Zane's POV The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind, a mess of emotions I couldn’t seem to shake. I couldn’t stop replaying the conversation with Belle in my head. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the way she looked at me—determined, yet fragile. It was the eve of her wedding, and despite my desperate appeal to her yesterday morning, she was still set on marrying Dave Scott. The thought made my stomach churn, a mix of anger and helplessness gnawing at me.I needed a drink. No, I needed to drown the thoughts, the pain, the frustration. I dressed quickly, throwing on a shirt and jeans, and headed out to one of the bars I knew would be dark and quiet enough to let me brood in peace.The whiskey went down smooth, burning just enough to distract me from my thoughts, if only for a moment. I ordered another, and then another, losing count as the hours slipped away. The bar was a blur of muted conversations and the clinking of glasses, but none of it registered. My mind was trapped
Belle's POV The wedding day had arrived.My wedding day as they said it was. Instead of excitement, all I felt was a gnawing sense of fear that I couldn’t shake off. My heart pounded erratically in my chest, matching the chaotic rhythm of my thoughts. I sat alone in the plush hotel suite, the beautiful surroundings doing little to calm the storm raging inside me. The ceremony was set to take place downstairs, in one of the grand ballrooms, and I knew that everyone was already bustling about, getting ready for the big event.But I wasn’t ready. Not at all.Kamille and Amanda had been trying to get my attention for the past half hour, knocking on the door, calling my name, even sending messages that popped up on my phone screen, telling me the makeup artists were here and that everyone was waiting for me. But I couldn’t move. My gut twisted with anxiety, a deep, primal instinct telling me that something was very wrong, that Zane had been right all along. If I walked down that aisle to
Belle’s POVAs Kamille made the call, Amanda squeezed my hand again, her eyes shining with pride. “You’re doing the right thing, Belle. I know it’s scary, but you’re strong. You can do this.”I smiled at her, feeling the tears welling up again, but this time, they were tears of relief. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you for being here.”The door to the suite opened, and my mother stepped back inside, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene before her. “What’s going on here?” she demanded, her voice sharp.I turned to face her, my heart pounding in my chest. “I’m not marrying Dave,” I said, my voice firm, despite the fear that still lingered at the edges of my resolve.My mother’s eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought she might actually faint. But then, her expression hardened, and she took a step towards me, her hand clenching into a fist at her side. “Belle, don’t be ridiculous. You can’t back out now. It’s too late.”“It’s not too late,” I replied, holding my ground. “It’s
Zane's POV The blaring sound of my phone’s alarm jarred me awake, the harsh light of the screen cutting through the remnants of sleep. My head pounded, a dull reminder of the whiskey from last night, and the weight of the previous evening's choices pressed down on me like a boulder. I groaned, rubbing my eyes as I reached for the phone, expecting another routine morning message. Instead, the notification that greeted me jolted me fully awake, banishing the last vestiges of sleep.Breaking News: Dr. Belle Perri Runs Away from Her Wedding!The words seemed to scream at me from the screen, a jarring contrast to the quiet of the early morning. For a moment, I simply stared at the headline, unable to process what I was seeing. Belle… ran away? The thought echoed in my mind, refusing to settle. She had been so adamant, so determined to marry that bastard Dave Scott. And now… she is gone?I blinked, my mind slowly catching up with reality. I turned my head to the side, noticing the woman be
Dave's POV I had arrived at the apartment long before I even realized where I was heading. There was no logical reason to come here, yet my crazy instincts refused to let me be and had drawn me to this place, where Belle and I were to return about this time as man and wife.I was to conquer her today and put her in her fucking place!The apartment was dark. The faint scent of her perfume still lingered in the air, making me feel nostalgic. Everywhere in the apartment screamed her name and it was only fueling the anger I already felt. I got her this apartment and stayed in it with her, but she was always so emotionally down most of the time and I could not deal with all that shit.I walked to the cellar and helped myself to a glass of whiskey. Walking back to the dining area, I turned off the lights, letting the silence wrap around me as I sat at the dining table with my glass of whiskey. My mind was racing, my emotions torn between rage and disbelief. She had really done it. Belle
Zane’s POVWas Dave Scott a clown truly? Or he was trying to put up an act?“You think a knife is going to scare me?” I said in a cold and steady voice. “You’re even more pathetic than I thought.”He pressed the blade harder and I could feel his hands trembling from the knife he had pressed to my neck. “You don’t know what you’re messing with, Caruso. I’ll kill you if I have to.”“Go ahead,” I replied lazily. I had already wasted more than enough time with the son of a bitch. “Do it. But killing me won’t change anything. Belle’s already gone, and no matter what you do, you can’t force her to come back.”I felt his grip tightened on the knife for a split second, then followed closely by the familiar dance of hesitation in his eyes.I chuckled softly, knowing how infuriating that would sound, but I still chuckled even louder. “You’re not going to do it, are you? You don’t have the balls.”“I just don’t want to get your dirty blood on my hands,” He replied through gritted teeth. “But yo
Belle's POVThe plane was packed, but somehow I felt utterly alone. The low hum of passengers chatting, the shuffling of luggage, and the faint hiss of the air vents above me faded into background noise. I had sunk into my seat, my body pressed into the soft cushions, but I could still feel the tightness in my chest, a dull ache that I couldn’t quite shake.I closed my eyes, trying to block it all out, but the moment I did, silent tears began to slip down my face. I couldn’t stop them even if I tried. I wasn’t crying because I was sad, not entirely. I wasn’t even sure what I was feeling anymore. All I knew was that my heart ached, not from leaving behind the life I had known, but from the things I didn’t say—the things I had run away from.Someone tapped me gently on the shoulder, pulling me out of my thoughts. I wiped the tears away quickly, hoping whoever it was hadn’t noticed. I turned to see a kind face, a woman with dark, wavy hair and a soft smile. Her accent was unmistakable, e
Belle's POVThe low hum of the plane’s engine droned in my ears as I stared out the window, watching the clouds roll by like waves in the sky. I must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing I knew, the sharp voice of the air hostess echoed over the intercom, announcing our arrival in Paris.“Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing shortly at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for arrival.”I blinked, momentarily disoriented, as I looked around at the other passengers beginning to gather their things. My heart raced a little, not from excitement, but from the reality that I was really here, alone in a foreign country, with no plan, no idea where to go or what to do next."Welcome to Paris." The lively French woman beside me, who had chatted my ear off earlier, smiled knowingly.I nodded, forcing a smile. "Thank you."Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Ah, you will love it. Paris is... how do you say... magical!""I hope so," I muttered