Chapter 2 - Behind the Locked DoorThe argument escalated behind the closed door.
Preston's carefully constructed image of the charming groom disappeared completely.
He accused Alivia of betrayal.
She accused him of stealing from the companies their families were merging.
Then came the moment that changed everything.
Preston crossed a line he could never uncross.
When Alivia finally emerged from the room, her cheek was bruised and her breathing was unsteady.
The wedding coordinator stared at her.
“Miss Vance…”
Alivia lifted one trembling hand.
“I'm fine.”
She wasn't.
But she had already made her decision.
She would not run.
Not yet.
Because if she canceled the ceremony, Preston's lawyers would immediately move against Vance Global Shipping. The merger documents would disappear into years of litigation. Evidence could be destroyed. Workers could lose their jobs.
And Preston would walk away believing he had won.
Alivia touched the wedding ring inside her pocket.
Then she whispered to herself:
“Let him think he has.”
She walked toward the ballroom.
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Every step felt like walking toward a cliff.
But she kept moving.
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