Bride by Chance

The hum of the car was the only sound for a long while. Isabella sat stiff in the backseat, her fingers twisting the veil that had torn during her escape. At first, relief had washed over her. She had gotten away. She was free. But now, staring out at the streets flashing past, the truth dawned on her.

She had nowhere to go.

No relative she could run to, no friend bold enough to hide her. If her parents caught her, they would drag her back, bind her wrists if they had to, and throw her before the priest.

Her throat tightened. Slowly, she leaned forward. "Gabriel?"

His eyes met hers in the rearview mirror. Calm, unreadable.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The question made her blood run cold. She hadn't thought this through. She had jumped into a stranger's car without a plan. Now her hands shook with the weight of that mistake.

"Anywhere you want, ma'am," he said, calmly.

Her voice broke as she begged, "Please... take me to the cheapest hotel. Somewhere far from here. Somewhere they won't think to look for me."

He gave a small nod, not asking further questions. Relief loosened her chest, though it was short-lived.

As the car turned, Isabella studied him again. The way his suit sat perfectly on broad shoulders, the way his hands gripped the wheel with quiet control. He didn't look like any Bolt driver she'd ever seen.

"You know," she said softly, "you look too good to be a driver."

For the first time since she met him, his lips curved. Not a full smile, but close.

"Thank you for the compliment."

She blinked, surprised at his answer. Most men she knew would have laughed or boasted. But before she could say more, he added, almost casually, "My bride abandoned me this morning. Left me standing at the altar."

Her jaw dropped. "What?"

The corner of his mouth twitched again. "Hard to believe, I know."

Isabella let out an incredulous laugh. "Impossible. What kind of foolish girl would abandon a hardworking, decent man like you?"

He didn't reply, but his eyes flicked toward her briefly, as if weighing her words.

"I mean it," she went on, indignant. "That girl is blind, ungrateful. She deserves... she deserves someone like that arrogant CEO they wanted to force me on. Sebastián Álvarez. That kind of man should marry selfish, brainless girls like her."

The silence in the car thickened, but Isabella didn't notice. She shook her head with fire in her eyes. "If I had a man like you, kind enough to help a stranger, responsible enough to keep his word, I would never run. Never."

He said nothing, though his grip tightened on the wheel.

Minutes later, he slowed the car and pulled over in front of a run-down hotel, its neon sign flickering weakly in the dusk. Isabella sighed in relief.

"How much?" she asked, fumbling with her backpack.

His eyes met hers in the mirror. "Ten thousand dollars."

Her mouth fell open. "What?!"

His face was unreadable. "That's the fare."

"That's outrageous!" she burst out. "Even if I saved for five years, I wouldn't have that kind of money! I was planning to look for a job, not rob a bank."

He didn't flinch. "That's the price."

She threw her hands up, frustration spilling over. "What kind of driver are you? You think because I'm in a wedding dress I have money hidden somewhere?"

This time he turned to face her fully. And in that moment, Isabella froze.

She saw him clearly for the first time-tall, strikingly handsome, with sharp cheekbones and a mouth curved in a way that could almost be called charming. His eyes held hers with a calm intensity that made her heartbeat stutter.

And then he said it.

"Marry me."

Her breath caught. She almost choked on the air. "What?"

"Marry me," he repeated, his voice even, steady.

She blinked, stunned. Then anger flared hot. "Are you sick, Gabriel? Did you hit your head this morning? You can't just-just-"

He didn't interrupt. He only waited, as if her outburst meant nothing.

"You told me your bride left you, and I'm not that bride," she said.

"And you ran away from your husband. So marry me instead," Gabriel replied.

Her laugh was sharp, disbelieving. "Never. Do you hear me? Never!"

The click of the locks echoed around the car. Isabella's stomach dropped as she realized he had closed all the doors. Her pulse skyrocketed.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, panic lacing her voice.

He turned the key, the engine growling to life again. "If you won't marry me, I'll return you to your family."

"No!" she cried, leaning forward, grabbing at his arm. "Please don't take me back there. Please!"

"Then marry me." His tone was calm, almost casual, but his eyes burned with something she couldn't name.

Tears welled in her eyes. "Gabriel, this is insane. We don't even know each other!"

His jaw set. The car rolled forward, turning back toward the main road.

"Stop!" she sobbed. "Stop, I'll do it! I'll marry you-but on one condition."

His eyes flicked to her, curious.

She swallowed hard. "It will be a contract marriage. Nothing real. Just an agreement between us."

The car slowed again, his expression unreadable.

"Contract marriage," he repeated slowly, as if tasting the words.

She nodded, tears streaking down her face. "Yes. That's the only way."

He watched her in silence for a long moment. Then his lips curved into that faint, disarming smile again.

"Deal."