Unclaimed Vows

Chapter 2: The Open Highway

NYX

The white lines on Interstate 55 blurred into a single, hypnotic streak beneath the glow of my headlights. Chicago was three hundred miles behind me, buried beneath a fog of rain and bad memories, but my pulse still hadn't settled. My fingers were clamped so tightly around the leather steering wheel that my knuckles had turned white.

With every state line I crossed, the knot in my chest loosened a little more.

I eased my grip, flexing my aching fingers one by one, and glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard.

3:14 a.m.

My phone lit up on the passenger seat, vibrating violently against the console.

Tristan.

He'd been calling every twenty minutes since I crossed the state line, alternating between angry, booming voicemails demanding that I stop being immature and frantic texts begging me to come back so we could "work this out like adults."

I reached over, silenced the phone, and turned it facedown in the cup holder.

There was nothing left to work out.

Before reaching the rural stretch of highway, I pulled into a service plaza, parked, and dialed the administrative office of the hospital network where I had recently completed my residency.

"Dr. Harrington?" the chief of medicine's secretary answered on the second ring. "We were expecting you at the clinic tomorrow morning for your shift rotation."

"I'm calling to submit my immediate resignation and request an urgent administrative transfer," I said, keeping my voice smooth and professional. "An unexpected family emergency has required me to leave Chicago permanently."

"Oh… Dr. Harrington, I see." The secretary paused, clearly taken aback. "Your board scores were exemplary, and the board of directors was eager to keep you on full-time. Is there no way you could file for a temporary leave of absence?"

"No," I replied firmly. "My decision is final. I'm already out of state, and I'm forfeiting my local hospital contract. My brother and legal proxy, Zeus Harrington, has full authority to clear out my locker and process any remaining paperwork or signing bonuses with the HR department. You can contact his office directly."

"Very well, Nyx. It's a loss for our department, but we wish you the best of luck. We'll mail the official release documents to your proxy."

"Thank you. Have a good day."

I ended the call, tossed my phone onto the passenger seat, and leaned my head back against the headrest.

A sharp laugh escaped my throat.

If there was one thing I had to thank my lucky stars for, it was my timing. I had taken and passed my physician licensing exam just two weeks ago.

Two weeks.

If I had discovered Tristan's betrayal while I was still studying for the boards and pulling eighty-hour study weeks, the rage and distraction might have ruined my scores.

Instead, I was officially a licensed general physician with a clean slate, fully qualified to establish a practice anywhere I damn well pleased.

My physician's license was still fresh, barely two weeks old after months of grueling board exams, sleepless nights, and endless hospital rotations.

Tristan had always treated my career like an expensive hobby—a nice little accessory to show off at country club dinners while saying, Look at my clever doctor fiancée.

But that piece of paper was mine.

He hadn't bought it for me, and he couldn't take it away.

I rolled down the window and let the warm, dusty air fill the cabin as I drove down the exit ramp toward a drive-through. After ordering a large black coffee and a breakfast sandwich, I pulled into a quiet spot at the edge of the parking lot, unbuttoned my jacket, and ate.

As I chewed, my mind drifted back to Lexi.

God, that girl had been a parasite from the moment Victoria had dragged her through our front door fifteen years ago.

I remembered my twelfth birthday. My mother had sketched a custom-made silk dress for me before she died, and I'd been so excited to wear it.

Lexi spilled red juice down the front of the dress within ten minutes of arriving at the house. She claimed it was an accident, but I could still remember the venomous smirk she tried to hide behind her hands.

It had always been like that.

My designer bags. My childhood jewelry. My friends. My academic achievements.

Lexi craved everything that belonged to me simply because she hadn't been born a Harrington. She thought taking my things would somehow elevate her status.

She wanted my life so badly? I thought as I took a long sip of my scorching coffee. She can keep Tristan. The guy is an arrogant, self-centered, spoiled brat. Within six months, he'll realize she doesn't have a dime of her own and was only planning to leech off him and his family's wealth.

I threw away my trash, wiped my hands, and opened my laptop to connect to the car's mobile hotspot.

It was time to stop running and start building.

I searched a real estate website for properties in Oak Ridge, Texas—a quiet, self-sufficient town nestled in the hill country, far removed from high-society tabloids.

I navigated to the website of a local real estate agency and began browsing its listings.

