The Runaway Groom novel Chapter 1

Irene Spencer was married to a bridegroom who never showed up at their wedding.

The bed sprinkled with rose petals that formed a distinct heart shape, along with the decorations within the suite, were all a slap to her face.

It was humiliating! It was unbearable!

However, there was nothing she could do about it!

All her life, she had been under the control of others ever since she was born.

Even her marriage to the Jefferson family was because of her father's greed.

Her grandfather used to be Mr. Jefferson's chauffeur and had sacrificed himself to save Mr. Jefferson in an accident.

Her family managed a small company and incurred a serious debt. On the verge of bankruptcy, Irene's shrewd father predicted that they had already reached the limit of favors they could ask for from the Jeffersons. As such, he resorted to sacrificing Irene for the sake of his personal gain—by proposing to Mr. Jefferson to have his grandson, Isaac Jefferson, marry her.

It was overwhelmingly advantageous—Irene's family would earn a fat bridal purse from the Jeffersons. Besides, they gained prestige and status as the in-laws of the Jeffersons.

For their part, the Jeffersons could not refuse the marriage for the sake of their reputation.

Even so, the marriage upset Isaac considerably, which was why he did not bother to show up at the wedding while demanding that Irene not introduce herself as his wife outside the family.

No one ever asked Irene's opinion on the matter.

Her curled brows twitched above her bright eyes, concealing the rebellious nature behind them.

Still, just as she wondered how she would kill time on her wedding night, she received a text from her colleague, asking her to replace the shift.

Hailing a cab, Irene headed to the hospital, swapping her white bridal gown for a white lab coat.

-

Bang!

The door to the clinic suddenly swung wide open forcefully, and Irene was about to look up when someone killed the lights with a loud snap.

She felt goosebumps as fear seized her.

"Who—"

Even before she could finish her sentence, she was pinned against her desk, and everything on top tumbled to the floor while she felt a sharp blade held against her neck.

Amidst the dim light, she saw a man's face, covered in blood, and his sharp eyes as he threatened, "Be quiet!"

She could tell from the pungent scent of blood swirling in her nostrils that the man was hurt. Nonetheless, she remained calm despite the direness of the situation, thanks to her job.

She gently arched her foot in an attempt to kick the man’s crotch, but he noticed the instant she moved and used his own thighs to pincer her leg firmly, keeping it in place.

"I saw him coming this way!"

At the same time, there was a clamor of footsteps outside the room, and the people out there looked like they were going to open the door.

Perhaps out of the urgency of the situation, the man leaned in and kissed her lips.

Irene resisted, easily pushing him away, and suddenly realized that he did not slice through her neck in retaliation.

Click!

While Irene was left surprised, the doorknob started to twitch. As such, she quickly braced herself, wrapping her arms around the man's neck and lifting her face to kiss him.

There was a quiver in her voice, but she forced herself to stay composed. "I can help you."

The man gulped, though he took the initiative at the very next instant. His warm breath was beside her ears, and his voice was at once deep and alluring as he spoke, "I will definitely take responsibility for you."