The Crown Prince first heard of the wedding from laughter.From palace maids whispering as they passed by.
"…the Yang residence is already decorated."
"They say Jin Wei spared no expense."
"Two days left only. Such haste."
The words settled into his chest like poison.
Two days.
His steps slowed.
For a long moment, he stood there, fingers tightening around the edge of his sleeve, as if gripping it could stop something from slipping away.
She didn't wait.
She didn't cry at his gates.
She didn't beg.
She chose Jin Wei.
The realization struck harder than anger.
It was *finality* that unsettled him.
That night, the Crown Prince dismissed everyone. The palace grew quiet, lamps dimmed, corridors empty—yet sleep refused to come.
He stood before the window, watching the city lights below.
"She's doing this because she's hurt," he said to himself.
"She just needs time."
Yes.
Time.
Time away from Jin Wei.
Time away from dangerous ideas like marriage.
Time to remember who she belonged to.
By dawn, his decision had already been made.
I didn't sense the danger.
That was the most terrifying part.
The Yang residence was heavily guarded—Jin Wei's arrangement—but routines create blind spots. Familiar faces become trusted shadows.
I was walking through the side corridor, thinking about nothing in particular, when a sudden dizziness washed over me.
I stopped.
Frowned.
That wasn't normal.
The world swayed.
A hand caught my arm.
"Miss—"
The voice wasn't one I recognized.
Before I could react, a cloth pressed against my face. The scent was sharp, overwhelming—sweet and bitter at the same time.
"No—!"
My protest came out weak.
I struggled, but my strength melted away unnaturally fast.
Someone whispered urgently, "Hurry. Don't let anyone see."
Another voice replied, "The Crown Prince wants her unharmed."
Crown Prince?
The name echoed in my fading consciousness like a cruel joke.
Darkness swallowed me.
When I woke, the ceiling above me was unfamiliar.
Carved beams. Silk curtains. Imperial incense.
My breath caught.
I knew this place.
The Crown Prince stood beside the table, pouring tea as if this were a planned visit and not an abduction.
"You've woken up," he said calmly.
I sat up despite the pounding in my head. "You kidnapped me."
He turned, expression composed—too composed.
"I brought you somewhere safe."
Safe.
I laughed softly. "You drugged me and dragged me out of my house."
"You were about to make a terrible mistake," he replied. "I couldn't allow that."
Allow.
That word snapped something inside me.
"You ignored me," I said quietly. "You didn't see me when I begged to meet you. You laughed with your fiancée while I stood in the shadows."
His eyes darkened. "You shouldn't have gone to the market."
So he knew.
"You don't get to decide where I go," I continued. "Or who I marry."
He stepped closer. "I am the Crown Prince."
"And I am not your possession."
Silence stretched between us.
Finally, he spoke—slow, deliberate.
"You will stay here until the wedding is canceled."
My blood ran cold.
This wasn't a misunderstanding.
This wasn't love.
This was control.
And somewhere beyond these walls—
Jin Wei would already know I was gone.
Which meant the Crown Prince had just declared war
with a man who never forgave
and never lost
what he claimed.