Chapter 29
Penny
“Ican’t marry him.”
The words rip out of me between sobs as I sit trapped in a mountain of white tulle on the bathroom floor.
“A couple of months ago, I saw Easton at a bar in Charlotte,” I continue shakily. “He told me he needed a favor.” I let out a bitter laugh. “Apparently, he needed a wife to access a trust fund. I said no.”
Mami’s brows knit together, but she stays quiet, letting me speak.
I wipe angrily at my tears before continuing.
“Then about a month later, he showed up in Azalea Creek and asked me to lunch. That’s when he showed me notarized papers.”
Her face tenses, but she doesn’t make a peep.
“I’m not sure if you’re aware—and if you’re not, I’m sorry you’re finding out this way—but Dad gambled away the company during a poker game here at the club.”
Mami gasps, fresh tears filling her eyes.
“He lost it, Ma.” My voice cracks. “Easton said the only way Dad could get the company back was if I agreed to marry him.”
“What?” Her entire body stiffens. “Is Easton out of his mind? Why would you have to pay for your father’s mistakes?”
“I thought I could do it.” Another sob escapes me. “I really did. I thought I could save the company because I know how important it is to Dad, but I can’t go through with this.”
The confession rips something open inside me. Every ounce of fear, guilt, and panic I’ve been carrying spills out at once.
Mami holds me while I cry, her arms tight around me like she’s trying to shield me from the entire world.
Then she pulls back just enough to cup my face.
“Listen to me, Penélope.” Her voice turns fierce, like a lioness preparing for battle. “I love you and that big heart of yours, but you don’t need to sacrifice yourself to right this wrong.”
There’s fire in her eyes. The kind I’ve seen a handful of times in my life.
“I would never forgive your dad if you married this piece of garbage because he decided to gamble more money than he could afford to lose.”
I sniffle loudly, trying to catch my breath.
“I’ll be right back,” she says as she rises to her feet.
Then she points at me with full mom authority.
“And don’t you dare move.”
“Where would I go? I’m currently drowning in a tulle ocean.”
That earns me a smile.
Mami presses a kiss to the top of my head before slipping out of the bathroom.
For the first time in weeks, I feel something dangerously close to hope.
I truly thought defying Easton would destroy our lives. But seeing Mami so calm—so certain—makes me believe maybe everything won’t fall apart after all.
I’m not sure how much time passes before restlessness starts creeping in.
The dress feels suffocating. I want out of it.
I want to burn every layer of white fabric and pretend this entire day never happened.
“Ugh. How on earth did I agree to get married in this monstrosity? I mutter, laughing weakly as I glare down at the mountain of tulle swallowing me up.
“Get the fuck off me!”
I freeze.
What the hell?
That definitely didn’t sound like Daddy… did it?
Heart pounding, I lift the ridiculous skirt and rush toward the door as fast as the giant dress allows.
The scene outside is absolute chaos.
Mami has both arms wrapped around Dad’s waist, trying to stop him from lunging at Easton.
Meanwhile, Easton looks genuinely rattled for the first time since I’ve known him. His face is pale, his eyes darting widely between my parents and a man currently being restrained by security.
Guests spill out of the ceremony room amid the commotion. The wedding planner looks seconds away from a nervous breakdown as she barks frantic orders into her headset.
It's pandemonium.
The man security is holding turns toward me.
I can’t fully see his face, but something about him feels familiar.
Every instinct inside pulls in his direction.
“Penny!” Easton snaps when he sees me, making a beeline toward me.
I stay rooted in place, completely overwhelmed by everything happening around me.
“Didn’t we have a deal?” he hisses once he reaches me. “What the fuck is going on? Why did your mother tell everyone the wedding’s off?”
“Because it’s true.” My voice comes out steadier than I feel. “I’m not marrying you.”
Something ugly flashes across his face.
“What the fuck did you just say?” he bites out. “Remember, I still have plenty of proof to make your father’s life miserable.”
I stare him straight in the eyes.
For once since this nightmare started, I’m not intimidated by him.
“You heard me,” I say calmly. “I’m not marrying you.”
He lets out an evil cackle.
It’s creepy as hell.
“Listen, Penelope,” he says, smoothing a hand over his perfectly styled hair like he’s trying to regain control of the situation.
But before he can say another word, someone violently yanks him backward.
My jaw nearly hits the floor when I see who did it.
“Miles,” I whisper, barely able to believe he’s actually here.
He’s wearing gray sweatpants and a MacAllister Construction hoodie.
His hair’s a mess, like he showered and ran out the door without bothering to comb it. His beard is more than a shadow, and the dark circles under his eyes make it obvious he’s been trapped in the same hell I have these past few weeks.
But I’ve never seen a more beautiful man in my life.
Because he came for me.
“She was pretty fucking clear, man.” Miles steps in front of Easton and shoves him back again. “She’s done with your sorry ass.”
“Don’t touch me,” Easton yells as he straightens his suit jacket, his face twisted in disgust. “Security, why haven’t you removed him yet? He isn’t a guest.”
The guards exchange awkward glances before slowly moving toward Miles.
“Don’t you dare lay a finger on him,” I warn as I move closer to Miles.
The moment he hears my voice, he turns toward me.
Our eyes lock, an entire conversation passing silently between us.
Miles gives me that crooked smile I’ve missed so badly, and I know exactly what I need to do.
“Penelope Levine, don’t you dare leave with that hillybilly,” Easton shouts, no longer caring who hears him or the scene he’s causing.
“Watch how you speak to my daughter, Easton Ryan.”
Dad’s voice booms through the ballroom entrance, silencing half the crowd.
“Because I’m tired of your family trying to steal my company.” His expression hardens. “And this time, I won’t hesitate to let the law finish their investigation.”
A collective gasp ripples through the crowd.
Phones start appearing in people’s hands, all aimed at Easton and my father.
“It’s your word against ours, old man,” Easton sneers.
“That’s for the court to decide.”
Dad calmly offers Mami his hand.
She takes it without hesitation.
The way they look at each other—with the same love and adoration after all these years—makes me realize I almost walked away from the kind of love people spend their entire lives searching for.
Mami looks at Miles, then back at me.
She tilts her head—a silent question.
I nod.
A smile softens her face before she whispers something to Dad. Then the two of them walk away hand in hand like the world isn’t actively exploding behind them.
“Ready to get out of this hellhole, boss?” Miles asks, his eyes burning with equal parts fury and promise.
A huge grin spreads across my face for the first time all day.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Miles closes the distance between us in two long strides.
Before I can even gasp, he hooks an arm behind my legs and throws me over his shoulder like he’s hauling me out of a burning building.
The murmurs around us grow louder as he carries me out of the country club, one possessive hand firmly planted on my ass.
“This is the most inconvenient dress ever made,” he grumbles, half annoyed, half amused. “I can’t see where the hell I’m going.”
I have absolutely no idea where we’re headed.
But as long as I’m with him, I know I’ll be okay.