the hallway of the building. It was a shared commercial space, high-end offices and boutiques. She needed to get to the elevator. She needed to get out.

Tears were streaming down her face now, hot and humiliating. She turned the corner toward the elevator bank sharply, her tractionless bare feet slipping on the polished stone.

The heavy skirt was a nightmare. Layers of tulle tangled between her legs, the structured crinoline fighting her every step. It felt like running through quicksand. She yanked at the fabric, hearing the expensive lace tear, a sharp ripping sound that echoed in the quiet hall.

She pitched forward. The floor rushed up to meet her. She braced herself for the impact, squeezing her eyes shut.

But she didn't hit the stone.

She slammed into something solid. A wall of wool and muscle.

Strong hands gripped her upper arms, steadying her instantly. He didn't pull her close; he held her firmly, creating a stable frame for her chaotic collapse. It was a professional, almost clinical support, yet the strength behind it was undeniable.

The smell hit her first. It wasn't sandalwood and lies. It was cedar, rain, and expensive tobacco. It was dark and deep and grounding.

She hung there for a second, suspended, her bare feet dangling inches from the floor, held up entirely by this stranger's grip.

"Careful," a voice rumbled.

It was a deep baritone, vibrating through the air between them.

Harper gasped, pulling back. She looked up.

And up.

The man was tall. Imposingly tall. He had dark hair, slightly wet from the rain, and eyes that were so dark they looked almost black. He was looking down at her not with shock, or amusement, but with an intensity that made her breath catch in her throat.

He released her arms slowly, ensuring she had her balance before stepping back a respectful half-step.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He didn't look at the wedding dress. He didn't look at her bare feet. He looked right into her eyes.