Bound By His Revenge

WOMAN IN WHITE

The wedding hall fell into complete silence.

Lina stood frozen, her bouquet slipping from her trembling fingers.

The woman in the torn wedding dress pointed directly at Damien.

"You can't marry him..." she cried. "Because he's already married to me!"

Gasps echoed across the hall.

Reporters immediately lifted their cameras.

Business executives whispered among themselves.

Within seconds, the joyful atmosphere had turned into chaos.

Lina slowly turned to Damien.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

She wanted to believe him.

She needed to believe him.

Damien remained calm despite the hundreds of eyes fixed on him.

"I don't know her."

The woman laughed bitterly.

"Don't know me?"

She reached into her handbag and pulled out a framed photograph.

"If that's true..."

"...then explain this."

She held the picture high for everyone to see.

The guests leaned forward.

It was Damien.

Standing beside the same woman.

Both dressed in wedding clothes.

The image looked real.

Whispers spread through the hall.

"So he really got married?"

"I knew something was strange."

"That poor girl..."

Lina stared at the photograph.

Her heart felt heavy.

She looked back at Damien.

"Tell me the truth."

Damien met her eyes without hesitation.

"It's fake."

"You expect everyone to believe that?"

The woman smiled confidently.

"I knew you'd deny me."

She removed a silver ring from her finger.

"You gave me this on our wedding day."

She threw it across the floor.

The ring rolled until it stopped at Damien's polished shoes.

He bent down and picked it up.

His expression changed.

Not because he recognized the woman...

But because he recognized the ring.

It belonged to his mother.

He slowly raised his head.

"Where did you get this?"

The woman's confidence weakened for a split second.

"It... it was a gift."

"From who?"

"You."

Damien took another step closer.

"No."

His voice was calm but frightening.

"That ring was buried with my mother."

The entire hall became silent again.

The woman's face turned pale.

She had made a mistake.

Lina noticed it immediately.

Damien held up the ring for everyone to see.

"This ring carries my family's crest."

He turned it over.

The guests could clearly see the engraved Blackwood emblem.

"My mother wore this ring until the day she died."

He looked directly into the woman's eyes.

"So I'll ask one last time."

"Who gave it to you?"

The woman remained silent.

Sweat formed on her forehead.

For the first time since entering the hall...

She looked afraid.

Before anyone could speak again...

A familiar voice echoed through the ballroom.

"I know who gave it to her."

Everyone turned.

Edward Blackwood slowly walked into the hall with the support of his walking stick.

Doctors and bodyguards followed closely behind him.

The guests gasped.

"Mr. Blackwood?"

"He left the hospital?"

Edward ignored everyone.

His eyes remained fixed on the woman.

"You've played your part well."

"But your lies end today."

The woman's breathing became uneven.

Edward raised his walking stick and pointed at her.

"You work for Victor Hale."

The name hit Damien like lightning.

Victor Hale.

The same name his grandfather had spoken in the hospital.

The same man who had threatened him the previous night.

The woman instinctively stepped backward.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about."

Edward's expression hardened.

"Tell another lie."

"But not in my house."

Damien immediately turned to his security team.

"Don't let her leave."

"Yes, sir."

Four guards quickly moved toward the woman.

She looked around desperately.

Then...

She smiled.

Damien's instincts sharpened.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The sound of screeching tires suddenly came from outside the mansion.

Every head turned toward the entrance.

Three black SUVs came to a sudden stop in front of the building.

The doors opened at the same time.

Several men wearing black suits and communication earpieces stepped out with remarkable discipline.

They looked exactly like government security agents.

One of them calmly displayed an identification badge.

"We're taking Ms. Emily Carter into protective custody."

Damien narrowed his eyes.

"Who authorized this?"

The man looked directly at him.

"Confidential."

Before anyone could verify the badge...

The woman rushed toward them.

"They're with me!"

The men immediately surrounded her.

Damien shouted,

"Stop them!" Damien roared.

The Blackwood security team sprang into action.

The men in black moved with military precision. Two blocked the guards while another opened the rear door of one of the SUVs.

Emily Carter quickly climbed inside.

One of Damien's guards grabbed the vehicle's door, but another man in black shoved him away before slamming it shut.

The engines roared.

The SUVs sped out of the mansion gates.

"After them!" Damien ordered.

Several Blackwood bodyguards rushed into their vehicles and gave chase.

