Chapter 1 The Wedding That Never Was

Elara's POV

"Do you, Elara West, take Lionel Godfrey to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

The priest's voice rang through the cathedral like a verdict, and everything in me went still.

I stood at the altar, stiff in layers of silk and lace, my fingers wrapped too tightly around a bouquet of white roses. Their scent clung to my nose, sweet and nauseating. I could feel my pulse fluttering at the base of my throat, like a trapped bird trying to escape.

My lips parted, but no words came out.

Lionel stood beside me, a picture of elegance in his dark navy tuxedo. His hair was perfectly slicked back. His posture was perfect. His smile was... wrong. Too polished. Too controlled. And it didn't reach his eyes.

I knew that smile. I had studied it over countless dinners and events where I was paraded as his charming little fiancée. It was the same expression he wore in campaign posters and press interviews. The same cold, sharp look I saw in his eyes when no one else was watching.

I could feel his fingers tighten around mine, a subtle squeeze, like a warning.

My eyes shifted away from him, sweeping across the room. Hundreds of faces stared back at me, most unfamiliar, powerful people in expensive clothes, business partners, investors, and political allies. All gathered to watch the fairy tale Lionel had built around us. A story I no longer recognized myself in.

Then I saw her.

Rosa.

My baby sister, sitting near the front in her wheelchair, wrapped in lavender satin. Her face glowed with excitement, though her features were pale and tired from too many hospital visits and too few answers. She had insisted on coming today and had called this the happiest day of her life.

For her, I had said yes.

For her, I had smiled, worn the dress, nodded at the interviews, and ignored the way Lionel's gaze made my skin crawl.

But now, standing here, I felt like I couldn't breathe. The cathedral was too bright. Too quiet. Too cold.

"Elara?" the priest prompted again, kindly. "Do you take this man?"

I opened my mouth again. My tongue felt heavy. My lungs barely worked.

This isn't what I want.

I can't do this.

This isn't love.

This is a deal. A transaction. A trap.

I could already see the life stretching out in front of me, one filled with golden cages and icy smiles. Of press conferences and empty promises. Of lies spoken for the sake of legacy and image. Of being touched by hands I didn't want. Of drowning in wealth while dying inside.

I closed my eyes for a moment and remembered the feeling of sunlight on my face the last time Rosa and I visited the park. The wind in my hair. The sound of her laughter. The last time I felt... free.

"I..."

A whisper.

Lionel's hand twitched, a subtle but unmistakable command.

I looked up into his eyes, searching for something, gentleness, maybe. Love. Anything human.

But all I saw was ownership.

Something cracked inside me.

"I can't," I whispered, almost too quietly to hear.

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

Lionel turned toward me, jaw clenching. "Elara," he said, his voice like a low growl. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm sorry," I said, louder this time, pulling my hand from his grip. "I... I can't do this."

"What the hell are you saying?" he hissed, stepping closer.

"I'm saying no," I said, voice shaking but firm. "I can't marry you."

The cathedral gasped. It felt like the very walls recoiled.

"Elara, think about what you're doing. Think about your sister. About your future."

"She's the only reason I ever agreed," I shot back. "But I can't lose myself just to save her."

His smile vanished. The mask slipped. "You think anyone else is going to help her? After this stunt? You're making the biggest mistake of your life." "Maybe," I whispered. "But it's my life. And I want to live it on my terms."

I didn't wait for his answer.

I turned.

And I ran.

My heels clicked loudly on the marble as I rushed down the aisle, past rows of stunned faces, ignoring the gasps and murmurs and flashes of cameras. My bouquet dropped to the floor. My veil snagged and tore as I burst through the heavy cathedral doors.

Outside, the world was grey and cold and beautiful.

Rain poured from the sky, soaking my dress in seconds. I didn't care. I pulled off the heels and ran barefoot through the city streets, breath ragged, heart pounding.

I had a plan. A real one. Cassian made sure of that.

We whispered it in secret, late at night when the weight of my decision threatened to crush me. He told me if I changed my mind, even at the very last second, there'd be a way out. A car would be waiting. A destination already chosen. A lifeline.

And when I ran, it was there.

The cold slapped my cheeks. My hair clung to my damp face as I pushed past gasps and shouts and the sound of my name echoing behind me. I turned a corner, heart pounding, and spotted the cab parked exactly where Cassian said it would be.

I yanked open the door and slid in. The driver didn't even look at me.

He just nodded toward the backseat.

There it was.

A worn black duffle bag sat there waiting, mine. Packed by Cassian. My clothes. My ID. Cash. The new phone.

"Ready?" the driver asked, eyes on the road.

I nodded. "Yeah. Get me there. Please."

We drove.

We crossed bridges, slipped through narrow roads, past skyscrapers and suburbs, and through silent woods. I didn't speak. He didn't ask. My dress soaked the seat, and the silence stretched thin with tension. Eventually, we stopped in front of a run-down motel tucked behind a gas station.

I paid with cash from the bag. No questions asked.

The motel room was small and musty. The carpet was stained. The wallpaper peeled. The bed creaked when I sat down.

And for the first time that day, I let myself breathe.

I was still in the dress. Still barefoot. My mascara had run. My fingers trembled.

I looked in the cracked mirror and barely recognized myself.

The runaway bride. The girl who said no.

The girl who finally took her life back.

I didn't cry. Not yet.

I sank onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Rain tapped against the window. My heart slowed. My breathing steadied. The silence wrapped around me like a cocoon.

And in that moment, despite the uncertainty, despite the fear, despite the storm waiting outside...

I smiled.

Because for the first time in a long, long time...

I was free.