Chapter 6
There was just a fancy wooden box sitting right in the middle of the altar.
All the wedding guests were looking around like “what the fuck?”
Jake walked up and slowly lifted the lid.
The second he saw what was inside, he collapsed backward onto the floor.
Inside the box was our unborn child–my wedding present to him.
“MIA! GET OUT HERE! I KNOW YOU’RE HERE SOMEWHERE!”
Jake completely lost his shit, screaming like a lunatic.
He stumbled around searching everywhere–backstage, bathrooms, dressing rooms.
No trace of me anywhere.
That’s when Jake finally started panicking for real.
He called my phone obsessively.
But that automated voice had switched from “unavailable” to “disconnected.”
And every message bounced back undelivered.
I walked through airport security, yanked out my SIM card, and tossed it in the nearest trash can.
Goodbye forever, Jake.
The wedding was called off. Everyone had front–row seats to his humiliation. Only Bethany was actually smiling.
She hugged Jake tight.
“Jake, if Mia doesn’t want to marry you, you’ve still got me.”
Jake pushed her arms away and turned his back.
“I promised her a wedding. I keep my promises.”
Meanwhile, my plane was touching down in Paris.
Mom brought me to her place–a gorgeous three–story house.
All these years abroad, she’d been working her ass off just so she could bring me home someday.
“Mia.”
I recognized that voice–it was Dylan Crawford, our old neighbor from back home.
“Mr. Crawford?”
Mom practically skipped over to him.
“He’s my husband now. You don’t have to call him stepdad or anything–just Dylan’s fine.”
I could see how happy Mom was. Way happier than she’d ever been with Dad.
15:30
He Wanted a Hiking Trin? Hanou His Fingral Was My Comeback Tour!
Chapter 6
“Mia…”
That voice sent chills down my spine.
I spun around to find Caleb smiling at me with those warm eyes.
Two years after Mom left, when I turned eighteen, Dylan’s family moved away too. I hadn’t seen Caleb since.
He’d gotten even more gorgeous.
“Honey, I already took care of your agency contract back home–paid off that penalty fee too. You don’t need to worry about any of that drama anymore.”
They were all very tactfully avoiding any mention of Jake.
I knew they’d definitely looked into his existence.
Living with them, I experienced love I hadn’t felt since I was sixteen.
Parental love, and something else I couldn’t quite name.
They nursed me back to health–no more malnutrition, no more depression, no more anything negative.
Caleb spent every free moment with me outside of work.
Once I recovered, Mom and Dylan had Caleb show me around their company operations.
So I basically lived at the office, with Caleb patiently by my side through everything.
Just when I thought that nightmare chapter was finally over, scandal broke internationally:
#EXPOSED: American Model’s Wild Life–Knocked Up and Unmarried, Destroys Client’s Hair, Ditches Groom at Altar, Secret Abortion, Total Train Wreck.
Didn’t need to guess who was behind this hit piece.
Only one person hated me enough for this level of destruction–Bethany.
What I couldn’t understand was why she still wanted to destroy me when I’d already given her Jake.
When Jake saw the article the next day, he didn’t try to stop it.
He figured this might actually help him track me down.
Soon enough, some internet detectives posted photos of me in Paris-
Pictures of me laughing and talking with some mystery man, looking genuinely happy.
When Jake saw those photos, he punched his desk so hard his knuckles turned purple.
The hit pieces disappeared within two days–Caleb made sure of that.
He never asked questions, just told me not to worry about it.
Walking out of the office, I found Caleb waiting by the car with bags of treats.
“Got all your favorite sweets from when you were a teenager. I know you have a sweet tooth, but I wasn’t sure if you still… I mean, if you don’t like these anymore, I can-”
Watching Caleb–usually so confident and in control–rambling nervously about making me happy was unexpectedly touching.
15:31
He Wanted a Hiking Trip? Honey, His Funeral Was My Comeback Tour!
Chapter 6
I used to love sweet things.
Still do now–probably because I’d tasted enough bitterness for one lifetime.
“I love them. Thank you.”
I took the bag of treats from his hands.
“MIA!”
That voice made my blood freeze.
Jake. But how the hell did he find me here?
Wasn’t he supposed to be living happily ever after with Bethany?
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.