Victoria stepped down from the car as she stared at the mansion in front of her. And the calm face of the man beside her, who she'd sworn to forget after tonight.

"This is your home now." Dante's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "My lady, welcome home." The maid gathered outside as they bowed to her.

 She wasn't used to this kind of life; she had struggled for everything and even agreed to marry Kelvin just so her father could partner with Kelvin.

"You can call me Victoria," the words slipped past her lips.

The weight of the wedding dress had not left her shoulders; neither had the veil.

"From now on her orders are the same as mine," Dante ordered as all the workers bowed in unison.

She had just walked two steps when her feet slipped, almost crashing into the ground, when a strong hand pulled her up.

Her eyes fluttered, staring at his face, the once young man she'd known now strong and muscular.

"Drop me; I can walk," she hissed at him.

He gave no reply as he carried the bride upstairs while she buried her flushed face in anger.

 The workers all gossiped, "I've never seen the boss like this," one whispered.

"This is supposed to be a good thing, right?" another young lady asked, jealousy filling her eyes.

"Why does it look like he'd just stolen her from her wedding?" Before they could utter another word, the head maid, an elderly woman, barked at them.

"Keep gossiping and you will answer to the boss," the elderly woman hissed.

Her name was Madam Agnes. She had seen this little boy grow from being a tiny kid to a ruthless young man and felt all his pain.

...

The door clicked open. "This is your room," he muttered. Dropping her on top of the bed.

The room looked like everything she'd wanted for herself, the closet and the color of the vanity like it was made for a princess. Dante, why after all these years?" she managed to whisper. "I can't. I don't belong here."

"I'm sorry, Vicky," he said, kneeling as he pulled the string of her shoe, but she didn't let his finger graze her skin.

"I don't want to be here," she hissed. "Kelvin, my mom and dad, they'll be waiting for me."

He reached out his hand to touch her, but she flinched, nothing like the girl who'd always run after him.

"Victoria," he snapped. "If you don't want to be here, then don't blame me."

"You think you can just walk back after all these years, and I'd open my arms to welcome you?" she asked, tears at the brink of falling.

His tone softened. "Please, I didn't mean to abandon you."

"It's all excuses, go!! She hauled the pillow at him." His hand tightened into a fist. No more words. As his throat burned hot, he took one last look at her.

"Wait for me, Vicky." The door clicked shut.

Panic rose, hot and absurd. "Open the door! Open the door, Dante, I'm not staying here," she cried, pounding the door. Her heart hammered as if to break free.

 "I'm not your prisoner. Let me go." She fell to her knees; hot tears burned her cheek."Don't let her out; give her anything she wants," he said to Madam Agnes.

Moments later, the sound of the engine roared downstairs; he had left, no longer able to stand the rejection from her.

***

At the Hales Family.

Kelvin slammed his hand on the table. "Mr. Hales, you promised she was going to be mine. I can't stand him dragging my bride and humiliating the Valens like that."

Mr. James Hales, Victoria's father, stood rooted, his face flushed in anger. He'd thought that Victoria wedding could finally secure him a contract in the Valens family.

"That kid had always been obedient," he said.

"I would bring her back for you; don't withdraw your support."

Now when things were finally smiling for him, his first daughter had caught the eyes of a rich man who would even invest in his small company.

Amelie stood behind the closed door, hitting her lips in hatred for her stepsister, who seemed to always get all the good things.

"Dad sister has always loved to play with those kinds of men," she said, stepping out from her hiding.

Mr. Hales gave her a warning glare as if telling her to mind her words.

"Father she's been promiscuous and only knows how to act obedient with you around" Amelie continued.

"Kelvin, don't listen to Amelia; she's already your bride," Mr. Hales panicked.

"You think I care for your excuses?" Kelvin's tone dropped low and dangerous. "If I don't get her back, I'll pull my entire investment out of your company. You'll be ruined before dawn."

Mrs. Hales, Victoria's stepmother, scoffed from the couch, her jewels glinting under the chandelier.

"Amelia is as beautiful as Victoria; why don't you just marry her?" she said. "Besides, she is better trained than that little brat who was raised without a mother."

Amelia's lips curved into a wide smile.

Ever since the night she and Kelvin had sex on the night he was drunk, she had always dreamed of being Mrs Valens, but it felt like she never existed to Kelvin.

He even paid her off and asked her to promise never to reveal this to anyone.

Kelvin stormed out of  their house. He knew he had to speak with his former best friend.

He drove straight to the club owned by Dante.he had always talked about owning this club when they were growing up.

"Come outside, Dante!" Kelvin screamed as he barged into the club.

The club bustled with men and women dancing and drinking.

In one corner a man as cold as ice smoked away his problem. All the girls drooled at him, but none was bold enough to step close. The last time a girl threw herself at him, she'd ended up crippled and blacklisted in the city.

