He stepped closer, eyes dark with a dangerous intensity. His voice, barely above a whisper, sent a chill down her spine.
"Break off the engagement, or I'll do more than just ruin him-I'll end him."
Her breath hitched, but she stood tall, masking the...
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I stood there, smiling for the hundredth photo of the night, my hand resting lightly on Ivan's arm as the camera clicked once again. The engagement party was grand—exactly what my parents had wanted. The perfect venue, the perfect man, and the perfect future. Ivan was everything a girl was supposed to dream of.
Tall, handsome, successful, and worldly, Ivan was admired by everyone. He had been introduced as the "ideal match"—a man who could support me, love me, and offer me the kind of life most women would kill for. But as I stood there, the l ights of the chandelier twinkling above us, all I could feel was a hollow emptiness.
I glanced up at him, his smile as perfect as his tailored suit, greeting everyone with practiced charm. He looked... perfect. He had everything: a successful career, endless connections, and the kind of reputation that would make any parent proud. The kind of man who would give me stability, everything I would ever need.
But not everything I wanted.
"Smile, darling," Ivan whispered down at me, placing a gentle kiss on my temple as the photographer gestured for another round of pictures. I forced a smile, one that felt as fragile as the champagne glass in my hand.
The truth was, I wasn't unhappy. Ivan was kind, considerate, the type of man anyone would be lucky to have. But as I stood beside him, our families exchanging polite laughter and conversation, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was missing. Something more... raw. Passionate.
I looked over the sea of guests, my eyes searching for something—anything—to distract me from the overwhelming sensation that my life was slipping through my fingers. And then I saw them: Alex, my older brother, and his fiancé , Ava, walking into the room. A wave of relief washed over me as I met Ava's eyes, her warm smile instantly putting me at ease. She was my best friend, the only person who truly understood me. The one person who knew how I really felt about all of this.
Alex looked as polished as ever in his black suit, but I barely noticed him as Ava rushed over to me, enveloping me in a tight hug.
"You look beautiful," she whispered, pulling back just enough to meet my eyes. But then her smile faltered, just for a second, as if she could see right through the mask I'd been wearing all night. Her hand squeezed mine. "It's going to be okay. Just breathe."
I forced another smile, nodding as I held on to her words like a lifeline. Ava had always been my rock, the one person who didn't buy into all the perfection my parents demanded. She knew about the doubts I had, about the nights I lay awake wondering if this engagement was really what I wanted. She didn't need to say anything more; the knowing look in her eyes was enough.
We spent the rest of the evening mingling with the guests, Ava never leaving my side. Every now and then, she'd lean in with a whisper, cracking a joke or making some snide comment about the stuffy party, making me laugh just enough to keep my nerves at bay
