Chapter 3: The Sprint in the Rain**
“I’m not signing anything,” Elena said coldly.
Julian sneered. “You walk away, and you have nothing. Not a dime.”
Without a word, Elena reached behind her neck, unclasped the antique diamond tiara Julian had forced her to wear, and dropped it into a champagne bucket. Then, before Julian or his groomsmen could react, she gathered the voluminous tulle of her gown in both arms and bolted down the aisle.
Gasping cries erupted through the ballroom. Julian shouted her name in fury, ordering his private security to block her path, but the wedding planner and several shocked guests inadvertently got in the guards' way.
Elena slammed through the heavy oak doors, bursting out into the torrential autumn rain. The freezing wind slapped her face, instantly drenching her veil and turning the heavy fabric of her dress into a soaked weight. She kicked off her satin high heels, running barefoot across the jagged gravel driveway.
“Dad!” she screamed into the storm, tears mixing with the rain. “Dad!”
The long estate driveway was empty except for a lone silhouette limping slowly toward the main highway gates. Arthur was hunched over against the driving wind, one hand clutching his side, his breath misting in the cold air.
May you like
“Dad, please stop!” she sobbed, stumbling on the wet asphalt.
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