FINDING THE BRIDE

Chapter 1 — The Escape Rain hammered against the glass walls of the penthouse while thunder rolled across the night sky of Cape Town. Inside the luxurious apartment, fear lived in silence. Teresa Moretti’s breathing became uneven as Jake Henry dragged her across the bedroom floor by her hair. “Jake… please,” she cried weakly, grabbing his wrist. “You’re hurting me.” Jake’s dark eyes burned with anger. “What did I tell you about entertaining other men?” “I wasn’t entertaining anyone,” Teresa whispered through tears. “He only asked me for directions.” The slap landed so hard her vision blurred. She collapsed beside the bed, pain shooting through her cheek. Before she could recover, Jake kicked the side of her leg. “You think I’m stupid?” he shouted. “No…” “You smiled at him.” “It meant nothing.” Jake paced the room like a wild animal, breathing heavily. His white shirt was half unbuttoned, exposing the tattoo across his chest. The veins in his arms tightened with rage. Teresa slowly pushed herself upright, trembling. Six months. Six months of surviving his anger. Six months of apologizing for things she never did. Six months of hiding bruises beneath makeup and long sleeves. When she first met Jake Henry, everyone warned her. He was dangerous. Possessive. Spoiled. But also handsome, rich, and powerful. The son of one of Cape Town’s biggest businessmen. At first, Jake had been charming. He bought her flowers, expensive dresses, jewelry that sparkled brighter than stars. He flew her to restaurants overlooking the ocean and whispered promises against her skin. Then came the jealousy. The accusations. The shouting. And finally— The hitting. “You like making me angry, don’t you?” Jake asked coldly. Teresa shook her head immediately. “I’m sorry.” “Sorry?” He laughed bitterly. “You women always say sorry after disrespecting me.” “I said I’m sorry,” she repeated, tears rolling down her cheeks. Jake stared at her for a long moment before turning away. “Go wash your face,” he muttered. “I’m tired of looking at you.” Teresa quickly stood up and hurried into the bathroom. The moment the door closed behind her, she locked it and gripped the sink tightly. Her reflection stared back at her from the mirror. Red cheek. Bruised shoulder. Fearful eyes. She barely recognized herself anymore. The girl she once was had disappeared months ago. A soft sob escaped her lips. She turned on the shower to hide the sound of her crying. Warm water poured over her body, but it could not wash away the pain living inside her chest. Tonight was supposed to be different. Tonight was supposed to be peaceful. But with Jake, peace never lasted. Teresa leaned her forehead against the cold bathroom wall and closed her eyes. Enough. The word echoed inside her mind repeatedly. Enough crying. Enough fear. Enough surviving. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the small bottle hidden inside her toiletry bag. Sleeping pills. She had bought them secretly three weeks ago. Not for herself. For him. Her heartbeat quickened. This was the only chance she would ever get. If she failed tonight, Jake would never let her leave again. She quickly hid the pills again when she heard his voice from the bedroom. “Teresa!” “I’m coming!” She dried herself slowly, forcing her shaking hands to calm down. After changing into a silk nightdress, she stared at herself once more. One last night. Then freedom. When she walked out, Jake was sitting against the headboard scrolling through his phone with one hand while holding a whiskey glass in the other. The city lights behind him made him look untouchable. Beautiful. Dangerous. “Pour me another drink,” he said without looking at her. Teresa swallowed nervously. “Okay.” She walked toward the minibar as quietly as possible. Her heart pounded so loudly she feared he might hear it. Jake remained distracted by his phone. Slowly, Teresa opened the whiskey bottle and poured the amber liquid into a crystal glass. Then, with trembling fingers, she removed the sleeping pills from her sleeve. One. Two. Three. She crushed them carefully and mixed the powder into the whiskey. Her breathing stopped when Jake suddenly looked up. “What’s taking so long?” “Nothing,” she answered quickly. “I’m coming.” She picked up the glass and handed it to him carefully. Jake barely glanced at her before drinking. Teresa forced herself to sit calmly beside him on the bed even though panic clawed inside her chest. What if the pills were not enough? What if he noticed? What if— “You’re quiet,” Jake muttered. “I’m tired.” He smirked faintly. “Good. Maybe now you’ll stop arguing with me.” Teresa said nothing. Minutes passed slowly. Jake continued texting while finishing the drink. Then gradually, his eyelids began growing heavy. He rubbed his forehead. “What the hell…” Teresa remained perfectly still. Jake looked at her suspiciously for a second before laying back against the pillows. “You better not leave this room tonight,” he murmured weakly. “I won’t,” she whispered. Within minutes, his breathing deepened. Teresa waited. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Fifteen. When she was certain he was asleep, she slowly climbed off the bed. Every small movement felt terrifying. Jake remained motionless. Quickly, Teresa grabbed the travel bag hidden beneath the wardrobe. She had packed it secretly over the past month, hiding clothes little by little so he would not notice. Her phone vibrated softly. Tom: I’m outside. Relief nearly made her collapse. She slipped on her shoes quietly before taking one final look at Jake. For a moment, sadness touched her heart. Not because she loved him anymore. But because she once believed he could love her correctly. Now she understood the truth. Jake did not know how to love anyone. She turned away quickly before fear could stop her. The penthouse felt endless as she walked toward the front door. Each step echoed inside her head. Don’t wake up. Don’t wake up. Don’t wake up. Her fingers shook violently while unlocking the door. The soft click sounded louder than thunder. She froze. Jake did not move. Teresa opened the door carefully and stepped outside. The cold hallway air hit her skin instantly. Freedom. Tears filled her eyes as the elevator doors opened. The moment she stepped inside, her body finally gave in to trembling. By the time she reached downstairs, she was struggling to breathe. Tom’s black car waited near the entrance. He immediately jumped out when he saw her. “Oh my God,” he whispered, noticing the bruise on her face. “Did he do this tonight?” Teresa nodded silently. Tom helped place her bag into the car before quickly driving away from the building. Only then did Teresa finally look back. The massive penthouse tower disappeared slowly behind them. For the first time in months, she felt air enter her lungs properly. “You’re safe now,” Tom said gently. Teresa stared out the window silently as rain covered the streets of Cape Town. Was she safe? Jake Henry was not the kind of man who accepted losing. “He’s going to look for me,” she whispered. “Then we make sure he never finds you.” Teresa looked down at her shaking hands. “I almost couldn’t do it.” “But you did.” She closed her eyes briefly. “Yes.” The airport roads glowed beneath streetlights as the city passed by around them. “So where are we heading?” Tom asked after a while. “To the airport,” Teresa answered quietly. “My flight leaves at ten tonight.” Tom glanced at her. “Back home?” She shook her head. “I’m going to Italy.” “Italy?” “My grandparents live there. They’ve been begging me to visit for years.” A weak smile touched her lips. “I guess I finally listened.” Tom nodded slowly. “You think Jake will follow you?” “No.” Teresa looked out the window again. “He doesn’t even know where I grew up. I made sure of that.” Still, fear remained inside her chest. Jake had money. Connections. Power. Men like him always believed they owned people. The thought alone made her stomach tighten. Tom reached across the console briefly and squeezed her hand. “You survived him,” he said softly. “That already makes you stronger than he realizes.” Teresa’s eyes filled with tears again. For months she believed she was weak because she stayed. Now she realized surviving him required strength too. As they approached the airport, her phone suddenly vibrated. Unknown Number. Her blood froze. Jake. She stared at the screen while panic consumed her. The phone continued ringing. Tom looked at her carefully. “Don’t answer it.” The ringing stopped. Then another message appeared immediately. UNKNOWN NUMBER: Where are you? Terror spread through her body. “He knows,” she whispered. Tom frowned. “Block the number.” Before she could react, another message arrived. UNKNOWN NUMBER: You can run, Teresa. But you belong to me. A tear slid down her cheek. Tom took the phone gently from her hands and switched it off completely. “Listen to me,” he said firmly. “You are not going back.” Teresa stared ahead silently. The airport lights appeared in the distance like hope shining through darkness. Maybe this was the beginning. Maybe freedom would finally find her. Or maybe Jake Henry was only beginning to chase her.