Chapter 1

[Miss Rowland, your customized wedding dress just landed at the hotel. Hit us up if you need anything.]

Thea Rowland was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement when she got the text from the wedding dress shop.

She was tying the knot with her boyfriend of eight years in just a week. Venue booked, invites out, and everything was ticking along nicely.

After clocking out from work, Thea was all set to hit the hotel and maybe sneak a peek at their new menu offerings on the way.

But the moment she stepped in, the hotel manager was there, giving her this weird, twitchy kind of smile. "Miss Rowland, didn't expect you! Everything alright? Need anything?" Thea, still riding that high vibe, said briskly, "Hey, my wedding dress is here, right? Can't wait to try it on."

"Oh, yes, got here about half an hour ago," the manager managed to say, but there was something off about his grin.

"By the way, we've got some new dishes we thought you might want to try out. If they hit the spot, we can add them to your menu. No extra charge."

"Let's hold that thought till after the dress," Thea said, making a beeline for the elevator.

"Miss Rowland!" the manager called out, trailing after her. "We've also got this recital team in today. Why not give them a listen and see if they vibe with your plans?" That was when Thea's spidey senses started tingling. "Hold up, is there a problem with the dress?" she asked, the smile slipping off her face.

"Well..." the manager stuttered, looking like he was about to melt into a puddle.

That pretty much sealed the deal for Thea. Something was definitely up. Dodging the manager's attempts to slow her down, she made a beeline for her dress. "Don't..." Only when she reached the door did she hear ambiguous sounds coming from inside the room. The woman was flirty, mixed with the man's moans. Thea looked down at the text message on her phone and confirmed the room number. She had the right room.

"Jake, it doesn't feel right. What if we get caught?"

"Madelyn, do you have any idea how beautiful you look right now? I can't wait!"

Moans and heavy breaths interspersed with bits of conversation came out.

Thea's brain began to run out of oxygen. She felt like she was suffocating, and her head went blank. She forgot how she had opened the door to get inside. Thea couldn't help but shake, feeling this intense ache in her heart, as she caught sight of the chaotic scene inside. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes. She had to dig her nails into her palms to stop herself from collapsing and screaming.

Inside the room, two bodies intertwined. Thea's fiancé, Jake Hendrix, who was supposed to be on a business trip, was making out with another woman at that moment.

shoulders were exposed, and the layers of Thea's gorgeous wedding dress hems were untidily

Thea recognized the woman as none other than

her wedding dress. Her boyfriend for eight years, on the eve

struggling to catch her breath, overwhelmed by a rollercoaster of emotions

afterthought, not forgetting to pull

like you're having a good time." Her breathing was a little unstable, and she forced her tears back. "Do you want me to capture this wonderful moment for

guilt crossed Jake's eyes, more

Thea, to be honest, I've been really over this for a while now. You're super controlling, and you keep me

about it, and our wedding will go off without a hitch. Once we're married, you'll officially be my wife. Oh, and just a heads up, Madelyn is going to be sticking around

lunch. A mix of anger and embarrassment was doing a

stormed over and gave Jake a solid slap, practically in a frenzy. "You really think I'd still want to

inside of his cheek, not even getting a chance to chime in before Madelyn, tears

whole mess is on me. Don't be mad at Jake. I'll even drop to my knees and beg

annoyance. She yanked Madelyn's hands away, cutting her off, "Save the act for

on the wedding dress's hem, and she ended up smacking her

up with a lot of care. He gazed at Thea, his eyes a deep crimson, and said in a chilly tone, "Look at you now, Thea. You're a crazy bitch.

together, Jake's parting shot was calling her disgusting, making her wonder

freaked out. "Mr. Hendrix, we've got a problem. There's a whole bunch of reporters outside, and they're about to

immediately. Jake was quick to respond, his expression turning stormy as he stepped up

spinning. 'Why on earth would

her voice laced with defiance despite feeling weak. "Well, maybe you

down, his voice cold and clear. "If anyone hears about today, I'll be having a chat with your big brother. And trust me, if my day gets ruined, you're

of being trapped washing over her. After spending so much time together, Jake had figured out exactly

hit her like a ton of bricks. The urge to just lie down and let the tears flow was overwhelming. But, of course, life wasn't about to give her a break

the ground and left the room, only to

didn't miss a beat-she dodged and weaved, sprinting away. A couple of reporters tried to keep up. Behind her, footsteps tried to close the gap, and distant voices were pleading for her to wait.

from the man's body, Thea couldn't shake off the feeling of a chilly stare

Thea managed a shaky plea. "Sir,

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