Chapter 2: The Aftermath
882 Words
Damian Blackwood: The Humiliation
Damian Blackwood had never been humiliated before.
Yet here he stood, alone at the altar, his bride nowhere to be found.
The murmurs in the cathedral grew louder, whispers slithering through the crowd like venom. Guests exchanged glances—some amused, some scandalized, and others simply eager for gossip.
The billionaire groom, abandoned on his wedding day.
Damian’s fingers curled into fists. His jaw tightened. Every fiber of his being screamed for control, but a storm raged inside him.
“Elena isn’t answering her phone.” His best man, Adrian, leaned in, voice low but urgent. “No one’s seen her since this morning.”
Damian exhaled sharply, his patience wearing dangerously thin. His dark eyes flickered toward Elena’s father, Richard Carter, who sat in the front row, his expression a mix of shock and barely concealed fury.
“She wouldn’t dare,” Richard hissed, standing abruptly.
“She did.” Damian’s voice was ice.
The doors at the back of the cathedral burst open, and a frantic wedding planner rushed in, her heels clicking loudly against the marble floor. She was pale, her hands shaking as she approached.
“We checked everywhere,” she stammered. “The bridal suite… the security footage… she’s gone.”
Gone.
Damian’s mind raced. Had Elena run away with someone? Another man?
His stomach twisted at the thought.
No. That wasn’t possible.
Was it?
A part of him burned with fury, but another part—one he despised—felt something else.
Betrayal.
He clenched his jaw, suppressing the emotion before it could take root.
“Find her,” he ordered, his voice deadly calm. “I don’t care what it takes.”
His mother, seated in the front row, placed a delicate hand on his arm. “Damian, perhaps—”
He pulled away. “This wedding isn’t over until I say it is.”
Then, without another word, he turned and stormed out of the cathedral.
He would find Elena.
And when he did—she would regret ever running from him.
Elena Carter: The Escape
Elena’s legs ached as she ran, her bare feet pounding against the cold pavement. The expensive lace of her gown dragged behind her, torn and filthy from the streets. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she didn’t stop.
Couldn’t stop.
Not until she was far, far away from Damian Blackwood.
She had barely made it out. If she had hesitated even a second longer, she would have been trapped in a marriage she never wanted.
A marriage that could have cost Damian his life.
Her fingers trembled as she gripped the small bag she had hidden earlier—a backup plan, just in case. Inside, there was cash, a prepaid phone, and a change of clothes.
She ducked into a dimly lit alleyway, pressing her back against the cold brick wall. Her breaths came fast and shallow. She could still hear the city bustling beyond her hiding place—cars honking, people laughing, completely unaware that she had just destroyed a billion-dollar wedding.
For a brief moment, guilt crept in.
Damian didn’t deserve this.
But he didn’t know the truth.
If he ever found out why she left, he’d never forgive her.
Her hands shook as she reached into the bag, pulling out a simple dress. She slipped out of her wedding gown, the heavy fabric pooling at her feet like a discarded dream.
Then, without looking back, she disappeared into the night.
One Year Later
The small town of Willow Creek was nothing like the world Elena had left behind.
Gone were the glittering skyscrapers, the expensive cars, the suffocating expectations of high society. Here, life was simple. The town was quiet, nestled between rolling hills and endless fields.
No one knew who she was.
And she planned to keep it that way.
“Elena?”
She looked up from the café counter, snapping out of her thoughts. Mrs. Hendricks, the elderly owner of the little coffee shop where she worked, smiled kindly at her.
“Are you okay, dear?”
Elena forced a smile. “Yeah, just lost in thought.”
Mrs. Hendricks patted her hand. “You’ve been working too hard. Take a break.”
Elena nodded, grateful for the excuse to step outside. She grabbed a cup of coffee and walked toward the quiet street, the cool air a welcome contrast to the warmth inside.
It had been a year. A full year since she had run from Damian, from her old life, from everything she once knew.
And yet, she could never shake the feeling that it wasn’t over.
That one day, he would find her.
She took a slow sip of coffee, staring out at the peaceful town square. People passed by, chatting and laughing, completely unaware of the storm that had once been her life.
Maybe—just maybe—she was safe here.
Maybe she had finally escaped her past.
But as she turned to go back inside, a black SUV pulled up to the curb.
The kind of car that didn’t belong in a town like this.
Elena’s breath caught in her throat as the door opened, and a tall, powerful figure stepped out.
Damian Blackwood.
Her past had just caught up to her.
- Writer
