Promises and Shadows

Chapter 1

Leila POV:

(Leila was seated in a chair, gazing at a wall, utterly absorbed in her thoughts when Nina, her best friend, entered the bridal suite. Noticing her friend's distant demeanour with a look of concern, Nina let out a heavy sigh and sat down next to Leila. She called her name softly, but received no response, so she called out again more loudly, breaking Leila out of her reverie.)

"Leila... LEILA!"

I snapped out of my trance when I heard Nina calling my name loudly. I turned to see her sitting beside me, a worried expression on her face.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, I asked, "Is it time?" My voice was barely a whisper. Instead of replying, Nina took my hand and shook her head, providing me with a small sense of relief.

"He hasn't arrived at the venue yet... Are you ready, though?" Her question made my head droop as I closed my eyes.

Never.

I could never be prepared to marry a man I didn't love. Moreover, I would never agree to marry a jerk like Malcolm.

If only I hadn't been born into this mafia family, I wouldn't have to sacrifice my life like this. If only my mom were alive, I wouldn't have to act as a puppet for my father's whims.

I had a vision-a dream that could transform my life, allowing me to live like an ordinary person, free from the constant presence of bodyguards monitoring my every move and the fear of random violence.

Yet my father intervened, using me as a pawn to enhance his business and gain more power by arranging my marriage to a thoroughly vetted, prominent figure in our society.

What kind of father would do such a thing to his daughter? Of course, mine would. All these years, I had been invisible to him, and suddenly, when he realized I could be exchanged for his own good, I became more than visible.

When my father dropped this marriage arrangement three weeks ago, it felt as if my soul were being ripped from my body while I was still alive. My mind went numb.

In a desperate attempt to halt this marriage, I pleaded, threw fits, went on a hunger strike, and even tried to escape my home, but I couldn't make it past the front gate.

I even contemplated taking my own life. However, none of these efforts succeeded, and here I was, sitting in a chair, pondering the unimaginable-how to eliminate my potential husband so I could flee this impending marriage. I would much rather exist as a widow than endure a life with that jerk, infamous for his addictions and whatnot.

Nina sighed. "You don't have to do this, Leila. I can't let someone as stupid as Malcolm ruin my best friend's life." She paused and continued, "Actually, I have a plan."

That piqued my interest. "I've had many plans too, and they all failed... Anyway, go on." I replied dryly.

With a playful smile, she wiggled her eyebrows and dangled a car key in front of me, leaving me confused.

"Alright, listen carefully and hold your questions until I'm done. I thoroughly checked the church, and there's no security near the fourth gate. It seems the gate is only for exiting; there's no way to use it for entering. I'm not entirely sure about the system, but that's how it appears. Just outside, there's a car waiting for you. Drive it to the port, and a cruise ship will be there to take you to London. Ronan is in London now, so he will pick you up from the port, and I've arranged everything you need to settle in. Lastly, since the groom hasn't arrived at the church yet, you won't be searched for at least thirty minutes. Now go!"

She spoke in one breath, leaving me stunned. At the next moment, we were embracing and crying together. I can confidently say that if there's one good thing that has ever happened in my life, it will always be her-my soulmate. Thanks to my mother, she arranged play dates with Nina when we were children.

After hearing her plan once more, I felt ready to escape.

But questions swirled in my mind. "What about my passport and tickets? What if they find me? What if your boyfriend Ronan gets in trouble because of me? You're completely aware of the influence these two families have, right?"

With every 'what if's,' my panic level increased, making me sweat.

"Stop with your 'what if's,' Leila. I know both families well, but don't forget my family and Ronan's aren't any less powerful. And why do you think I chose a cruise ship instead of a flight?" she asked, raising her perfectly trimmed brows.

"Because I am scared of heights!"

"You're even more scared of the deep ocean, remember?"

Oh yes! I made a big fuss about it when I went on a cruise trip with Nina's family.

"Leila, if you went missing, their first instinct would be to check the roadways or airways, definitely not seaway transport. Moreover, the cruise you're going to travel on belongs to my father, so you can travel safely. And if you don't move your expensive ass right now, you'll miss your last opportunity to escape from this wedding..." she warned, pushing me toward the door.

Although I didn't have a change of clothes, Nina quickly resolved that issue by mentioning she had packed a couple of dresses in the car for me to change into later.

I hugged her once more, pouring all my gratefulness in that hug.

With that, my journey commenced. I lifted my wedding dress and began to run. With each step, visions of living independently, far from all the chaos and family pressures, filled my mind. As I pushed open the church door, it felt as though I was breaking free from the constraints of my past.

The moment I spotted a bright pink car, tears of joy filled my eyes. Just as I was about to open the door, a strong hand grasped my shoulder and spun me around.

My eyes widened in surprise upon seeing him.

At some point in our lives, we all experience a yearning for someone we barely know, yet they linger in our minds for a while, and we wish to meet that person once again.

For me, that person was him-the guy with whom I shared a fleeting 0.05 seconds of eye contact at my engagement party, and ever since, he has occupied my thoughts more than I'd prefer.

The very same brown eyes that kept me tossing and turning for nights on end, making me wonder if I'd ever cross paths with him again-who even is this guy?

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his rich, deep voice resonating with a commanding presence that demanded an answer from me. His grip tightened when I didn't respond. We both stood there while he studied my face as if it held the secrets of the universe.

"I asked what. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

The moment those words rolled off his tongue, it felt like a freight train hit me. I was yanked back to reality. My mouth turned to desert, my face went pale, and my heart plummeted-oh no, I'd been busted!

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