Chapter 1 Broken Ties

Alexa stormed through the hallway, her tall figure tense with fury. Her long red hair flowed behind her like flames whipped by the wind, matching the fire in her chest. Her fair skin glowed under the low hallway lights, but the beauty in her wasn't soft tonight, it was sharp, untouchable, like a rose full of thorns. Her brown eyes burned with betrayal as her father's words echoed in her head.

"Marriage, my foot," she muttered, trembling. "I have my life to live, and nobody, nobody gets to decide my future for me!"

The rage in her chest tightened like a knot. Alexa threw open the bedroom door and barged inside. The massive room, dressed in rich cream drapes, didn't comfort her. All the elegance in the world couldn't fix what she felt.

She banged the door echoing like a gunshot through the house. Her mother, Aaliya, flinched from the sound and quickly followed.

Alexa's eyes snapped to the full-length mirror in front of her. Her reflection flushed cheeks, heaving chest, trembling lips looked just as shattered as she felt. Without thinking, she grabbed her perfume bottle and hurled it.

Crash!

The glass exploded into a thousand shards. One sharp sliver slashed her palm. Blood dripped, staining her wrist. The pain wasn't felt, she was unbothered.

"Alexa!" Aaliya gasped, rushing into the room, panic tightening her voice. She dropped beside her daughter, fumbling for the first aid kit. "You're hurt. Let me help you please. I know your father went too far, but his intentions..."

"Don't," Alexa snapped, yanking her hand away. "Good intentions without asking me? Is that what you call a marriage deal behind my back? So my opinion never mattered?"

Aaliya's hands froze mid-air. She wanted to reach for her daughter's face but stopped,too afraid she'd already lost her. "What do you plan to do now?" she asked softly.

Alexa straightened. "I'm leaving. I'll find my own life, outside this house. I'm twenty. I'm not your bargaining chip."

Tears filled Aaliya's eyes. "At least promise me you'll stay in touch."

Alexa's voice softened. "Of course. I could never cut you off."

The door creaked open again,this time slower.

Her father stood there.

Anthony Dominic.

Cold. Proud. Calculated.

"You're planning to leave without my knowledge?" he asked, voice dangerously calm.

Alexa turned slowly, lifting her chin. "You've forgotten something, Father. I'm an adult. I have the right to choose who I marry, and when. You don't own me."

There was a long pause before he replied, "Then let's make this clear. The moment you walk out that door... our ties end."

And just like that, he turned and walked away. No plea. No guilt. Just finality.

Alexa's breath caught in her throat. "So that's it?" she whispered. "All these years, and I'm just disposable?"

She shoved clothes into her bag, the tears she refused to shed building behind her eyes. Each piece of clothing reminded her of childhood birthdays, family vacations, and everything now reduced to fiction. Aaliya gripped her arm.

"Please, Alexa. Stay the night. It's too late to be out there. Let me talk to him maybe I can fix this."

Alexa paused, heart breaking all over again. "He never loved me, Mum. Not really. Sometimes I wonder if he even is my father..."

Slap.

The sound cracked through the room. Aaliya's hand dropped back to her side, already trembling.

"You don't get to say that," she whispered through tears.

Alexa stood frozen, cheek burning not from pain, but from shock. Slowly, she looked at her mother. "I still love you, Mum. Whatever made you lash out... I know you have your reasons. But I can't stay here. Not tonight."

She picked up her bag and walked toward the door. At the threshold, she turned around, her voice a whisper. "I'll be in touch," she whispered, trying to believe it herself as she stepped out into a world that suddenly felt unfamiliar.

And she was gone.

The cold air outside bit into her skin. The night was unusually quiet, as if the world itself were holding its breath. She wrapped her arms around herself as her suitcase wheels dragged along the pavement. Her heart ached.

Did he ever love me? Or was I just another deal he needed to make? Was I ever more than an obligation in his cold, calculated world? How could a father let go so easily?

She wandered deeper into the quiet street, lost in the storm of her thoughts, barely noticing the way the shadows seemed to shift behind her.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of hooded figures had begun trailing her. They moved quietly, whispering between themselves as they kept a steady pace behind her. Her red hair made her an easy target in the night.

A cold chill ran down Alexa's spine.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw them.

Two men. Eyes sharp. Movements deliberate.

Her heart dropped.

Without thinking, she clutched her bag tighter and took off running, her boots pounding against the pavement as they gave chase. Panic gripped her chest. She darted around a corner

And straight into the headlights of a speeding car.

A horn.

A screech.

A scream-hers.

She froze like a prey caught in the headlights. Her body wouldn't move. The car was too close.

The car came to a screeching halt just inches from her.

For a moment, the world felt silent until the driver's door opened.

A man stepped out

He was tall, lean, and devastatingly composed. His dark, curly hair was neatly tousled, and his eyes jet black, piercing and searching her face with unsettling familiarity. His skin was fair, his features sharp and elegant beneath the streetlights

Alexa's heart pounded. She took one steady step back, her chest rising too quickly.

The shock, the chase, the headlights, the man , everything hits her all at once.

Her vision blurred. The ground tilted. Her body began to slump. And then...the arms

Strong, warm and steady

He caught her effortlessly before she hit the ground. He looked down at her, confused for a breath. Then recognition sparked in his eyes.

A slow, knowing smirk tugged at his lips.

"I finally found you," he whispered

A promise.

And then... silence.