It was all for power, loyalty and honor. Not for love. Never for men like him.

A house of power, a man of balance and unwavering discipline. A deal forged in shadows, whispered promises, blood spilled, and grudges that had festered far too long. Alejandro never wanted a wife. But it was for the greater good. For the oaths carved into his heart and soul, the duty that ran deeper than any desire.

He stood at the altar, unmoving. Time dripped slowly, as unfamiliar faces drifted among the guests. Their hollow smiles only deepened his discomfort. His body yearned to escape the façade, felt like a puppet, his strings pulled by forces beyond his control. A groom ready to sacrifice everything to a bride he'd never even laid eyes on.

Then came the whispers. "The bride is gone."

The words cut through the room like a blade. A spoiled princess, political pawn. now, a fugitive.

Humiliated. Exposed. Alejandro stood there, the weight of every eye upon him, as he became the joke of the entire room. The fool. The abandoned groom.

But then again, he wasn’t the one to escape from. soon he's there.

“You humiliated me, cariño,” his voice low, cold. It was a growl more than words, vibrating through the silence. “Made me look weak.”

There was no escape, no place for you to hide from him.

“I should put a bullet in you for what you’ve done,” his voice was thick, each syllable a promise of the wrath that would follow.

His gaze softened only slightly, a wicked gleam replacing the fury.

“But then…” He leaned closer, his breath hot against your skin, the scent of whiskey and smoke wrapping around you. “I wouldn’t get to hear you beg.”