Her fingers dug into the door frame, knuckles white.
She screamed until her throat felt raw.
"Sebastian! Don't do this! Please!"
But Sebastian wore noise-canceling headphones, completely detached. He showed no reaction to her pleas.
When Chloe tried to rip the headset from his ears, a bodyguard intervened. His kick sent her stumbling back into the cabin. The helicopter ascended.
–
For thirty agonizing minutes, Sebastian dangled her over the ocean. He lowered the chopper until her body hit the freezing water, then jerked her back up. He repeated this cruel cycle relentlessly.
Each plunge into the sea stole her breath. The cold shock felt like a thousand needles piercing her skin. Every time she broke the surface, gasping, the helicopter dragged her under again before she could scream.
Finally, one of the bodyguards spoke into his headset.
"Mr. Harrington, she's lost the baby." They hauled her limp form back inside and dumped her on a deserted shore.
Sebastian loomed over her. "That child was your debt. Payment for what you did to Alayna."
Chloe's laughter cut through the salt-heavy air. It was a broken, hollow sound.
Even half-drowned, her voice dripped with venom. "You're pathetic, Sebastian. You think torturing me will bring Alayna back?" She coughed up seawater, her words sharp as glass. "She was right about you. Out of everyone, you deserve the most suffering. You spent years degrading her. Only when she left did you realize you loved her? What a joke."
Her chest heaved, each word a struggle. "I hope you rot in hell. Die alone and miserable."
Each insult struck true, but Sebastian didn't react with anger.
His voice turned icy calm. "You convinced me to abandon her in this place. Now you'll understand how it feels."
The helicopter's blades whipped the air as it lifted off. Chloe lay motionless on the sand, abandoned.
That was the last I heard about them.
The story reached me in fragments, through hushed conversations and whispers from Sebastian's inner circle.
When I heard, I forced myself to forget. Like wiping a nightmare from memory.
"He's completely lost his mind," Sebastian muttered beside me. His arms were crossed, jaw clenched. "With a Harrington like him leading, that family will crumble."
I thought that was Sebastian's breaking point. I was wrong.
In June, Sebastian finally proposed.
He clasped the bracelet around my wrist—the one his mother had once offered me, which he'd kept safe all this time.
"Most people use a ring for proposals, Sebastian. Not family heirlooms." I smiled as he fastened the delicate clasp.
He grinned, utterly unapologetic. "This bracelet has seen generations of marriages in my family. I thought it fitting to tie you to me forever."
–
Before I could reply, he reached into his pocket again. This time, he produced a diamond ring.
"Don't worry, I came prepared. My woman gets everything she wants," he said, sliding the ring onto my finger.
We set the wedding for early July.
Sebastian planned every detail with obsessive care. From the custom invitations to the smallest floral arrangements, nothing was overlooked.
The day arrived, flawless. The sun shone brightly, warming the stone church adorned with blush-pink mountain roses—my favorite. A pianist played a soft melody that floated through the air, soothing my nerves.
With no father to walk me down the aisle, Sebastian met me at the entrance. He offered his arm, and we walked toward the altar together.
Everything was perfect. Until it shattered.
Just as we prepared to exchange rings, a voice echoed from the back of the church, sharp and clear.
"You can't marry him!"
My heart plummeted.
Security instantly moved to intercept him, but his gaze remained locked on me, fierce and unyielding.
“Alayna!” His voice was raw as he shoved past them. “I fixed everything for you! I made them suffer for what they did—you can’t go through with this!”
He was talking about Chloe. His twisted idea of justice, as if hurting her could ever undo the pain he caused me.
I met his eyes, my tone unwavering. “The past doesn’t disappear just because you want it to, Sebastian. Hurting someone else doesn’t heal my scars. This is my wedding day. You need to leave.”
“No!” he cried out, voice cracking. “You love me! I know part of you still does.”
I stayed silent, letting him unravel.
“I was a fool. Arrogant. Blind. It wasn’t until you walked away that I realized how much I needed you. Please, Alayna. Let me spend my life making it right. Just one more chance.”
If he had said those words years ago… maybe the old me would have listened.
But not now. That part of me was gone.
“I don’t love you, Sebastian,” I stated clearly. “Not anymore. It’s over.”
He staggered back as if struck. “No. You don’t mean that.”
But I did. With every fiber of my being. My heart had found a new home—with the man beside me, holding my hand through the storm.
Sebastian’s expression darkened, his control snapping. “Remove him.”
Security closed in, but in a flash, Sebastian drew a gun. The crowd gasped as he pressed it to his own head.
“If you marry him,” he rasped, “I’ll pull the trigger. Right here. In front of everyone.”
“Have you lost your mind?” I shouted.
He smiled—
a broken, empty smile. “See? You still feel something. I knew it.”
I shook my head. “I just don’t want your blood staining my wedding.”
He flinched, my words hitting like a physical blow. “So that’s it? You feel nothing for me now?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I turned to Sebastian.
“Let’s finish this.”
With a quiet nod from Sebastian, the priest continued. We exchanged rings while Sebastian stood frozen, disbelief etched across his face. Sebastian cupped my cheeks and kissed me deeply, the crowd erupting in applause.
That broke him. His face twisted with rage, and as his finger tightened on the trigger, one of Sebastian’s guards tackled him. The gun fired into the ceiling, plaster dust showering down.
Panic spread, but Sebastian’s family and staff quickly restored order. The ceremony resumed as if the interruption never happened.
—
Sebastian wrapped me in his arms, his voice a steady anchor. “We’re leaving.”
We were escorted to the waiting car. As the door closed, I finally exhaled. But the danger wasn’t over.
Sebastian wasn’t giving up.
Through the back window, I saw his car speeding after us, swerving wildly through traffic. His headlights glared, closing in fast.
He’s trying to force us off the road.
Fear seized me.
“Don’t be afraid.” Sebastian gripped my hand, his voice firm. “I’ll keep you safe.”
—
He began directing the security team. Then—out of nowhere—another car slammed into Sebastian’s from a side road. Metal shrieked as both cars skidded and plunged into the river.
A fiery explosion lit up the night, water and flames shooting skyward.
I stared, breath caught in my throat. “Was that… Chloe? Was she in that car?”
Sebastian gave a grim nod.
Rescue teams arrived swiftly. Chloe’s body was recovered with no signs of life. Sebastian clung to life for days before slipping into a coma. He never woke. The doctors confirmed he would remain in a persistent vegetative state.
And just like that, the past was laid to rest.
Sebastian and I? We moved on. Straight to our honeymoon.
On our last evening, as the sun dipped behind the mountains, Sebastian drew me close.
“You remember you still owe me one wish?” he murmured.
I smiled against his shoulder. “I do. Have you decided?”
“Yes.” He bent close, his breath warm against my ear as he whispered, “I wish… for Alayna to live a long, peaceful, and happy life.”
Warmth spread through my chest, overflowing. I rose on my toes and kissed him tenderly. (The End)