The Heartle

pt an agreement

-

– Villafue

now how I

ed to. With each step, the weight on my shoulders grew heavier. The cold air from th

altar, beside a man I did no

ust a simple transaction, a contract that needed to be fulfilled. And

fo

er of a promis

res in society, businessmen, and families long allied with the Villafu

rs of the crowd

ul, but she lo

ghter of the bankr

arrying someone

t? He's rich and handsome!

. But more than the trembling of my body, it was my hea

-

remony

te, do you take Isab

s the priest's voice ec

silence

would see even a flicker of hesitation on his face. B

ce, he spoke the words tha

d

words, my wo

through my

... you have to do

after a year,

my mind, yet none of the

rez, do you take Sebast

hing s

eeze, forcing me

Isa

y head begge

t

ice of refusal was my family's downfall? When m

to suppress the bittern

ed my eyes, hoping that when I opened th

wasn't

as my

e, I spoke the words that would

.I

r. Before I could even process what

Emotio

onment that I co

ing. I refused to return the kiss. I

? The realization that I

-

A Gathering

th dazzling lights, music, and luxurious decorations. Only select guests were

ul the venue was, to me,

man who was now legally my husband-yet I c

oldly. "You don't want them t

simmering beneath my

hese people,

at smile, I w

one guest cheered, and glass

but I couldn't bring myself to drink. Ho

ed on, I felt like

ed to

disappear fr

ficult, I would rather suffer on my own term

as nothing

ght wa

everyone, I had becom

-

the Re

e the window, city lights blurred past-street l

ling the weight of wh

is phone. It was as if this night meant nothing to him. As i

ying to drown out th

re's nothing you can do.

here was something heavy lodged in my throat. A chain w

he faint hum of the engine and the occ

suddenl

ike someone

n't r

hone and glancing at me. "Then

was truth in his words. But one thing was certa

stop myse

cking onto his cold ones. "This

s lips. "Why? Isn't

llowe

me-both forced into a

as one majo

m because I

he wanted to escape hi

ing closer with that infuriating smirk. "

unable to find th

t why did it feel like I

-

t the

he car and headed straight to my room. I didn'

sank onto the edge of the bed.

as o

Isabella V

ding dress I wore-the dream of so many women

uldn't hold i

ar slipped

n

ano

w

ell freely, carrying with them all the e

rying to stop the

't break in fro

hat I was

the strength to

er, my vision blurred as I collapsed onto the bed-