"You stole my woman." Kelvin lunged at him, all the drinks on the table came crashing down.

The guard got up immediately, gun pointed at Kelvin.

"You're still a loser," Dante muttered, his lips curved into a mocking smile.

"I can't steal what's mine," he said, a frosty smile plastered on his lips.

"She's not yours; she already agreed to walk down the aisle with me," Kelvin answered.

The two men called the attention of the whole club, and girls whispered who was the lady that could make the hot Dante Moretti get into a fight.

"Get out of my club," Dante hissed.

"Did she tell you we've had sex?" Kelvin blurted out.

The next second turned into chaos as Dante fist connected with his face.

A Scream tore through the club as both men fought each other.

Dante Moretti spat a mouthful of blood as he stomped on his former best friend.

Kelvin words kept replaying in his head as his guards dragged him out of the club. He had injuries, and a bottle pierced his hands

.

"This is not over. I will get my woman back," Kelvin hurled insults at the moving car.

Just then his guards came dragging him out.

What both men didn't know was their fight had been videotaped and now was trending online.

 Everyone wanted to see the bride that was stolen.

Some girls cursed at her, calling her a whore as she couldn't stick to one man.

***

Victoria had been curled up inside the room for hours; her throat was dry. She decided to take a shower; she needed strength.

Just then her room door turned open.

"My lady, what would you like to eat?" Madam Agnes asked, stepping inside the room.

 "I'm not hungry; I just want to leave this place," Victoria answered, not even raising her head.

"He would be angry if you didn't eat anything," the elderly woman said.

"Dante is not a bad person; he always talked about you," she muttered.

 "When you're hungry, you can go to the kitchen; you're not a prisoner." She walked away, leaving the door open.

"If he's not a bad person, then what is he?" Victoria asked herself as she dried her hair in front of the mirror.

Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn't had anything since.

She had just taken a step down when she saw Dante being dragged into the villa, his clothes torn and face bruised.

Her pulse quickened.

She ran over, "What happened to him?"

"The guards all looked frozen, contemplating if it was a good idea to tell the lady.

 "Quick, let's take him to the hospital," she gasps, staring at the cut on his fist.

"The boss doesn't like the hospital," one answered.

"Then bring first aid," she said.

Dante opened his eyes, staring at the beautiful woman she had grown to become.

"Do you still care about me?" His lips curved into a smile.

"You can still joke about" she scolded him as she unbuttoned his shirt, wiping away stains with a towel.

"This doesn't hurt as much as seeing you walking down the aisle with him," he said, no longer smiling.

 "Don't say anything," she hushed him.

She collected the first aid, and it was.

Just the two of them, as the maids do not sleep in the villa.

She wiped gently applied ointment.

"Did you sleep with him?"

The word managed to escape his mouth.

Victoria's eyes widened, her lips moved, but no words...

The words had left Victoria speechless; she'd never imagined Dante would think of her as such a lady.

Five years ago he'd disappeared without even a word.

"That's what you think?" She asked him.

"Is it not?"Dante asked again. He'd already assumed the worst as he sat up.

"Go to bed." He got up and walked into his room as the door clicked shut with a bang.

The two of them had succeeded in creating another misunderstanding for themselves.

She got into the kitchen and made a bowl of cereal for herself while the silence of the house stuck with her.

Why did he show up after all these years?

She wanted to call her best friend when she realized her phone was missing.

Making a mental note to get a new phone the next morning, she wondered if Kelvin had looked for her and what her stepmom would say by now.

Not realizing when she fell asleep curled in one corner of the big bed.

The morning light filtered directly on her, making Victoria stir, and her heavy eyelids slid open.

A soft knock on the door reminded her she was still caged in this mansion.

"You should come eat breakfast," Dante said, standing at the door, his hair messy and eye bags like he hadn't slept a wink all night.

Her eyes couldn't help but roam his body and his chest, too, the scars and the wound from last night.

"I'm not hungry," she whispered."Don't make me," he frowned at her. "Be down in five minutes unless you want me to carry you down myself."He strode out, not letting her refuse.

She bit her lip in frustration. Why her? Just when she'd forgotten about him, he'd show up again.

After all these years, she couldn't lie about the fact she missed him, but she wasn't the same high school girl who had fallen for a college guy under the cold night they planned their future together.

She looked at herself in the mirror, hair messy and mascara drawn. She turned on the cold water, washing her face and grabbing a toothbrush from the shelf.

Walking down the step, Madam Agnes had already set up the table. On a normal day, these were all her favorite dishes. She wondered if Dante still remembered or if it was just a coincidence.

"Sit," Dante said, pulling out a chair beside him.

She hated him.

This calmness made her heart thump in unexpected ways.

Madam Agnes hovered nearby, watching them both with quiet curiosity.

After a few bites, Victoria looked up. "I'll need a new phone. Mine's gone."

