The Biker King's Forbidden Bride

POV: Maeve Vesper My hands shake as I smooth down the white silk of my wedding dress and look in the mirror, because today is the day I marry Dmitri, and I touch the small diamond necklace on my neck, and I smile because I still remember when he gave it to me on my birthday, I was still daydreaming when my mother walks into the room, she looks at my dress before she checks her watch, and her eyes scan the fabric with a critical look. "Make sure you look proper, Maeve, because this alliance matters more than your nerves," she says, her voice is sharp and fast, as he taps her foot on the floor. "I know, Mother," I say, turning around to face her, trying to keep my voice steady, and I ask, "Is Dmitri ready yet?" "Your father is with him now, and everything is on schedule, so do not mess this up," she says, turning on her heel and walking out the door without another word. I take a deep breath and decide to go find Dmitri, because I want to give him the silver watch I bought him before the ceremony starts, asI walk down the hallway of the hotel, my heels click softly against the floor, as I pass the open door of the VIP suite, I hear a laugh, and it belongs to Odessa, my best friend, I stop outside the door, and frown because Odessa is supposed to be checking the floral arrangements downstairs, I wonder why she is up here with my groom. "Dmitri, stop," Odessa says, her voice is breathless and high, a rustling sound follows from inside the room, and I freeze in my tracks. "Relax, she is busy with her mother," a deep voice replies, it is Dmitri, his tone is completely casual, and he laughs quietly. My chest tightens, as I push the door open slowly, the gift box slips from my fingers and hits the floor, Dmitri is standing by the bed, and Odessa is in his arms, and they are both undressed. I gasp unable to process what am seeing, the room starts to spin, and I cannot move my feet, Dmitri looks up then, his jaw hardens, and he does not even look guilty, because he just glares at me like I am an annoyance. "Maeve, you should not be here," Dmitri says, as he buttons his shirt completely unfazed as, he stares straight at me. "Odessa? You said you were my friend," I whisper, as tears spill down my cheeks, and my voice breaks completely, and I take a step back. "I am sorry, Maeve, truly I am, but Dmitri loves me," Odessa cries, pulling a sheet around her shoulders, her eyes look watery and fake, and she does not look sorry at all, it's then I notice the Vesper family crest ring resting on her finger, the exact heirloom my father refused to give me last year. "Why are you wearing my family's crest, Odessa?" I ask, my voice trembling, as I point at her hand. "Because it belongs to the true daughter, Maeve, not a temporary place holder," Dmitri says, cutting in before Odessa can answer, as he steps forward with a cold look. "What are you talking about?" I demand, my heart pounding against my ribs, as I grip the doorframe to keep from collapsing. "Shut up, Odessa," Dmitri snaps, turning to her for a second, and then he looks back at me and says, "You were useful for the family signature, Maeve, but your father already signed over your personal assets and bloodline trust to me ten minutes ago, so you have nothing left to offer." "My assets? My father would never do that," I scream, shaking my head in denial. "Everyone knew, Maeve, because you are the only one who thought this was a love story, your father wanted the territory far more than he ever wanted you," Dmitri says, shaking his head with a dismissive sigh, as he turns to the corner of the room where Viktor, his top enforcer, is standing near the balcony. "Is the security team positioned downstairs, Viktor?" Dmitri asks, ignoring my tears completely. "Yes, the car is ready at the back entrance, and the lake is deep enough that nobody will find a trace," Viktor replies, checking his watch, and he looks directly at me and adds, "Your father signed off on the liquidation half an hour ago, so we do not have to wait until midnight." "Execute the hit right now before she runs" Dmitri orders Viktor, his eyes dead and flat, and he steps toward me. I try to steady my breathing, and in my panic, my heel steps on the gift box on the floor, as I try to run away alerting the guards standing at the end of the corridor. "She heard everything, catch her now," Viktor yells, reaching for his weapon, red emergency alarm lights suddenly begin flashing along the ceiling as the suite wing goes into instant lock-down. "Lock the doors," Dmitri shouts from behind me. I do not think, and I do not hesitate, I turn around and sprint down the hallway as fast as my wedding dress allows, hearing the footsteps of Viktor and two guards right behind me. The security doors at the end of the hall begin sliding shut automatically, and I dive through the narrowing gap just before it slams closed, locking Viktor on the other side. My heart hammers against my chest, my lungs burn as I run past the grand ballroom and out toward the service terrace, pressing my back hard against the wall to catch my breath while the lock-down sirens echo through the building. I wipe my face with my bare hands, and I try to stop crying, hearing the muffled voices of security guards searching the floor above me. I know I cannot stay here, and I know I cannot go to the police, because my own father signed my death warrant, and my former fiancé is actively hunting me down through the hotel halls. I grip the fabric of my dress, force my feet to move, and slip quietly into the service stairwell, heading straight toward my parents' suite to demand the truth before Dmitri's men catch up to me.