24
One of my closest friends, aware that Mathias had come to find me several times, exchanged a knowing glance
with me
I couldn’t help but smile, casually adjusting the necklace around my neck.
With less than half an hour until the wedding, my friends began to filter out of the room.
I stood alone in the quiet, empty dressing room, a sudden wave of nerves washing over me.
My phone, resting on the vanity, buzzed to life.
I glanced at the screen and saw a message from Norman. [Irene, I miss you so much.]
He had practically dragged me out of bed this morning, and now he was sending me these sweet, clingy words. Honestly, he had no shame!
Just then, a soft knock echoed through the door.
A grin tugged at my lips, but I quickly tried to hide it, rushing to open the door.
But when I pulled it open, I froze.
There, standing in the doorway in a groom’s suit, holding a bouquet of flowers, was Mathias, his eyes burning with an intensity I hadn’t seen in ages.
For a split second, I could’ve sworn my eyes were deceiving me.
But by the time my brain caught up with reality, Mathias had already seized my hand and stepped inside.
His face was drawn, a tiredness that clung to him like a heavy fog, but his eyes…. his eyes were unnervingly
bright
“Irene, I’m here to marry you.”
I felt as though the ground beneath me had just crumbled away. My heart raced, and without thinking, I tried to
push him away
But his grip tightened, cold and unyielding.
The door slammed shut behind us, and before I could react, Mathias had pulled me into his arms.
“Irene, I know you still love me. That’s why I’m here.”
His voice was desperate, almost frantic
“I’ve already arranged everything. The wedding venue is ready.”
“Everything is ready except for
the bride.”
My chest tightened. He was completely out of his mind.
His arms were iron around me, suffocating in their strength,
Lasuld haralı main in tha hanını maddina drano milano trannad hanasih its unmisht Lauched anainat hie chant
1:25 PM c
pected and Abandoned, Du the light Manu
liesterland
I could barely move in the heavy wedding dress, my legs trapped beneath its weight. I pushed against his chest
with all my might, trying to break free.
“Mathias, are you out of your mind?”
I breathed, heart hammering.
“Today is my wedding with Norman. There’s no way I’m going with you!”
My words seemed to cut through the air, and the tension in the room snapped..
“Why? How could you throw away ten years of our relationship?”
“How could you just marry someone else like that?”
“I won’t allow it!”
The words echoed in the room, each one sharper than the last.
The flowers in his hands fell to the floor in a flurry, their petals crushed underfoot, making a faint squeaking.
sound as they were trampled
Seizing the moment, I lunged, sinking my teeth into Mathias’s neck.
The taste of blood flooded my mouth, sickening and metallic, but I couldn’t stop.
I pressed on, my heart racing, and with every ounce of strength left in me, I sprinted toward the door.
But just as my hand brushed the handle, a sharp blow struck my shoulder.
Before the darkness claimed me, I glimpsed his face, twisted with obsession and a madness that sent chills
down my spine
“Irene, you’re mine.”
His voice was a fevered whisper, the words chilling and unyielding.
“I can’t lose you… I absolutely can’t.”
When I finally regained consciousness, I was being lifted into a car, Mathias’s hands gripping me tightly.
My head spun, disoriented, but I reached out for the doorframe, desperate to scream for help.
But the scene was filled with too many guests, their chatter and the honking of cars drowning out my desperate
cries.
Mathias pried my fingers from the car door, his touch gentle yet laced with an unsettling calmness.
“Irene, be good. It’s all set.”
“We’ll board the plane to the island, and no one will ever find us.”
“We’ll be together forever, just you and me.
“Nothing can tear us apart.”
At that moment, the pieces fell into place. I finally understood why Mathias had seemingly surrendered to the
bankruptcy
He had quietly moved assets to a hidden island, setting up a life for us beyond the reach of anyone who might
stand in his way
Cost
Even as everything around him crumbled, he had already planned his escape, his future intact, no matter the
