Chapter 2 DON'T GO

(Seraphina Parker)

Panic surged through me, but I ran toward Ryan anyway. I wasn't sure what I was hoping for.

Maybe that he'd snap out of whatever hold these people had on him, maybe that he'd grab my hand, and we'd escape together.

"Ryan, please," I pleaded, my voice shaking as I reached for him. "Let's get out of here. Now."

He unfolded his arms, and for a brief moment, I thought he was reaching for me, ready to run. But instead, he pulled me flush against his chest, his grip tightening around me like iron shackles.

"What are you doing?" My voice was desperate now. I struggled, trying to push against him, but he was stronger. "Ryan, let me go! They're coming!"

The men were closing in fast, their heavy footsteps echoing in the dimly lit space. Yet, Ryan remained still, his arms locking me in place as though he was one of them.

Rage flared inside me. If he wasn't going to let me go willingly, I had no choice. With all the strength I had left, I sank my teeth into his cheek, biting down hard.

Ryan shouted in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to wrench myself free. He staggered back, clutching his face where blood was now trickling down.

I didn't waste a second. I turned and ran.

My wedding dress had been heavy, but now, in this sleek black evening gown, my steps were lighter, faster. My breath burned in my throat as I pushed forward, darting past Ryan's parked car.

Then I saw it.

A black SUV pulled up, its tinted windows reflecting the dim streetlights. The driver's door opened slightly.

My heart pounded. Was this an escape...or another trap?

I couldn't risk being caught again. Acting purely on instinct and relying solely on luck, I dashed forward and shoved the door shut before the driver could step out. Then I threw open the backseat door and jumped inside.

The SUV screeched forward, tires screeching against the pavement.

I slammed the door shut behind me, my entire body trembling.

The silence inside the car was suffocating. I dared to open my eyes.

The driver was a man, his profile sharp under the faint glow of the dashboard lights. He didn't look at me, his gaze fixed on the road.

"Who are you?" My voice was hoarse, my body still tense.

No response.

I swallowed hard. "Are you one of them?"

Still nothing.

Minutes passed in silence, my heartbeat refusing to settle. Then, just as I was about to speak again, the car slowed to a stop.

I looked up.

A hotel. A large, bustling one, glowing under neon signs. People moved in and out of the entrance, dragging suitcases, talking, laughing.

A public place.

I exhaled shakily, my body sagging with relief.

Then I felt dizzy and...

The world went dark.

...

It was warm around me.

I struggled to get my senses active again and that was when I began to notice.

Soft sheets. A firm mattress. The scent of fresh linen. The feeling of safety.

I forced my eyes open, my head throbbing. The light in the room was soft, casting a golden glow over everything.

I grabbed my head with both hands in an attempt to reduce the pounding in my skull.

And then I saw him.

The man from the SUV. He was bent over the bed, adjusting the sheets.

I tensed, my breath catching.

He was tall, his white T-shirt stretched over broad shoulders, his dark pants fitted perfectly. His face was... breathtaking. Sharp cheekbones. Piercing eyes. Thick, dark lashes that were almost unfair for a man. His full lips were slightly parted, his expression unreadable.

"You should rest," he said, his voice deep, smooth and soothing.

My throat was dry as I managed to ask. "Who...?"

He touched my forehead as if to check my temperature, stopping me right in my track.

His fingers were warm. Gentle. Comforting.

"It's not too bad," he murmured, pulling his hand back. "You just need rest."

I stared at him. My throat refusing to produce any more sounds.

Who was this man?

Why had he saved me?

He stepped back, giving me space. For the first time, I noticed his black leather jacket draped over a chair.

I swallowed hard but my throat still felt parched.

He observed me carefully for few seconds as I lay on the bed, his eyes sharp and full of life, before fishing out his phone from his pants pocket and going ahead to scroll through it.

A moment later, he grabbed his jacket and slipped his arms into it.

Something in me panicked.

"Wait," I blurted.

He paused.

I bit my lip. "Are you leaving?"

He gave me a small smile, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. "You're safe now. The hotel's been paid for. A doctor will check on you in the morning."

My chest tightened.

What did he think I meant with the question to give me that answer?

I wasn't trying to be a leech.

I searched my mind for what to say next.

He was leaving now.

After everything, after saving me, after being the first person in a long time to make me feel safe, he was just... going?

Something in my heart awakened. I felt a kind of way but I couldn't place the feelings.

My head swirled and my heart thumped continuously.

I knew one thing.

I didn't want him to leave.

I couldn't want that.

Then, my lips moved before I could stop them.

"Don't go." I said, standing from the bed.

The words hung in the air.

His expression shifted.

Slowly, he unbuttoned his jacket, shrugging it off. It hit the floor with a soft thud.

My pulse raced.

He unbuckled his belt, freeing it from the belt holders swiftly unto the floor, his eyes locked in mine.

Heat rushed through me.

I should say something. Stop this. But I didn't want to.

He moved toward me, his bare chest just inches from mine. The warmth of his skin seeped into me, sending shivers down my spine.

His fingers tilted my chin up.

"Say it again," he murmured, his breath brushing my lips.

I exhaled shakily. "Don't go."

His lips crashed against mine immediately.

We got lost in the sheets and into the night.

...

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains.

I turned in bed, my body aching, but in the best way.

The space beside me was empty.

My heart sank.

I sat up, my gaze darting around the room. His jacket was gone. His scent lingered, but he was nowhere to be found.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Miss Parker?" a voice called.

The doctor.

I forced myself out of bed, wrapping a robe around my nakedness.

By the time the doctor left, my breakfast untouched, I still couldn't shake the hollow feeling in my chest.

...

I remembered everything that happened in the last few months like it happened yesterday as I stood outside the hospital, gripping an envelope so tightly my knuckles turned white.

Inside it was a pregnancy test.

Positive.

Three months.

I pressed a hand to my stomach, my breath hitching.

I had spent the last three months grieving my father, who had died in prison for a crime he didn't commit. I had spent them despising Ryan Carter, the man I was supposed to marry,the man who had led me straight into the hands of my enemies. I had spent them falling more in love with a stranger I had met just once. A man I didn't even know the name of.

And now, I am pregnant with his child.

Tears burned my eyes.

No.

I clenched my jaw, forcing them back.

I had lost too much. My father. My dignity. My peace.

I wouldn't lose control again.

Whoever framed my father, whoever was responsible for his death, they would pay.

Ryan Carter? He would pay.

The stranger from that night? I hope I meet him again soon.

With a heavy but determined heart, I let out a heavy sigh.

Dropping the envelope onto the bench beside me, I lifted my chin and walked away.

This was only the beginning.