I glanced out the window, my stomach tightening as I spotted two burly warriors from the Harrison Pack stationed by the entrance. Their presence was unmistakable—Alpha Max was determined to keep me confined. Even if I couldn’t uncover the truth today, I knew it would come out eventually. A bitter laugh escaped me. I didn’t want to trouble Jazmin, our loyal Beta housekeeper, so I simply said, “Alright, I’ll go upstairs to rest. Please only call me if it’s important.”
In my room, I packed the last of my belongings into a suitcase. My hands trembled slightly as I retrieved a gift box I’d bought earlier, placing a ring and bracelet inside with a note: *Wishing you happiness on your wedding day.* The irony wasn’t lost on me. I tore a bedsheet into long strips, tied them together, and used them to climb down from the second-floor window. Alpha Max might have thought he could cage me, but I was never one to be held back.
Once outside the villa, I removed my phone’s SIM card, discarding it in a nearby flowerbed before replacing it with a new one. I made my way to a company I’d quietly shut down, picking up a new identity and the plane ticket they’d arranged for me. As I prepared to hail a cab to the airport, a nearby voice exclaimed, “Look, how romantic!”
I glanced up to see a massive screen in the plaza broadcasting Alpha Max’s wedding live. It was grand enough to be deemed the wedding of the century, with Rebecca Phillips, another Alpha, in a Victorian-style dress and Max in a sharp black suit standing at the center, looking every bit the perfect couple. His muscular frame towered over her, his commanding aura radiating even through the screen.
Murmurs floated around me.
“What a fairy tale! The perfect match!”
“Indeed, and I heard he gave her a fortune as a wedding gift, like a princess! I’m so envious.”
On screen, the couple exchanged rings. The faint mark on Max’s finger from wearing another ring for years was cleverly covered with makeup. My heart twisted as I watched. Moments later, the groom kissed the bride. I lowered my gaze, my neck aching from watching too long. I adjusted my baseball cap, hearing the gasps and whispers around me. I was witnessing his wedding, knowing the bride wasn’t me.
A wry smile played on my lips as I wiped away an unexpected tear. Turning, I hailed a cab to the airport.
At the airport, waiting in the lounge, I glanced at the time as my phone buzzed with a celebrity gossip alert. Curiosity getting the better of me, I tapped the notification, seeing my own name inserted between the newlyweds. The gossip branded me as a homewrecker, accused of seducing Alpha Max and ruining his relationship with Rebecca. The comments were brutal, filled with venom and judgment.
“She’s so shameless!”
“Wow, an Omega trying to snag the Alpha heir of the Harrison Pack? She should take a good look in the mirror.”
The insults stung, though I knew they hadn’t identified me yet. Still, I felt exposed. I had no plans to defend myself. After today, Elyse Garza would cease to exist. I was leaving my past entirely behind.
Half an hour before my flight, I rose and headed toward the boarding gate, the chatter echoing in my ears as I walked.
“Did you hear? The groom just ran out of the reception hall!”
“He left the bride behind? What’s going on?”
Yet I didn’t waver, continuing resolutely toward the gate. The weight of my decision pressed on me, but I refused to look back. As the plane took off, I left everything behind—Alpha Max, the Harrison Pack, and the life I’d once thought was mine. I was ready to start anew, free from the chains of a bond that had never truly belonged to me.
