Mira dragged herself home after a long day at her bakery.Flour in her hair, cupcake frosting on her apron—classic Mira. Her bakery, SugarSpire, was famous in the whole city for its melt-in-the-mouth cupcakes. People claimed they tasted like "hope and childhood mixed into buttercream."
But the moment she opened the door that evening… she froze.
Her entire family—sister, cousins, aunts, everyone—swarmed around her like she was a celebrity who had just survived a disaster. They shoved her into a chair, gave her water, and stared at her with suspiciously shiny eyes.
This had never happened before.
Mira blinked. "Okay… who died?"
"No one!" her sister squealed and thrust a photo in her face.
The man in the picture was stupidly handsome.Tall. Sharp jaw. A little unshaven in a very intentional, "I wake up sexy" way.But the eyes—oh, those eyes.Dark, focused, intense… the kind of eyes that look at you like they already know your secrets.Hunter eyes.Predatory, but elegant.The kind of gaze that could ruin your confidence or your mascara.
"Miraaa!" her aunt giggled. "He's your groom! The wedding is next month! His family already booked a luxury resort in Veloria Heights."
A place that sounded fancy, expensive, and absolutely fictional.
Mira's brain glitched."Excuse me? I am NOT marrying some random hunter-eyed stranger."
Ignoring the family's dramatic gasps, she snatched the photo and called the one person who always helped her think: her best friend.
The phone rang.
"Come to the shop," Mira said. "Now. Emergency."
"I'll be there in fifteen," Lusy promised.
Mira marched out, leaving her family behind still drooling over the mystery groom.
At the bakery, she tied her hair, washed her hands, and got to work.Fresh cupcakes always cleared her mind.
Today's batch looked adorable:Small vanilla cakes with pastel-pink swirl frosting, topped with tiny sugar pearls and a single edible flower on each. So cute they deserved their own fan club.
She placed two on a plate and sat at their usual table.
Fifteen minutes passed.No lusy.
She called.
Busy.
Another fifteen minutes.Called again.
Switched off.
A cold ache settled in Mira's chest.Anya never did this.
Mira rushed back home.The house was locked.
She ran to the neighbor."Oh, Lusy? She left about thirty minutes ago," the neighbor said casually.
Mira tried calling again.Nothing.
Panic sharpened her heartbeat.
She checked:
Their college backyard
The café they always met at
Their other friends' houses
Every place that held even one shared memory
No sign.Not even a hint.
Tears blurred her eyes by the time she reached the police station. She filed a missing person complaint, voice trembling.
Late that night, exhausted and terrified, she came home and told her family.
They barely reacted.
Her cousin shrugged."She was a bad influence anyway."Her mother clicked her tongue."You focus on the wedding. We leave for Veloria Heights in two days. Start packing."
Mira stared at them, stomach twisting.
Her best friend was missing.Her wedding was arranged without her consent.Her family cared more about the groom than her friend's disappearance.
Something wasn't right.Something was very wrong.