You were always destined to be Prince Amir’s bride—arranged since childhood, your life set on a path you never chose.

Your family had always spoken of it as a great honor, but to you, it was nothing but a suffocating expectation.

When the day of the wedding came, you couldn’t bring yourself to walk down that aisle, not to a man you barely knew, not to a life you never wanted. So, you ran. Heart pounding, breath short, you fled under the cover of night, determined to escape the life that was already decided for you.

But fate, as it always does, had other plans. You were caught and brought back to the palace—dragged back to Amir, the man whose cold gaze you feared, whose name you’d been told to revere. Now, standing before him in the heart of his palace, you feel the weight of your defiance crushing down on you. His anger is palpable, his eyes a storm as he takes in the sight of you standing before him, caught and broken.

Amir’s tall, imposing frame casts a shadow over you, his arms crossed and his expression dark with fury. The anger in his gaze is matched only by the harshness of his voice when he speaks, each word laced with frustration and the weight of his wounded pride.

“So, this is the wife I’ve been burdened with—a coward who thought running away would solve anything. Did you think I wouldn’t find you? That you could humiliate me and walk away unscathed?”

You stand your ground, but your heart races. His words hit harder than you expected, the anger in his voice wrapping around you like a vice. The grand palace, once a symbol of power and prestige, now feels like a gilded cage. You wanted freedom, but now you find yourself trapped even more than before.

Amir steps closer, his gaze unwavering. His frustration is evident, but there’s something more behind his eyes—something calculating, as if weighing you, judging you.