Daniel Hayes grasped the steering wheel while his old Ford pickup’s glass was battered by a torrent of rain, with the wipers hardly able to keep up. The weariness from the dockyard, the silent pain of loneliness, and the ongoing calculations of how to stretch every dollar all felt more pressing on him on nights like tonight. However, his five-year-old daughter was soundly asleep in the rearview mirror, nestled beneath a blanket with her plush unicorn that was missing an eye.
He muttered, “Almost home, peanut.”
He was exhausted after the overtime job, but it meant Lily would have new school supplies. That was sufficient.
He turned into the long rural road that led back to their modest, dilapidated apartment building; he could collapse on the couch in a few more miles. Then he noticed her, though.
Stumbling along the shoulder was a woman. barefoot. Damp and dripping. Her wedding gown, a white lace dress, was ripped and clung to her legs. She encircled herself with her arms as though she were using her willpower to keep the outfit together.
Daniel rolled down the window and slowed.
“Madam? Are you okay?
Terrified, she whirled around to face him. Her hair was stuck to her face, and mascara was running down her cheeks. She seems to have experienced a hurricane and much more.
She gasped, “Please.” “He’s trying to find me.”
A shiver went up Daniel’s spine.
“Who is trying to find you?”
The darkness was split by a roar before she could respond. Behind them, a black SUV was speeding through the downpour as its headlights blazed.
The woman became frightened.
“Please—please let me in!”
Daniel didn’t ask any more questions. He pressed the unlock button. Just as the SUV shot by, she got into the pickup and slammed the door.
She trembled and muttered, “Drive.” “Just drive, please.”
He slammed on the gas and didn’t let up until the lights on the SUV behind them were only a glimmer in the rain.
Daniel didn’t say anything more for a mile.
“My name is Daniel. In the rear is my daughter. She is dozing off.
With trembling breaths, the woman nodded.
“My name is Isabelle.”
It appeared as though she wished to vanish into the seat.
“Was that your wedding gown?” Gently, Daniel inquired.
Her chin shook. She gave a nod.
“I fled,” she muttered. “I fled my own nuptials.”
Daniel didn’t press, but whatever she had been holding back must have been released by the calm indoors and the storm outside.
He has a billion dollars. Sterling, Ethan The name caught her voice. Everyone finds him endearing. prosperous. A man with dreams. Tonight was going to be our wedding, with hundreds of guests, cameras, and journalists everywhere. She let out a shattered laugh. The ideal fairy tale. However, it wasn’t.
Daniel’s speed decreased. “What was it?”
“A cage.”
She glanced down at the diamond ring, which continued to cling to her finger as if it were a hundred pounds in weight.
“Everything is within his control. Every aspect of me. I overheard him discussing me with his lawyer tonight, as if I were property, in a separate room. “Acquisition.” “Alignment of the brand.” “Control her image.” She trembled. He never loved me, I realized. All he wanted was to possess me.
Her voice broke.
“So I took off running.”
As they entered Daniel’s building’s parking area, the rain began to lessen. It wasn’t much—dim lights, crumbling paint—but it was sturdy. secure.
Isabelle hovered behind him, clutching her ripped dress as if she thought someone would pull her back into danger, while he carried Lily upstairs.
Daniel gave her one of his jackets and a towel inside.
“You can use the restroom to change. I’ll locate a suitable item.
Startled by the generosity, she blinked. “I’m grateful.”
He discovered a T-shirt and sweatpants that his sister had left behind during her previous visit. For the first time since she’d gotten into his truck, Isabelle appeared softer, more human, and more at ease when she emerged from the restroom wearing them, her hair twisted in a towel.
“You see—” Daniel began.
She arched an eyebrow.
He cleared his throat and replied, “-less soaked.”
She gave a tiny but genuine smile.
He prepared her tea and they sat at his small kitchen table as distant thunder roared.
“How is your family doing?” he inquired.
