Kidnapped

MARRYING MY CHILDHOOD CRUSH

Greg

I am Greg Williams—a billionaire who has always gotten what he wanted. If I desired something, it became mine sooner or later.

Cara wasn't going to be an exception.

For years, I had watched her from a distance, silently admiring the woman she had become. She had grown into everything I had imagined—beautiful, compassionate, stubborn, and completely unaware that someone had been protecting her all along. She has no idea that a I have already claimed her and there's nothing she can do about it.

Cara probably wondered why no man ever stayed around long enough to win her heart, why every man who showed genuine interest in her eventually disappeared from her life.

She never knew I was the reason.

Most men gave up after realizing she wasn't interested.

The moment any man got too close to her, I made sure he disappeared from her life. Not by hurting him, but by giving him every reason to leave. Whatever it took.

The stubborn ones were different.

One suddenly received the job opportunity of a lifetime in Canada.

Another was transferred to our company's branch in Dubai.

A third won a fully funded postgraduate scholarship in the United Kingdom.

Coincidence?

Hardly.

Money opens doors.

Power keeps them open.

I never laid a finger on any of them.

I simply made sure they found a future that didn't include Cara.

Selfish?

Perhaps.

Possessive?

Without question.

But I had watched her for too many years to stand by while another man walked away with the woman I had already chosen.

She was mine.

The only problem was that Cara had no idea.

How could they?

Cara had always been mine in my heart, even if she had never known it.

I knew I had no right to decide who could approach Cara.

I simply refused to let anyone else have the chance.

Over the years, I visited her parents countless times while she was away. They knew who I was, and they knew how much I loved their daughter. More than once, I offered to make life easier for them, but they always reminded me of one thing.

"Cara won't accept charity."

They were right.

She was too proud to let anyone rescue her.

Too independent to lean on another person.

Too stubborn to see that someone wanted nothing more than to carry her burdens.

I respected that about her.

But I had reached my limit.

What I did was wrong.

I knew that.

Kidnapping the woman I loved and bringing her here wasn't how I had imagined our story would begin.

Yet if this was the only way to keep her by my side...

Then I'd bear the consequences.

Even if she hated me for the rest of her life.

---

I had prepared for every possible outcome.

Knowing Cara, she would try to run.

She would scream.

She would fight.

She would demand answers no one was allowed to give.

So I planned everything carefully with her parents.

The guards stood exactly where I had instructed them to.

Close enough to protect her family if she panicked, yet far enough not to frighten the guests.

The church was silent as the doors opened.

Then I saw her.

For a moment, everything around me disappeared.

She looked breathtaking in her wedding gown.

Every heartbeat in my chest seemed to echo through the cathedral.

Just a little longer...

In a few minutes, she would become my wife.

Legally.

Officially.

Forever.

Winning her heart would be the difficult part.

But I had the rest of my life to do that.

The priest began the ceremony, his voice calm and steady as he spoke the familiar vows.

I barely heard him.

My attention never left Cara.

She looked frightened.

Confused.

Angry.

Every emotion was written across her beautiful face.

She refused to look at me.

Instead, she kept searching the church as though she were planning an escape.

That was exactly why I had made every arrangement beforehand.

I couldn't risk losing her now.

Not after waiting this long.

As expected, she finally turned toward me, fury flashing in her eyes.

"What kind of game are you playing?" she demanded under her breath.

I leaned closer until only she could hear me.

"Cara..."

She froze.

"Remember me?"

Her eyes widened ever so slightly.

"You can't say no."

For a brief second, she looked toward her parents.

Then her gaze shifted to the guards standing nearby.

She understood.

They weren't there by accident.

Her jaw tightened.

When the priest repeated his question, she drew in a shaky breath before answering louder than necessary.

"Yes!"

Then she added through clenched teeth,

"Can we just get this over with?"

The bitterness in her voice pierced my heart.

She wasn't saying yes because she loved me.

She was saying yes because she believed her family's safety depended on it.

The realization hurt more than I cared to admit.

A single tear escaped the corner of her eye and rolled slowly down her cheek.

Every instinct in me screamed to wipe it away.

To tell her everything.

To explain why I had done this.

But this wasn't the time.

Not yet.

One day she would know the truth.

One day she would understand that every terrible decision I had made was because I couldn't imagine a world without her in it.

Until then...

I'd endure her hatred.

If that was the price of keeping her safe, I would pay it gladly.

The priest smiled warmly as he closed his Bible.

"You may kiss your bride."

The moment those words left his mouth, Cara's entire body went rigid.

Cara

My heart lurched the moment the priest uttered those words.

"You may kiss your bride."

My breath caught in my throat.

Wait...

Was he really going to kiss me?

I stared at the man standing beside me in disbelief.

This shameless, cold-hearted man had kidnapped me, forced me into a marriage I never agreed to, and now he actually intended to kiss me in front of everyone?

The audacity!

