Chapter 1
“Do you accept Iris Farrow as your lawfully wedded wife?”
The priest turned to Gideon across from me, grinning ear to ear as if this wedding were the best thing that had ever happened to him—not after I’d caught him cheating on me with my own stepmother.
Yet there was no turning back now. My father had already made it final: Marry into his family, seal the deal, and you can file for divorce after five years.
“I do,” Gideon answered smoothly. “I love Iris so much.” He whispered it, but his voice alone ignited something vile deep inside me.
I wanted to see him drop dead right then and there. With that fake smile spreading across his face, and my stepmother standing nearby acting all saintly—as if I hadn’t just heard them sharing moans in my own home.
“And Iris Farrow… do you accept Gideon—”
The priest’s voice was cut short as the oak doors of the cathedral flew open, followed by the deafening crack of a gunshot.
My heart spiked straight into my throat.
Before I even had time to process what was happening, the blood of my soon-to-be husband splashed across my face, freezing me on the spot.
**TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AGO…**
“Come on… deeper. Right there, oh God, so good…”
I halted in my steps, my hand freezing inches from the bedroom door I was about to knock on.
Isn’t that Isabella, my forty-something stepmother?
And… Dad? I thought he wasn’t home—
“Fuck me harder, Gideon!”
My heart dropped straight to the pit of my stomach at the sound of his name.
Gideon?
My own… fiancé? In bed with my stepmother?
Oh hell no. I must have misheard.
Swallowing hard, I pushed the door open just a crack. If the house had been quiet, they would have heard how wildly my heart was pounding against my ribs.
My eyes locked onto the scene inside. Isabella was bent over on the bed with Gideon behind her, thrusting into her.
Naked!
Neither of them noticed my presence—of course they didn't, thinking no one was home.
And tomorrow was supposed to be my wedding day.
Tears instantly pooled in my eyes as I turned on my heels.
I had begged my father that I didn’t want to get married. Not now, and not to Gideon, who was only ever supposed to be a family friend.
But Dad had insisted. And for what? My future husband was cheating on me—and not just with anyone, but with Isabella!
I hit the breaks on my thoughts, forcing myself to stop at the end of the curb to catch my breath, my face already soaked.
God knows if I stayed in that fucking house another second, I’d pull the gun from my dad’s desk drawer and start a bloodbath before he even got home.
But no… I was just a coward. A coward whom life tossed around like trash every chance it got.
Minutes later, I stormed into a dimly lit bar downtown.
My subconscious was screaming at me to turn around and go home, but there was no way.
How the hell was I supposed to live with this pain?
“Uh… ID card?” The bar hostess asked, raising an eyebrow at me as I slapped it onto the counter.
“Newbie?” She questioned, scanning my face. “Let’s get you started with something light. You don’t seem like—”
“Just do your job and give me the strongest alcohol you have,” I cut her off cold.
She gave me one last warning look, as if guaranteeing I’d regret it, before spinning away.
Within a couple of minutes, she returned and poured two shots of a dark liquor I couldn’t name.
I didn't care either.
I grabbed the glass and poured it straight down my throat, the burn searing through me instantly.
“I envy you,” a voice suddenly called out.
I turned my head to see a man sliding onto the empty barstool beside me. He was tall, with a neatly trimmed beard and striking emerald eyes that fixed directly on me.
If I had to guess, he looked a couple years older than. Handsome, and effortlessly composed.
I ignored him, staring back down at my glass to gather the strength for another sip.
“You know, drinking really isn’t my thing,” he continued, his voice smooth and low. “Except when I’m going through some real life shit.”
“Yeah, well, everyone lies about going through shit just to have an excuse to drink,” I muttered, rolling my eyes at my own misfortune.
“And are you lying?”
I smirked, turning to catch those emerald eyes once again.
God, they were gorgeous. Too captivating to stare at, especially on a man who carried himself like a lethal threat except that he almost looked like the word peace itself.
I let out a dry laugh, finding it suddenly impossible to drag my gaze away from him.
“I’m not,” I finally answered his question. “I wouldn’t be sitting here downing shots if I didn’t have a wedding to attend tomorrow.”
“Your wedding?” He inquired, his deep voice curling around the space between us.
I took another gulp from my shot glass, wincing as it burned its way down before giving him a tight nod.
“And why should you be drinking yourself blind the night before?”
“Why do you care?” I shot back, taking him in.
Maybe his face was the only good thing that would happen to me tonight.
“You look troubled. And I’ve heard sharing your problems with a stranger helps. Who knows? You might be offered the biggest help of your life.”
I chuckled bitterly. “Yeah, right. But I have nothing to offer in return.”
“Would you still say that if I told you my twin died few hours ago?”
The sarcasm died on my tongue at once, my jaw dropping slightly. “I… I’m so sorry. What… how?” I stuttered.
His expression remained unreadable as he reached for his glass, downing the liquor in one smooth swallow.
“So… you’re not the only one with a dark story,” he murmured, a cold, calculating curve touching his lips.
“I don’t want to get married tomorrow,” I blurted out after a long silence. “I never wanted to. And if I do, I might end up slitting my own throat.”
“Is that how much you hate the man?”
I shrugged shoulder-deep. “Both him and my stepmother.”
“What if I offered to help?”
A burst of dry laughter escaped my lips. “You don’t have to play hero. What could an ordinary man like you even do? Besides, you don’t want to know who my father is…”
“And if I don't give a damn who he is, and help you anyway?”
For the first time all day, a genuine smile touched my lips. “Then I’d really appreciate it.”
