"My leg…"
The venue erupted into chaos, but Isla couldn't care less. Her mind was spiraling, tormented by the thoughts clawing at her.
Nathaniel claimed Evan had fled the bond. She refused to believe it.
Ignoring the madness around her, she bolted from the venue, against the tide of the crowd, jumped into her car, and sped home.
"Evan, you're just messing with me, right? You've gotta be waiting at home. How could anyone else be my groom?"
A drive that should've taken an hour took her just thirty minutes.
But when she flung open the door, she found nothing but an empty house.
Isla tore through every room, scoured every corner, but Evan was nowhere.
"Evan…" Her voice broke. "Evan, stop joking, please. We've still got our binding ceremony…"
She called his name over and over, but with
