The Forbidden Love 𖥔 ͙ࣳ

˓𓄹 ࣪˖ 𝒮𝒽𝒶𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐵𝓁𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓈 ˓𓄹 ࣪˖

THE SOFT EVENING breeze kissed Bridget's skin as she strolled through the market. Wonderland's winding streets, usually so familiar, felt different today—more chaotic, more alive. The vibrant colors of the stalls and the sound of merchants haggling created an almost overwhelming sensory overload. For a moment, she was lost in the noise, the scent of freshly baked bread mingling with the heady aroma of spices.

She relished these brief escapes. They were rare, fleeting moments of freedom away from her father's pressures and the endless expectations of finding a suitor. As much as she loved her family, the constant reminders that she was nearly out of time to secure a match gnawed at her.

But not today. Today, she wanted to be free of it all.

Bridget paused at a small stall nestled in a narrow
alley, the vendor displaying delicate trinkets made of glass. She picked one up, marveling at how light it felt in her hand. It caught the light, casting a delicate shimmer over her palm.

"Would make a fine gift for a suitor, no?" the vendor asked with a grin.

Bridget smiled politely but said nothing. Suitors were the last thing she wanted to think about.

As she turned to leave the stall, a shadow flickered in the corner of her vision. She dismissed it at first, thinking it was a passerby, but the uneasy feeling crept back, settling like a weight on her chest. The market seemed quieter now, as if the world had turned down the volume of its usual bustle.

A sudden grip on her arm made her heart leap.

Before she could react, Bridget was yanked backward, the force knocking her breath from her lungs. She stumbled into the alley, her mind racing to make sense of the attack. A man loomed above her, his face hidden beneath the hood of his cloak. His gloved hand came down hard against her cheek, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"Stay down, princess," the man growled, his voice cold and laced with venom.

Bridget gasped, her cheek burning from the blow. She tried to push herself up, but the man was already looming over her, a glint of metal flashing in his hand.

Panic flooded her senses. She raised her arms instinctively to shield herself, her body trembling. Why was this happening? What had she done to deserve this?

"You've had this coming," the man sneered. "Your father's sins are yours to bear."

"What...?" Bridget managed to gasp out, confusion mingling with the terror rising in her chest.

Before he could strike again, a voice rang out from behind them, sharp as a blade. "That's enough."

The attacker froze, his grip on the weapon faltering for just a moment. Bridget's head whipped around, her heart pounding in her ears. There, emerging from the shadows like a predator stalking its prey, was Hook.

His eyes were cold, calculating, his movements deliberate as he stepped forward. Without hesitation, he grabbed the man by the collar, yanking him away from Bridget and slamming him into the wall.

"Not another move," Hook warned, his voice deadly calm.

Bridget watched in stunned silence as Hook overpowered the attacker with brutal efficiency. The man struggled, but Hook was relentless, driving a knee into his stomach before twisting his arm behind his back and pinning him to the ground.

"Who sent you?" Hook growled, his hand tightening on the man's wrist.

The attacker grunted in pain, refusing to speak.

"I don't have time for your silence," Hook muttered darkly. With one swift motion, he knocked the man unconscious, his body collapsing onto the cobblestone street.