My attention settled on a forty-acre plot of fertile Texas land. The property came with a recently cleared perimeter, mature hardwood trees, a deep water well, and a sturdy, mid-sized building near the entrance that I could turn into a clinic. The building only needed interior remodeling before it could open its doors to patients.

I picked up my phone and dialed the number listed for Oak Ridge Realty.

"Oak Ridge Realty, this is Dan speaking." A deep, slow Texas drawl answered. "How can I help you today?"

"Hi, Dan. My name is Nyx Harrington." I got straight to the point. "I'm calling about the forty-acre property on Miller's Creek Road. Listing number 408."

"Ah, the old Miller tract," Dan said, sounding surprised. "Yes, ma'am, it's still available. Excellent piece of land. It comes with commercial zoning for that front structure, if you're looking to open a business. Most folks find the acreage a bit too much to manage alone, though. Are you looking to schedule a viewing next week?"

"No," I said. "I'm looking to buy it today. By wire transfer."

A beat of silence followed. "Pardon me? You want to buy it sight unseen?"

"I've reviewed the property surveys, soil reports, and structural inspection for the front clinic building," I replied calmly. "I'm currently driving to Texas. I need you to prepare the closing documents and email them to me immediately. I'll have my bank execute the full cash wire within the hour. I want the keys ready at your office by the time I arrive in town this morning."

Dan chuckled, though he sounded thoroughly impressed.

"Well, damn, ma'am. You don't mess around, do you? A cash buyer makes my job real easy. I'll get the title company on the phone right now and send the paperwork to your inbox."

"Perfect. Send it over." I ended the call, opened my banking portal, and authorized the transfer from my personal trust account—the inheritance my mother, Selena, had left specifically for Zeus and me.

Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the leather seat and began visualizing what my life would look like.

I wasn't going to build some cold, soulless high-rise penthouse like the one I'd left behind in Chicago.

I was going to build a sweeping Texas-style country villa with heavy timber, natural stone, wraparound porches, and floor-to-ceiling windows that would let the southern sunlight pour in.

I wanted a massive vegetable garden out back.

Tomatoes. Peppers. Fresh herbs. Rows of wildflowers.

Beside the garden, I'd build a custom wooden chicken coop for fresh eggs every morning. I wanted a self-sufficient life, one that didn't revolve around business meetings, social appearances, and other people's expectations.

And animals.

I smiled at the thought.

Tristan had always whined like a child whenever a stray cat or dog came anywhere near his expensive suit jackets.

"They shed everywhere, Nyx. It's disgusting," he used to sneer.

Well, Tristan was gone.

I was going to get a large rescue dog to run freely across those forty acres. Maybe I'd adopt a lazy barn cat that could sit on the porch railing while I drank my morning coffee.

Farther down the slope of the property, I'd install a custom hot tub and a stone-paved patio with a small pool house for guests. Beneath the shade of the oak trees, I'd place wrought-iron tables and chairs where I could enjoy tea in the afternoons.

I could already picture it.

My family visiting on the weekends. My father coming down to relax away from the boardrooms. Zeus escaping the pressures of the fashion house and lounging by the pool with a glass of bourbon. Artemis and Apollo running around with their college friends and turning the place into a loud, lively home filled with music and laughter.

A real home. Built on my terms, with my money, away from envy and fake smiles.

Except for Lexi.

She would never set foot on my land. She had traded her family for a cheating liar, and she was welcome to stay in Chicago and rot in the bed she'd made.

I checked my phone. An email notification appeared on the screen.

Oak Ridge Realty—Purchase Agreement Enclosed

I signed the digital documents with a quick swipe of my finger, clicked Submit, and placed the phone back in its dashboard mount.

Then I shifted the SUV into drive, pulled out of the parking area, and returned to the open highway.

The engine hummed beneath me, steady and strong, carrying me south toward Texas.

As I drove, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. Maybe catching Tristan cheating with my stepsister had been a blessing in disguise.

It had stopped me from making the biggest mistake of my life by marrying him. It had also given me the chance to choose a different path instead of continuing with the life I'd already planned.

I realized I hadn't been happy with my old routine for a long time.

Even being with Tristan no longer made me happy.

I couldn't remember the last time we'd gone on a romantic date with just the two of us. Whenever we went out, it was usually because he had a business dinner, and I had to accompany him because his colleagues would be bringing their wives and partners.

Everything had become planned, predictable, and repetitive.

Our relationship had turned into a routine that was both redundant and boring.

Now, I was free from all of it.

And for the first time in a long time, I was genuinely looking forward to my new life in Texas.