Betrayed Before “I DO”

Chapter 14

I woke the next morning.

The day that was supposed to be my wedding day.

I didn’t cry.

My heart thumped in my chest as I sat up and blinked. Bright rays of sunlight poured in from the open window, the curtains hadn’t been shut.

I grumbled to myself as my feet found the floor. Six am.

Yesterday’s events came rushing back to me and I felt sick to the pit of my stomach.

Suddenly the door was knocked and Victoria’s voice came through from the other side.

“Morning, we have to get going. We leave in ten minutes. There’s some clothes for you in the bathroom. See you downstairs, pronto.” She said.

I rubbed my eyes.

Ten minutes.

I forced myself to stand up and go into the en-suite. Sure enough there was a pair of grey jeans and a black tank top hanging up. I stared at it and then quickly got dressed. I barely had time to brush my teeth and run my fingers through my hair before Victoria was at the door again.

“Are you ready? We have to go.” She sounded rushed.

“Okay, I’m coming.” I rolled my eyes and quickly grabbed the jacket on the towel rack.

“Thank goodness. We are going to be late, the car is waiting.” She grabbed my hand and led me downstairs. The house was better in daylight but I didn’t have much time to spend admiring it as Victoria yanked me out the door. She paused a moment and looked hesitant, checking from side to side as if she were afraid that some one was waiting here to pounce out on us.

“I thought you said we were safe here?” I muttered. She pointed to the waiting car.

“Get in.” She ordered me and quickly followed me, slamming the door behind us as the car pulled away, gravel crunched and I looked out the window as the gates opened.

“What’s going on?” I turned to Victoria and asked. She seemed different from last night, like she was on edge.

Victoria didn’t answer straight away.

Her eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror, then to the driver, then back to me.

“Victoria,” I pressed, my voice tighter now. “What’s going on?”

She exhaled slowly, like she was deciding how much to tell me and how fast.

“They’ve realised,” she said.

My stomach dropped.

“Realised what?”

“That you’re gone.”

The words hit harder than I expected. My chest tightened, my fingers curling into the fabric of my jacket.

“That was quick,” I muttered, trying to sound braver than I felt.

Victoria let out a short, humourless breath. “Maisie… it’s your wedding day.”

Right.

Of course it was.

“They would’ve gone to your room first thing this morning,” she continued. “When you weren’t there, they wouldn’t assume you’d gone for a walk. Not today.”

I swallowed.

“They know I know,” I said quietly.

“Yes.”

Silence filled the car, heavy and suffocating.

I turned my head, staring out of the window as we sped down the long driveway, the gates already disappearing behind us. My life—everything I had known—was back there.

Or maybe it never really was mine to begin with.

“What are they going to do?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Victoria didn’t sugar-coat it.

“They’ll try to find you. Quickly. Quietly at first.” She paused. “Then not so quietly.”

A chill ran through me.

My mind instantly went to Amelia.

To Daniel.

To the smug look she would have on her face when she realised I wasn’t there to ruin her perfect little moment.

“They won’t call the police,” I said, more to myself than to her.

“No,” Victoria agreed. “That would bring too much attention. And attention is the last thing they want right now.”

Because of the wedding.

Because of the guests.

Because of appearances.

My lips curled slightly.

“God forbid anyone finds out their perfect family isn’t so perfect.”

Victoria’s gaze softened for a brief second, like she understood more than she was saying.

Then it hardened again.

The car slowed suddenly.

I blinked, looking out the window.

We weren’t on some quiet road anymore.

We were pulling into a large, sleek building—glass, steel, security gates.

People in suits.

Guards.

My stomach flipped again.

“Where are we?” I asked.

Victoria gave a small, tight smile.

“Somewhere they won’t think to look.”

The car came to a stop.

Before I could ask anything else, Victoria reached for the door handle, then paused, her hand hovering.

“One more thing,” she said, her voice low.

I looked at her.

“From the moment we step out of this car…” she continued, her eyes locking onto mine, “your life as Maisie ends.”

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Victoria opened the door.

Someone was already waiting outside.

A man.

Tall. Sharp suit. Cold eyes.

“Madame awaits your presence.” He said.

The moment my foot hit the pavement, something felt… off.

Victoria stepped out beside me, her posture instantly shifting—straighter, sharper, like she had just stepped into a completely different role. The man in the suit gave a small nod.

“Everything is ready,” he said.

Victoria didn’t respond. She just gestured for me to follow.

We moved quickly through the glass doors, the building swallowing us whole. It was cold inside. Quiet. Too quiet. Our footsteps echoed against polished floors as we passed security without a single question.

No one stopped us.

No one even looked surprised.

That knot in my stomach tightened.

“Victoria…” I whispered, hurrying slightly to keep up with her pace. “Where are we?”

“You’ll see,” she said.

That was all.

We stepped into a lift. The doors slid shut with a soft ding, sealing us in. My reflection stared back at me in the mirrored walls—pale, wide-eyed, not even close to looking like someone who was supposed to be a bride today.

The lift moved.

Up.

Higher.

Each floor number felt like a countdown to something I wasn’t ready for.

When the doors finally opened, we stepped into a quiet corridor. Thick carpet. Closed doors. No noise. No people.

Victoria walked straight to the last door at the end.

She stopped.

For the first time since this morning…

She hesitated.

My heart began to pound.

“Victoria?” I said softly.

Her hand hovered over the handle, her expression unreadable.

“She’s inside,” she said. “Your mother is waiting for you.”