Bonus Chapter
LIAM
Most men in society these days don’t decide to enter into arranged marriages, let alone a marriage with a woman they’ve never met.
But I’ve never been like other men, and I don’t plan to start now.
I didn’t become who I am today by coasting on my father's last name like my other brothers have. I learned that our legacy means nothing if you can’t defend it.
I started at the bottom of our company when I was legally able, watched men twice my age underestimate me, and outworked each and every one of them until I slowly took their place.
By the time my uncle announced his retirement, the board already knew who would replace him.
I fix my cufflinks, my reflection in the mirror composed, calm, steady. This wedding was never about romance; it was about family alignment. Stability. Joining forces with matching ambition.
A quick knock on the door, and Renzo, my best friend and best man, walks into my room without waiting for permission. He leans against the door with a forced casual look that doesn’t match the expression on his face.
“There’s a slight problem with the bride.”
“I’m not surprised,” I say, smoothing my jacket down my chest. “She refused all offers to meet me before today.”
Turning away from Renzo, I step in front of the mirror again. “What is the problem? Cold feet? Is she missing a bobby pin?”
“Not exactly,” he says slowly. I watch him through the mirror and realize he’s staring up at the ceiling.
“Just tell me what it is,” I say.
He reaches into his jacket pocket and comes out with an envelope and tosses it at me. “She’s missing.”
I catch the envelope without thinking, and when his words register, I feel myself stiffening from shock.
“Missing?” I repeat. “That’s not funny.”
He doesn’t smile; he doesn’t move. He just stares back at me like he’s waiting for me to explode.
“She left early this morning. Phone off. Her mother’s losing her mind. The staff didn’t see her. Security shows nothing. This was the only thing she left behind.”
I turn the envelope over, and my name is written across the front in careful handwriting.
Liam.
And I open it.
Liam,
I know that this wasn’t the right way to do this. I know you will end up hating me, but I refuse to be the girl who smiles through a marriage she never chose. I was told that this marriage was a duty to my family. That would bring honor to my father’s name.
One would hope that, eventually, we would find love for each other, but how often do arrangements like ours end in love? Love may not matter to my mother or to you, but it matters to me.
I will not be owned; I won't sit around and be traded as a stepping stone. I have been an obedient daughter up until now, but I refuse to be turned into an obedient wife. I hope one day you’ll understand and not hate me.
Please do not look for me.
I choose myself today, please do the same.
Lilly
My hand crumples the page before I realize what I’m doing.
Renzo clears his throat. “You, okay?”
No. But not for the reason he thinks. She didn’t vanish in panic. Panic leaves messes. Panic forgets details. Panic doesn’t write letters like this. This was deliberate.
“She planned this,” I say quietly. “Every step.”
Renzo nods. “She took her dog. Some clothes. Nothing flashy.”
Of course she did. I smooth the paper back out, reading it again, not for the words, but for the woman behind them. The conviction. The refusal. The careful line between guilt and resolve. I will not be owned.
Interesting.
She didn’t ask for permission. She didn’t bargain. She didn’t plead.
She chose.
I straighten my cuffs again, more out of habit than need.
“Start looking for her,” I say. “Airports. Trains. Hotels. Quietly.”
Renzo raises a brow. “Her mother—”
“Doesn’t need to know,” I cut in. “The wedding is canceled. Publicly, we’ll say it was mutual.”
“And privately?”
I turn back to the mirror. The man staring back is calm. Focused. Dangerous when crossed.
“She didn’t run from me,” I say. “She ran from a cage she never agreed to step into.”
A pause.
Renzo studies me. “So… you’re going after her.”
“Yes.”
Not to drag her back.
Not to force her hand.
I want to see who she becomes when no one is watching her choices anymore.
The corner of my mouth lifts slightly.
“And because,” I add, “a woman who plans an escape like this deserves to be found.”