My eyes instinctively searched for my parents. They stood quietly among the guests, watching us. Seeing that they were unharmed eased my heart a little.

Slowly, I closed my eyes.

If this was going to happen, I wanted it over with.

Instead of feeling his lips, I felt his warm breath brush against my ear.

"Not today, my wife," he whispered, his deep voice sending an unexpected shiver through me.

Before I could react, his lips brushed lightly against my cheek.

He stepped back, wearing the most infuriating smile I had ever seen.

My knees instantly weakened.

Before I could lose my balance, a strong arm wrapped around my waist, holding me firmly against him.

For a brief moment, our eyes met.

His gaze was steady.

Confident.

Almost... amused.

Then, just as quickly, he released me as though nothing had happened.

I remained frozen.

What kind of man was he?

A demon disguised as an angel?

Or an angel pretending to be a demon?

How could someone be so unbelievably handsome and so utterly impossible at the same time?

I hated him.

I was supposed to hate him.

So why was my heart beating this fast?

Why were my cheeks growing warm?

Why did it suddenly feel difficult to breathe?

No.

This wasn't happening.

I refused to let a face that beautiful distract me from what he had done.

One day, Greg...

You'll pay for this.

I silently promised myself.

---

The wedding reception began shortly afterward.

Music filled the hall as guests applauded and congratulated us.

Us.

The word alone irritated me.

Greg gently extended his hand toward me.

I looked at it for a long moment before placing mine in his.

Not because I wanted to.

Because I had no choice.

The moment our hands touched, he led me onto the dance floor.

His movements were calm and effortless, as though he had rehearsed this moment a thousand times.

I, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to step on his expensive shoes.

As we swayed gently to the music, I forced a smile for the sake of the guests before whispering through clenched teeth,

"You won't get away with this."

Greg glanced down at me, completely unbothered.

"I know," he replied calmly. "And I'm looking forward to every punishment you have planned."

His confidence only irritated me more.

"You think this is funny?"

"I think you're beautiful when you're angry."

I shot him a murderous glare.

"You're impossible."

A slow smile spread across his lips.

"I've been called worse."

I scoffed.

"You're a pest."

A low chuckle escaped him.

"I'll accept that."

His calmness made me even more furious.

"You'd better stay away from me."

He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'll give you all the space you want."

I looked at him suspiciously.

"For now."

My heart skipped.

"Because one day..." His eyes locked onto mine. "...you'll walk to me on your own."

He straightened his suit jacket as though he hadn't just turned my thoughts upside down.

Then, without another word, he walked away.

I stared after him in complete disbelief.

What kind of man says something like that and simply leaves?

Cold-hearted.

Arrogant.

Infuriating.

Yet somehow...

I couldn't stop thinking about him.

I was still trying to calm myself when one of his guards approached.

"Mrs. Greg," he said respectfully, "the boss is waiting for you in the car."

Mrs. Greg.

The title felt strange.

Heavy.

Almost unreal.

I barely had enough time to say goodbye to my family.

I wanted to ask them a thousand questions.

Why had they allowed this?

Why hadn't they stopped him?

Why had no one tried to save me?

Instead, all I managed was a quiet farewell before following the guard outside.

The luxury car waited a few metres away.

Greg was already inside.

He didn't even look up as I entered.

His attention remained fixed on the phone in his hand.

Typical.

Not even a glance.

Not a single word.

Fine.

Why should I care?

He had done nothing but turn my life upside down.

I leaned my head against the seat and closed my eyes.

The gentle movement of the car soon lulled me to sleep.

For a little while, I escaped into the only place where pain, betrayal and unanswered questions couldn't reach me.

---

Greg

She fell asleep faster than I expected.

From the moment she entered the car, I had been watching her without making it obvious.

Even while pretending to read messages on my phone, every reflection in the window showed me exactly where she was.

She looked exhausted.

Emotionally.

Physically.

Mentally.

A part of me hated myself for putting that look on her face.

But another part knew I would make the same decision again if it meant keeping her with me.

Being born into wealth isn't always the blessing people imagine.

Power attracts enemies.

Money attracts betrayal.

Every decision becomes a calculated risk.

My family had spent months pressuring me to marry women I didn't love.

Beautiful women.

Educated women.

Women from influential families.

None of them were Cara.

They couldn't understand why I refused every proposal.

How could I marry someone else when my heart had belonged to one woman for years?

I wanted Cara to choose me.

I truly did.

But life had taken a different turn.

Now she was my wife.

Not because she loved me.

Because I had forced fate to move faster than either of us wanted.

She would hate me for a long time.

I accepted that.

Hatred fades.

Understanding takes time.

Love...

Love is something I'll earn.

No matter how long it takes.

I turned to look at her sleeping peacefully beside me.

A faint smile tugged at my lips.

"I've finally found you," I whispered so quietly that even the wind outside couldn't steal the words.

"And this time..

I'm never letting you go."