Return of Aiden Hayes

The grand ballroom of the Fullmoon Hotel was filled with over two hundred guests, all dressed in their finest. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, casting golden reflections across marble floors. A floral arch of imported orchids and white roses stood tall at the altar, where Emma Carter felt like a prisoner awaiting her sentence. She stood perfectly still, her hands locked around a carefully curated bouquet of lilies and gardenias. Her dress, custom-designed and worth more than most people’s yearly salaries, suddenly felt like a shroud. Her makeup was flawless, but beneath the surface, her stomach twisted with dread. She didn’t want this. Not the dress, not the guests, and certainly not the man standing beside her—Liam Brooks. He wore a smug smile, radiating empty confidence, his slicked-back hair and perfectly tailored suit doing their best to make him look more handsome. Emma’s eyes kept drifting toward the grand double doors, as if willing them to open. As if a hero might storm in and rescue her from this nightmare. But this wasn’t one of the fantasy novels she used to escape into—this was reality, cold and unforgiving. And in reality, no one was coming. Emma’s mother, Victoria Carter, sat in the front row like a queen on her throne. Her rigid posture, blood-red lipstick, and diamond-studded earrings screamed control. Gerald Carter, Emma’s father, wore the same bored expression he always had, more interested in stock tickers than his own daughter. Emma remembered the fight from two nights ago—how she had begged them not to make her go through with this. “Marrying Liam is the best decision you’ll ever make,” her mother had said coldly. “You think love pays the bills? You need stability. A name. Not some broke loser who can’t afford to buy you a ring.” That “broke loser” was Aiden Hayes. Emma’s heart twisted. She hadn't seen him in over a month. Her parents had driven him away with threats, lies, and humiliation. They said he wasn’t good enough—that he’d only drag her down. And she’d believed them, back then. She now wished, with every fiber of her being, that she could turn back time—back to the moment Hayes asked her to run away with him. He had looked at her with desperate, love-stricken eyes, willing to throw away everything just to be with her. But she hesitated. She let fear and her parents’ cold logic override her heart. And slowly, painfully, she pushed him away. But she never stopped loving him. Not for a single second. Instead, she ended up in the hands of Liam—a cruel, manipulative narcissist who saw her as nothing more than a trophy his family had acquired on his behalf. He didn’t love her. He didn’t even respect her. To him, she was an object to own. And worst of all, her parents still insisted she marry him, blind to the monster behind the polished smile. The truth had shattered her just a day before the wedding. She had come home early—only to find Liam in their bed, with one of his employees, shameless and unbothered. When she screamed at him, he laughed. Then he wrapped his fingers around her throat and sneered, “Go ahead. Do your worst.” And she did. She called both their families, told them everything. But Liam, ever the actor, denied it all. Even with the bruises still fresh on her neck, her parents dismissed her. Told her she was being dramatic. That she was just nervous. That it was too late to back out now. Now, standing at the altar, her heart pounding like a war drum, the officiant’s voice sliced through her daze. “If anyone here has a reason why these two should not be joined in matrimony, speak now… or forever hold your peace.” Her breath caught. This was it. Her last chance. Silence. A beat passed. Then another. Emma held her breath. Silently praying for a miracle to happen. Bang! The double doors at the back of the ballroom slammed open with force, echoing like thunder. Heads turned. Murmurs rippled through the crowd like a rising tide. A man stood there—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a tailored black suit. His dark hair was tousled by the wind, his jaw tight with barely restrained fury. But his eyes—those intense, stormy eyes—locked onto Emma’s like a magnet. “Aiden…” Emma whispered, her voice trembling. He walked forward slowly, each step measured and full of purpose, like a lion approaching its prey. “Stop the wedding,” Aiden said, his voice low but thunderous. “She’s not marrying him.” Gasps filled the room. The orchestra stopped playing. Gerald shot to his feet. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Aiden didn’t flinch. His voice was calm, but laced with steel. “What I should’ve done a long time ago. She has something that belongs to me—and I’m not about to hand her over to a jackass like him.” Victoria shot to her feet, her face twisted with fury. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here! You’re nothing. A nobody!” Aiden’s lips curled into a slow, icy smirk. “Is that so?” He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a sleek black card. The Hayes family insignia—a golden lion wrapped around a crown—was etched into it. He tossed it to the floor in front of Gerald. “I’m Aiden Hayes,” he said. “CEO of Hayes International Holdings. And I’m here to take back the woman you tried to steal from me.” The silence that followed was deafening. Liam laughed nervously. “This is insane. You think barging in here with a business card makes you a king?” Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t need to think. I am.” He turned to Emma, his voice softer now. “You don’t belong here, Emma. Not with them. Not in this lie of a wedding. Come with me.” Her breath hitched. Her hands trembled. “I—” Before she could speak, Liam lunged forward and grabbed her wrist. “She’s not going anywhere with you!” Aiden was faster. In a single movement, he yanked Liam back and twisted his arm behind his back, shoving him against the altar with a thud. Guests screamed. Cameras flashed. Chaos erupted. Aiden leaned in close, whispering something only Liam could hear. The man’s face turned pale as paper. He released him and turned back to Emma. His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed urgency. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” Emma’s entire body froze. Victoria’s sharp gasp cut through the room like a blade. “How… how do you know?” Emma whispered, her voice barely audible. Aiden’s gaze never wavered. “Because I know you. And I never stopped watching over you.” Behind them, Victoria’s eyes widened in horror. She reached for her purse. “Enough of this,” she snapped. “Security! Remove him—now!” From the hallway, heavy footsteps echoed. Emma turned sharply. Her heartbeat roared in her ears. But it wasn’t security coming down the aisle. It was a group of men in suits. Serious. Unmarked. And they weren’t looking at Aiden. They were walking toward her parents. Aiden’s voice was calm, but laced with finality. “You didn’t just try to ruin her life. You tried to bury the truth. But now—” He turned to Gerald and Victoria. “Now the whole world’s going to know what you did.”