Within seconds, the sound of screeching tires faded into the distance.

The wedding hall was left in stunned silence.

Guests exchanged frightened glances.

Reporters continued taking pictures, sensing that the scandal had only begun.

Damien turned toward Edward.

"Grandfather..."

"Who exactly is Victor Hale?"

Edward sighed heavily.

"I hoped this day would never come."

"He was once a friend."

"A trusted business partner."

"But greed changed him."

"He destroyed lives to build his empire."

Before Damien could ask another question, Edward staggered.

Sarah quickly supported him.

"Sir, you need to sit down."

"I'm fine," Edward insisted.

"No, you're not," Sarah replied firmly.

A doctor who had accompanied Edward stepped forward.

"He shouldn't be under this much stress."

Edward reluctantly nodded.

As Sarah helped him toward a chair, he looked back at Damien.

"Protect your wife."

"Victor never makes a move without another one waiting."

Damien's expression darkened.

"I won't let anyone touch her."

Edward slowly closed his eyes.

"I pray you're right."

Meanwhile...

Lina stood exactly where Damien had left her.

Everything had happened so quickly that she could barely think.

The fake bride.

The photograph.

The ring.

Victor Hale.

Nothing made sense anymore.

She looked at Damien.

He walked toward her slowly.

"Lina..."

"I'm sorry you had to see this."

She searched his face.

"Were you telling the truth?"

"Every word."

"You've never seen that woman before?"

"Never."

She looked down at the ring in his hand.

"Then someone planned this."

Damien nodded.

"They wanted to destroy today."

Lina took a deep breath.

"I believe you."

For the first time since the ceremony began, Damien felt some of the weight leave his shoulders.

"Thank you."

Before either of them could say another word, Sarah approached.

"The guests are asking if the reception will continue."

Damien glanced around the hall.

People were whispering.

Some looked curious.

Others looked afraid.

"If we end the ceremony now," Damien said quietly, "Victor wins."

Lina looked at him.

"So what do we do?"

Damien gently reached for her hand.

"We finish what we started."

Lina nodded.

Together, they walked back toward the center of the hall.

The officiant, still shaken, cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen..."

"Despite the unfortunate interruption..."

"...Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood have decided to continue today's celebration."

Applause slowly filled the room.

It wasn't loud.

But it was enough.

The reception continued.

Music began playing again.

Guests tried to pretend everything was normal.

Yet everyone knew the day would be remembered for far more than a wedding.

Nearly an hour later...

Damien excused himself to take an important call.

"I'll be back in a minute," he told Lina.

She smiled.

"I'll wait."

As Damien walked toward his private office, his phone vibrated.

Unknown Number.

He answered immediately.

"This is Damien Blackwood."

A familiar voice chuckled.

"Congratulations on your marriage."

Damien froze.

"Victor Hale."

"I'm impressed."

"You recognized my voice."

"What do you want?"

Victor laughed softly.

"You still don't understand."

"I don't care about your company."

"I don't care about your money."

"I care about you."

Damien's jaw tightened.

"Stay away from my family."

"I already am."

The call ended.

Damien's heart skipped a beat.

He turned and sprinted back toward the ballroom.

"Lina!"

She wasn't there.

He searched the dance floor.

Nothing.

The garden.

Nothing.

The entrance.

Nothing.

His breathing became heavy.

"Sarah!"

She hurried over.

"What happened?"

"Where's Lina?"

Sarah looked around.

"I... I thought she was with you."

Damien's blood ran cold.

Every security officer inside the mansion immediately began searching.

The guests watched in confusion.

One of the guards ran toward Damien.

"Sir!"

"We found this."

He handed Damien a white envelope.

It had Lina's name written across the front.

Damien tore it open.

Inside was a single card.

Written in neat black ink were eight chilling words.

"A marriage completed. The bride now belongs to me."

Damien crushed the card in his fist.

His eyes burned with fury.

"No..."

"You've made the biggest mistake of your life, Victor."

"I'll find her."

"And when I do..."

"...I'll destroy everything you've built."

Far away, inside a moving black SUV, Lina slowly opened her eyes.

Her wrists were tied.

Her mouth was dry.

She looked around the dark interior.

Three armed men sat opposite her.

None of them spoke.

The vehicle finally stopped before a massive iron gate.

As it slowly opened, Lina looked up.

A large stone sign stood at the entrance.

Only two words were engraved on it.

HALE ESTATE.