Chapter 4 His Choice

For the next two days, Brandon never came home.

The only updates I got were from Hannah's social media. She posted about her life constantly, and Brandon was in every single photo.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

I packed my bags and was about to leave the house for good when Hannah texted me. "Come to Luxe Bridal Boutique. You'll want to see this."

I took a deep breath. I wanted closure for this relationship. And I wanted to give Brandon one last chance to prove he wasn't beyond redemption.

I hurried to the bridal shop. Before I even walked inside, I saw Hannah through the display window, dressed in a wedding gown. Brandon stood in front of her, staring at her dazedly.

My chest tightened so violently it hurt. My fingernails dug into the wall until they nearly broke the skin.

I knew what it looked like when Brandon loved me. That also meant I knew exactly what that conflicted expression on his face meant.

Hannah turned and spotted me. She smiled, leaned over to whisper something in Brandon's ear. A second later, his eyes met mine. He jumped to his feet and rushed outside.

"Eleanor, you've got the wrong idea. Hannah said one of the people who still holds a grudge against me sent her a threatening letter. She's worried you might be in danger, so she wanted to use the wedding photos as bait to lure him out."

Hannah followed him outside. "Eleanor, don't be mad at Brandon. I was only trying to help you."

I turned to leave in anger, but Hannah caught my arm. "Brandon, we're both women. Let me talk to Eleanor alone."

He looked at us uneasily before walking back into the boutique.

A cruel smile spread across Hannah's face. "Eleanor, don't you want to know who's really the most important person in Brandon's heart?"

Before I could react, a group of men rushed us. By the time the hood was pulled off my head, Hannah and I were tied up at the edge of a cliff. It wasn't long before Brandon arrived with several men.

Two knives were pressed against our throats. The leader sneered. "Brandon, pick one. The other one belongs to me."

Brandon's expression darkened. "Name your price. I'll pay anything. Just let them both go."

Hannah suddenly spoke. "Brandon, choose Eleanor. I know she's only acting out because she's upset. Once you get home, the two of you can talk things through."

She made it sound as though I had staged the kidnapping myself just with those few sentences.

"Brandon, that's not true. Hannah planned all of this!" I shouted as loudly as I could.

For a moment, Brandon hesitated.

Hannah noticed his hesitation and subtly signaled to one of the kidnappers. He immediately slapped her across the face and shoved her to the ground. The wound she had been claiming to nurse began bleeding again.

His eyes widened.

"I choose her." He pointed at Hannah.

I looked up at him in disbelief. Still, I knew he had always chosen Hannah instead of me. This time, he simply stopped pretending otherwise.

Disappointment filled his eyes when he saw the look on my face. "Eleanor, Hannah's already been hurt. You've gone too far. You can finish your little performance by yourself."

He gently lifted Hannah into his arms and turned to leave.

"No, Brandon. Please don't leave. Don't leave me here!"

His footsteps paused for only a second, but he kept walking anyway.

The kidnapper in front of me grinned lewdly as he approached. "She made good on her word. I get paid for helping her, and I end up with a gorgeous girl like you."

My heart went cold. I stared in the direction Brandon had disappeared. In that moment, I finally steeled my heart and made my decision.

A few minutes after Brandon left, he handed Hannah over to the men who had come with him. Then, he turned back to seek me out. What he saw made his blood run cold.

The kidnapper was ripping at my clothes. I slammed into him with all my strength, knocking him off balance. Then, I didn't even hesitate as I threw myself over the edge of the cliff.

"Eleanor, no!"