Chapter 1The Bride Never Came
The wedding march had been playing for exactly seven minutes.
Seven.
Damien Cross glanced at his watch for the third time, his expression unreadable.
The guests had stopped smiling.
Whispers floated through the grand cathedral.
"What's taking so long?"
"Maybe she's just nervous."
"No bride is this late."
At the front pew, Ava Lawson twisted her fingers together until her knuckles turned white.
Her older sister, Amelia, was never late.
Never.
Not for birthdays.
Not for family dinners.
Certainly not for her own wedding.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The wedding planner hurried toward Amelia's dressing room again, her heels clicking frantically against the marble floor.
Seconds later...
A scream shattered the silence.
"Oh, my God!"
Everyone stood.
The music stopped.
The priest froze.
Ava's heart slammed against her ribs as she pushed through the crowd and ran toward the bridal suite.
The room was empty.
The wedding dress lay across the sofa.
The bouquet rested on the floor.
Amelia's phone was still charging beside the mirror.
But the bride...
...was gone.
Mrs Lawson burst into tears.
"My daughter wouldn't leave like this!"
Mr Lawson gripped the doorframe so tightly his hands trembled.
Damien walked into the room with slow, measured steps.
He looked around once.
No panic.
No anger.
Just cold calculation.
"Lock every exit," he said quietly.
"Nobody leaves."
His bodyguards immediately rushed outside.
Ava stared at him.
How could he be so calm?
If the man she loved disappeared on their wedding day, she'd be losing her mind.
Instead...
He looked like he was solving a business problem.
A phone suddenly vibrated.
Everyone turned.
It was Amelia's.
A new message flashed across the screen.
Unknown Number
"Don't look for me."
Mrs Lawson grabbed the phone.
"No..."
She shook her head violently.
"This isn't her."
"It can't be."
Damien read the message once.
Then handed the phone back.
"That's not from your daughter."
The room fell silent.
"What do you mean?" Ava asked.
His dark eyes met hers.
"Your sister never sends text messages without punctuation."
Ava blinked.
He noticed that?
Before anyone could speak, another bodyguard entered.
"Mr Cross..."
"We've checked the CCTV."
Damien's jaw tightened.
"And?"
"The cameras went offline exactly twelve minutes before the ceremony."
Every face in the room turned pale.
Someone had planned this.
Ava's stomach dropped.
This wasn't a runaway bride.
This was something far worse.
Then Damien's phone rang.
He answered without taking his eyes off the doorway.
"Yes."
Silence.
His face hardened.
"I understand."
He ended the call.
"What happened?" Ava whispered.
Damien looked directly at her.
"My board of directors just found out the bride is missing."
"So?"
"They're on their way here."
"I don't understand."
His voice was flat.
"If this wedding doesn't happen today..."
"...I lose control of Cross Holdings."
Ava frowned.
"What does that have to do with my sister?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at her with an expression she couldn't read.
An expression that made her heart skip.
Then he spoke.
"There may be another way."
A chill ran down Ava's spine.
She suddenly had a terrifying feeling...
...that whatever he was about to say would change her life forever.
