Chapter 2

2.

The entire villa was empty, except for the staff and me.

Harrison had bought this place for me when we started dating.

It was close to the city center, but even he rarely visited.

I was certain he wouldn't show up tonight.

Willow and I spent the evening planning our escape route for the morning.

To avoid being caught, we had to get out of New York immediately; the Millers had eyes everywhere.

"What if we go abroad? Wasn't it always your dream to travel the world?"

Willow suggested the idea with a hint of excitement.

It had been my dream since I was a little girl, and this felt like the perfect, albeit forced, opportunity.

I didn't even need to research the destinations.

I had mapped out every country I wanted to visit in my head years ago.

I opened my laptop and used my passport to book two one-way tickets for the morning.

Just as I was about to take a screenshot for Willow, the bedroom door swung open.

"Quinn, what are you doing?"

Harrison's icy voice sliced through the silence.

"Nothing, just browsing," I stammered.

I slammed the laptop shut, my heart racing so fast I felt a wave of heat wash over me.

Harrison was naturally suspicious and didn't look like he believed a word.

He stepped closer, leaning down until his face was inches from mine.

As he reached for the laptop, I panicked and threw my arms around his neck, blocking his path.

"What are you doing here tonight?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

I was rarely this bold or affectionate with him.

For a moment, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

"I came to see if my bride-to-be was planning on running away tomorrow."

My heart stopped. How could he possibly know?

I looked up at him in shock, and our lips accidentally brushed against each other.

The next second, Harrison was kissing me intensely, as if he wanted to consume me entirely.

At that moment, all thoughts of escaping vanished.

I only knew that Harrison had incredible stamina, and I was going to be sore for the wedding tomorrow.

He was supposed to be a cold ice king, but the rumors about him being uninterested in women were clearly lies.

Luckily, because of the big day, he finally let me sleep after a few hours.

He stepped out of the shower and lay down beside me in silence.

Before closing my eyes, I checked my phone one last time.

It didn't take long to find Lydia's latest update.

"So happy to have someone waiting for me the moment I landed."

She had posted a selfie from the back of a car.

I recognized the luxurious, custom black interior immediately; it was Harrison's car.

So, he had come straight to me after picking her up.

The man beside me was already asleep, having never mentioned a word about her.

I watched his silhouette in the dark, silently saying my goodbyes.

A man like Harrison never truly belonged to me.

It was time to return him to his rightful owner.