Dante didn't even glance at her. "I'll get one for you."

"I can get it myself."

He finally looked at her, his gaze sharp and dangerous. "You're not leaving this house."

Her spoon froze mid-air. "You can't keep me here."

"So you can go running to him?" he asked, his tone turning cold. "What does he have that I don't, Victoria?"

"That's the thing you always think everything is about you." Victoria snapped at him.

"What about me? I had a life and a job, and I was supposed to be getting married," she asked. "You just show up from nowhere, and now you own me."

The knife hit the table with a loud noise, and she got up.

"Where are you going?" Dante growled at her.

"I need to see my family, and yes, I owe them an explanation," Victoria hissed.

He moved before she could speak again, shoving her gently  against the wall, his breath hot against her ear.

"Don't lie to me. You said once I was the only one. Was that a lie too?"

Her heartbeat betrayed her fast, wild. His hand hovered near her cheek, unsure whether to touch or pull back.

"That was years back, Dante," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "Now we both live in separate worlds."

 "Look at you now; you control the whole Moretti asset, while  I'm just me, Victoria, nothing to my name, just a father who sees my marriage as a gain to the family."

"No one can hurt you when you're with me," Dante said, his hands finally touching her cheeks.

Her cheek was now wet with tears.

"Victoria, how can I make it up to you?" Dante asked.

"Just let me go," she muttered.

His throat tightened, pulling back, he returned to the dining room.

 The air in the room froze.

Her eyes held him waiting for a response.

"That's impossible," he spat.

 "Go and get a new phone, and this card is for anything you want." He threw a black card at her, not even lifting his head, sulking like a wounded lion.

"I don't need your card." Victoria pushed it back to him.

"That's the only way I'm letting you leave this house, and your father, don't worry about him, we will pay him a visit when I get back."

 Victoria hesitated, but she had no money; all her savings her stepmom had asked for in preparation for her wedding, saying as the first daughter to get married in the family, it had to be grand.

To her, Kelvin was her only chance; he'd loved her ever since and even offered her a job as his secretary. This wasn't how she wanted to pay him.

 "Fine." She took the black card and headed for her room. Standing here any longer, and she couldn't tell what would happen.

After she'd returned to her room and had her bath, when she opened the closet, all the dresses were high-end designer dresses, and they were all her size.

She spent the next hours trying on the different dresses, admiring her curves in the mirror.

One thing about Victoria: she loved to model. She loved the thrill of being noticed, looking good, and smelling nice, but thereafter, one scandal on her first modeling job, she had decided to make money first before going back to modeling.

 The dress lightened up her mood.

She settled for a two-piece collection and a sunglass while she tied her hair into a bun and applied light makeup to cover her eye bags.

The sound of the car leaving made her finally relax.

Dante was gone.

Phew!!

"I'm going out," she told Madam Agnes.

"Do you want the driver to take you there?" Madam Agnes asked.

"No need; I'd book a cab." After the stunt pulled at her fake wedding, she knew pulling up with a car and a new luxury would get everyone talking, so for now she had to settle everything and come back to handle Dante Moretti.

The air outside smelled of  money. his world, not hers. Still, she walked until a cab pulled up, and she asked the man to take her to the nearest bank to get some cash.

She'd  found a phone shop with a neon sign: "Mobile Repairs & Recharge."

Her hands trembled as she paid cash for a cheap phone, quickly typing Nina's number.

"Vicky? Oh my God, where are you? Kelvin's furious. Your dad's..."

"I just needed to hear someone," Victoria said, cutting Nina off.

"Vicky, you have to be careful, he..."

A laugh sliced through the air behind her.

"Well, well," a voice said sweetly. "Look who we have here."

Her stomach dropped.

 She turned slowly.

"Well, look who we have here."

Victoria froze.

She knew that voice too well...

Her stepsister's.

Amelia was  like a green snake under green grass.

In front of everyone she was the sensible child, but Victoria knew too well how dirty she could be.

"Amelia," she whispered.

"The runaway bride," Amelia scoffed.

 The two girls beside her laughed.

"Amelia, please, not today." Victoria said she was trying to leave since she'd already bought the phone.

On the other end of the line, Nina heard Amelia voice and knew that she would pick her fight with Victoria very soon. "Victoria, send me your location," Nina asked over the phone

. Victoria, not thinking about why Nina asked, just casually mentioned the name of the phone shop for her.

Amelia strutted closer, flanked by two friends with smirks plastered on their glossy lips.

"You've got some nerve showing your face outside, sister dear. Shouldn't you be on a honeymoon with Kelvin?"

Her friends snickered. "Oh wait, she ran away at the altar," one mocked, twirling her hair.

Everyone turned, looking at Victoria, making her uncomfortable. She'd wish for nothing more than to give this bitch a dirty slap.

