Prologue
Today was supposed to be every woman’s dream.
I stood in front of a massive mirror, draped in a breathtaking white gown crafted by a renowned designer. Its long lace veil trailed gracefully across the floor, and I held a bouquet of fresh white roses. Outside the room, the faint hum of arriving guests and soft music echoed through the halls. Everyone was waiting for me at the church, my family, high-profile guests invited by the company, and the man destined to become my husband.
A man who was perfect on paper, but someone I didn’t love.
My chest felt heavy as I stared at my reflection. I closed my eyes, but with every blink, only one face appeared in my mind. Kalim. My father’s best friend. The man I had been secretly in love with since I turned eighteen, even though I knew it was wrong, even though I knew it was forbidden. I couldn't bring myself to tie my life to another man and live a lie for the rest of my days when my heart belonged entirely to someone who could never be mine.
When I heard heavy footsteps approaching my bedroom door, footsteps signaling it was time for me to walk down the aisle, I made a split-second, unwavering decision. It was a decision that would alter the course of my entire life.
Kicking off my heels, I gathered the heavy train of my gown and slipped quietly out the window, fleeing toward the back of the rest house.
Yes, I'm running. I became a runaway bride.
I ran until I was breathless, paying no mind as the hem of my dress snagged and tore on wild branches, my bare feet hitting the cold earth. I put as much distance as I could between myself, the city, my family, and a marriage that felt like a cage. I traveled to a remote, quiet province I had only heard of in old stories, a secluded place far from civilization where no one would recognize me, where I could hide and start anew.
Exhausted, drenched in sweat, and completely spent after hours of walking, I finally reached the edge of a dense, quiet forest. The soothing sound of trickling water caught my attention, and I stepped toward it, hoping to get a drink and wash my face.
But before my feet could reach the water’s edge, I froze. The breath was knocked right out of my lungs.
In the middle of the crystal-clear, cool river, a man was bathing. His back was turned to me, completely bare, water glistening down his broad, toned shoulders and the faint traces of scars etched into his skin. Hearing the slight crunch of dry leaves under my feet, he slowly turned around.
My small bag slipped from my grip. The world stopped, and I completely forgot how to breathe.
Of all the remote places in the world I could have chosen to hide... What is he doing here?
Our eyes met. His brow furrowed slightly, a dark, heavy intensity washing over his gaze. In a low, deep, bone-chilling voice, he broke the silence of the woods.
“What are you doing here, Xeha?”
That's my question too, Kalim.