“They support Ethan.” They believe he is flawless. If I revealed to them his true nature… She gave a headshake. “They would claim that I went insane.”
Daniel reclined. “Then you will require new personnel.”
She gazed at him as if he had said something unthinkable. For her, no one had ever been “new people.”
Headlights swept over the wall of the living room before she could reply.
Isabelle stopped. “That’s him.”
A loud tap on the door startled Daniel to his feet.
BANG, BANG, BANG.
“Isabelle!” exclaimed a loud voice. “Open this door.”
Daniel gestured for her to enter the bedroom. She was as pale as chalk when she slipped inside.
Daniel opened the door a crack.
Wet yet clean, Ethan Sterling stepped outdoors in a fitted suit. His eyes were as icy as ice.
“My fiancée fled,” he remarked with ease. “This is how she was seen getting into a truck.”
Daniel answered, “Just me and my kid here.”
Ethan bent over. “Are you aware of my identity?”
Daniel didn’t blinked. The man is rousing a five-year-old. Take a step back.
Ethan’s mouth quirked. He glanced passed Daniel, looking into every nook and cranny. However, he was unable to see Isabelle. And he had to go without any evidence.
Ethan growled, “This isn’t the end.”
Daniel closed the door.
Isabelle was sitting on the side of his bed, trembling, when he checked on her.
She said, “He won’t let me go.”
Daniel was kneeling next to her. “This time, you are not alone.”
Sunlight filtered through the blinds as morning arrived. Isabelle sat at the table and watched Lily as she flipped pancakes, a gentle grin piercing her apprehension.
She pointed at the unicorn and asked Lily, “You stitched his eye back on?”
“Daddy did!” With pride, Lily said.
Isabelle gave Daniel a quick look. “It sounds like a hero.”
He gave a headshake. “Just a father.”
Like a little, imperfect family, they shared meals together.
Then reality set in.
Daniel whispered softly, “You have two options.” “Return or fight.”
Her eyes brightened. “Do you think I’m real?”
He grabbed her hand. “Yes, I do.”
They went to the police. “Sterling filed a missing person report,” the officer cautioned after taking the report. He is influential. This can become chaotic.
To say it was messy would be an understatement.
Reporters poured in. The headlines went crazy.
A BILLIONAIRE’S RUNAWAY BRIDE FOUNDED WITH JUST ONE DAD
Daniel, however, kept them away from her.
Court battles ensued for weeks; they were brutal, unpleasant, and public. Instead of fighting like a lady, Ethan battled like a guy losing an asset. Isabelle battled like if someone had finally taken her life. Daniel was by her side all the while. During lengthy sessions, Lily dozed off in her lap.
amid all those days, amid fatigue and anxiety, Isabelle slipped into something new, something genuine.
“I’ve never felt safe before,” Lily muttered one night after she had fallen asleep. Not in this manner.
Daniel wiped away a tear from her eye.
“This place is safe for you.”
Their initial kiss was tender, tentative, and full of hope.
The judge’s statements felt like a breath of fresh air when the decision was eventually made:
“Miss Monroe is not an asset. The engagement agreement is null and void. The acts of Mr. Sterling are harassment and coercion. The case was dropped.
Isabelle let out a cry of relief, liberation, and release.
She turned to Daniel outside the courthouse.
“Now what happens?”
He grasped her hand.
“You begin anew. Additionally, you don’t have to begin alone if you so choose.
She replied with a shaky smile and a hushed “Yes.” alongside you.
With her unicorn in hand, Lily hurried up. “Are you now residing with us?”
Isabelle dropped to her knees and gave her a deep hug.
“Yes,” she muttered. “If it’s alright, I’d like to.”
Not a princess, not a billionaire, not some grand fairytale conclusion, the three of them left the courthouse hand in hand.
Just a young girl, a woman, and a man selecting one another.
An actual family.
Founded on love, not wealth or influence.