Chapter 13:The vows before the storm

Carolina didn't cry.

Not this time. Not anymore.

The moment Alexander walked away, leaving those heart-wrecking words behind, something inside her snapped—not with sorrow, but with focus.

Love was a luxury. Revenge was survival.

She stood at the balcony, staring at the city lights below like a lioness surveying her kingdom. Her heartbeat slowed, her breath steadied. The ache in her chest hardened into steel.

So he loved her?

Good.

That meant he had something to lose.

And Carolina? She was done losing.

---

The next morning, the mansion buzzed with activity. Wedding preparations, meetings, and family chaos—just the kind of distractions she needed.

Dressed in silk and satin, with a smile that could kill, Carolina walked into the dining room where Alexander sat at the head of the table. His eyes flicked to her. She didn't flinch.

"Good morning, fiancé," she said sweetly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Did you sleep well?"

He didn't answer. But she saw it—the flash of regret, of confusion. Of fear.

Perfect.

She slid into her seat, calm and calculated. Across the table, Samuel raised a brow. He saw the shift in her. The fire.

Carolina gave him a subtle nod.

He smirked. Game on.

---

Later that day, she met with the wedding planner. But instead of picking out flowers, she was picking out weak points—staff schedules, guest lists, routes in and out of the estate.

She wasn't planning a wedding.

She was planning an escape.

Not for herself—oh no.

For Alexander's secrets.

And when the time came, she would detonate them like bombs in a ballroom.

Her phone buzzed. A message from Samuel:

"I have what you need. Let's meet. Tonight."

She smiled.

Alexander might've owned her name on paper…

But Carolina was about to own his soul.