Chapter One: The Bride Who DoubtedThe Miller mansion glowed like a jewel box that morning. White roses filled every hallway. Silver ribbons wrapped around the staircase. Somewhere in the kitchen, a small army of caterers argued about cake tiers, and outside, workers were still building the wedding arch on the east lawn, the one that would frame Serena Miller and Mason Briggs in front of three hundred guests in six days.Serena stood at her bedroom window, watching the arch take shape, and felt nothing.That worried her more than anything."You're supposed to be smiling," said a voice behind her. Her best friend, Talia Reyes, walked in without knocking, carrying two cups of coffee and wearing the expression of someone who already knew the answer before she asked the question. "Brides smile. It's in the contract.""I'm smiling on the inside," Serena said."Liar." Talia handed her a cup and sat on the edge of the bed. "You've had that look for two weeks. The one where your face is doing

Chapter Three: Broken VowsThe morning of what should have been her final wedding preparations, Serena Miller sat in her father's office with her hands folded in her lap and told him she was calling off the wedding.Richard Miller set down his pen slowly. "Say that again.""I'm not marrying Mason." Her voice was steady, though her heart hammered against her ribs. She had rehearsed this conversation a dozen times in the shower, in the car, in the mirror, and every version ended the same way — with her father's face going pale, then red, then confused. "I overheard him two nights ago. He's been planning this since he was twelve years old, Dad. He doesn't love me. He wants the company. He said it himself, to another woman, in his own apartment."For a long moment, Richard said nothing. Then he asked the question she'd been dreading. "Do you have proof?""I have my own ears.""Serena." Her father's voice was gentle but firm, the voice he used in board meetings when he needed to steer a ro

Chapter Five: A New GuardRichard Miller arrived at the hospital forty minutes after receiving the call, his face pale, his hands unsteady as he pushed through the emergency room doors and found his daughter sitting in a private room, unharmed but shaken, a police officer taking notes nearby."Serena." He crossed the room in three strides and pulled her into his arms, holding her the way he hadn't held her since she was a child. "Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?""I'm fine, Dad. I'm fine." She held onto him for a long moment before pulling back, her voice steadier than she felt. "He saved me. The man who found me in the garage — he saved my life."Richard turned, finally noticing the man standing quietly near the window, arms crossed, watching the room with the careful attention of someone still assessing threats even in a hospital surrounded by police officers. Axel had refused medical attention for the minor cuts on his knuckles, insisting he was fine, and had spent the last half ho