"You're right, I ran away from my wedding. What about you? Has anyone ever proposed to you, not to talk of taking you down the aisle?" Victoria snarled at her.

Amelia gaze darkened as she glared at her supposed sister. "You left a good man for a gangster who pulled up gun with a to your wedding."

The people around began to murmur, and some of them even looked at her with disdain.

"Not only did she abandon her fiancé, who did everything for her, she ran off with a fuckboy. Do you want to kill Father?" Amelia continued seeing that everyone now judged Victoria.

"Some ladies don't know how to live a decent life," an elderly woman who was getting a phone with her daughter hissed.

Victoria bit her lip, anger building underneath her skin.

Amelia circled her like a cat cornering a mouse. "Dad's disappointed, you know. He said you embarrassed him in front of the Valens. You ruined everything. Even your dress..." she sneered, tugging at the hem of Victoria's outfit. "Is this fake silk? God, I can't breathe the same air as you."

The other two girls giggled beside Amelia, clearly fanning the fire.

"You don't have to worry about whether the man I ran off with is a fuckboy or not, and I'm going to see Dad, so it's none of your business," Victoria warned.

"You've said enough."

 "Relax, I'm just trying to tell you what's good for you," Amelia purred. "Maybe I'll introduce you to one of my new friends since you like to jump from one man to another."

"I'm a model now, didn't you see? This was your dream, right? I got signed by Halo Agency. I meet real men with money, Vicky. Not your little street thug pretending to be rich."

Her friends giggled louder.

Victoria's eyes stung. Modeling was her dream, but she wouldn't give her that satisfaction of seeing her crumble. Not anymore.

"Enjoy your little modeling gig," she said, voice trembling but steady. "I hope you no longer sleep with old, dirty men like five years ago when you used me to cover up your dirt."

Amelia froze for a second, her eyes darkened, but she quickly masked it  with  a twisted smile."You'll regret those words. Don't come crying to us when you and your thug boyfriend can no longer survive."

Victoria turned to leave, heart pounding, but then her phone buzzed.

Nina.

She remembered she'd given her the location a while ago.

She picked up instantly. "Nina?"

"Where the hell are you?" Nina's voice cracked through the line. "I'm opposite the phone plaza."

"I'm fine. I just ran into Amelia."

"Oh, perfect," Nina snapped. "That viper is still breathing? Where is she? Let me teach her manners."

 Victoria  laughed, masking her feelings. "Please don't."

 Nina said. "Come meet me at Café Bloom."

Victoria nodded, slipping her phone into her bag, ignoring Amelia's eyes burning holes in her back.

"Running away again?" Amelia mocked as she walked off.

"Walking away," Victoria shot back. "There's a difference."

...

At Café Bloom.

Nina was already waiting, stirring her iced latte with that bored, dangerous expression she wore when she was about to explode.

"Wow, Vicky, you look like you've walked out of a telenovela," Nina said, eyes googling her best friend. "Who do I punch first?"

"No one. I just need to think."

Nina sighed, leaning back. "You look good, so Dante is back, and do you want him now?"

 "Nina, you wouldn't understand; he just came back because he heard I was getting married to his former friend, I suppose."

 "Overthinking, as usual. Look, I never liked Kelvin; there was just something off about him. Who would fall for their best friend's woman?"

"Your family's worse. You need to stop letting them define you. Do you think if Kelvin wasn't investing in your dad's business, they'd give a fuck about you?

Victoria smiled faintly. "You always make it sound so easy."

"Because it is," Nina fired back. "You want your freedom? Take it. You want answers? Go get them. You said your dad's office is downtown, right? Let's go."

Victoria hesitated, glancing at her phone screen.

She had just finished setting up her phone and restoring her social media account.

"Fine, I would head to my dad's place and then meet with Kelvin. I owe him answers."

Nina grinned. "That's my girl."

Both ladies ordered while they discussed catching up.

Just then a text came through.

"I think you should check your phone." Nina said.

Victoria glanced at the strange number.

She picked up the phone.

"Where are you?"

Just then another text pops up again just before she could figure out who it was.

"Vicky, it's not safe. Text me your location now."

Her hands froze; only Dante called her like that.

What does he mean by not being safe?

She had not yet married into the Moretti family, and now it wasn't safe?

"Who is that?" Nina asked, seeing her face turn pale.

Her phone started ringing.

 Then a black car pulled up outside Cafe Moon with men in black suits who all came outside.

Three men stepped out in matching suits, scanning the café like hunters who already knew their prey was inside.

The sight causing a commotion.

"Vicky..." Nina whispered. "Tell me you know those men.".

Victoria's hands trembled as she locked her phone. "No. But I think they know me."

Then, the man at the front reached for his earpiece. His gaze landed directly on her.

He smiled.

Panic clawed at her throat.

Something told Victoria they were here for her.