The Wind Shattered Our Forever

1 Gideon and I had hit the divorce attorney’s office seven times, infamous as Boston’s most volatile couple.

After our seventh split, I met a friend at a lounge where his drunken taunts floated over from a nearby booth.

He bragged I’d beg to remarry within a month, his friends roaring as someone recorded it. Swirling his drink, he sneered that I couldn’t survive without him.

My friend warned me not to take him back. I shook my head. In my past life, he paraded affairs while chaining me to the Pierce name.

His mistress ran me over; he was bedding his secretary as I lay comatose. I woke paralyzed, yet he mocked me by bringing lovers into my hospital room. This time, I was done.

My legs mattered more than his poison. I was finished with Gideon Pierce. ... Emma arrived fashionably late, her stilettos clicking sharply against the floor.

Gideon immediately pulled her into his lap, pressing his mouth to hers as if they were the only two people in the room.

Under the dim club lights, a thin glint of saliva stretched between them as they pulled away. When I witnessed this exact scene in my previous life, I had lost my mind.

I lunged at Emma, tearing at her hair, screaming and thrashing in a blind, jealous rage. My reward was a brutal backhand across the face from Gideon.

I had trembled on the floor, swallowing the blood and a broken tooth, my face soaked in desperate tears.

He had merely cradled Emma to his chest, whispering sweet comforts to her before tossing a single word down at me. "Psychopath." He was right.

The old me had loved him to the point of losing every shred of my sanity. I really was a psychopath. But this time, I refused to go crazy for him.

I finished the last drop of my drink, stood up, and grabbed my coat. Just as I turned to leave, Emma called out. Her voice dripped with saccharine innocence. "Anna?

Oh my gosh, is that you?" I felt the burning stares on my back, but I refused to turn around.

Emma strutted over, looking me up and down before letting out a soft, pitying giggle. "It really is you. Why do you always dress like this? You were Mrs.

Pierce once, after all." She placed heavy, deliberate emphasis on the word 'were'. She was draped head to toe in the latest limited edition designer pieces.

I glanced down at my own outfit. The most expensive thing on my body was my shoes. I bought them off a clearance website for twenty bucks.

Gideon walked over, his voice a low, unreadable drawl. "Did you think she was still that high and mighty heiress?" "She is drowning in millions of dollars of family debt.

She can't even compare to you." Emma immediately leaned against his chest, her tone incredibly soft and naive. "Gideon, you are so mean. Why don't you help her out?" "Oh wait.

I remember now. Anna is a strong, independent woman. She doesn't spend a dime of your money." Gideon let out a cold scoff. "Independent? It is all just an act.

A pathetic strategy to keep me tied down." My lips parted slightly, but no words came out. When we first got married, every tabloid in Boston swore I was a gold digger.

Even Gideon had cornered me with bloodshot eyes, demanding to know if I only wanted him for his trust fund.

I never cared what the rest of the city thought, but his doubt shattered me. So I fought tooth and nail to prove my worth to him.

Yet all my desperate independence only bought me deeper misunderstandings. He never believed in me. Not once. My best friend stood up abruptly, ready to start a fight.

I grabbed her wrist and dragged her straight out of the lounge. In my past life, she stood up for me that exact night and deeply offended Gideon.

Less than a month later, her family's entire supply chain was financially starved and shut down. In this life, I absolutely refused to drag her down with me.

After making sure she was safely in a cab, I pulled out my phone. My thumb hovered over my contacts before finally pressing down on my grandfather's number.

Three years ago, my father went bankrupt and jumped off a building. My mother, consumed by grief, followed him. My grandfather sent his people to collect me.

He offered me a safe harbor. But his condition was absolute. I had to leave Gideon and marry a man of his choosing.

I rejected my grandfather, vowing that Gideon and I would be happy forever. I bet my entire life on that promise, and I lost everything.

Thankfully, in this life, I still had my legs. I still had the chance to choose differently. I took a deep breath and listened to the line connect. "Grandfather.

Is that offer you made still on the table?" The voice on the other end was old, raspy, and immovable as stone. "You are agreeing to the arranged marriage?" I swallowed the bitter ache in my throat and spoke softly. "Yes.

I accept." It was three in the morning when I walked into the house. The master bed was already a tangled, chaotic mess.

Emma was curled up under the sheets, her bare shoulders covered in fresh red marks. Gideon leaned against the headboard, a half smoked cigarette pinched between his fingers.

He raised an eyebrow at me, clearly waiting for me to explode. I forced my heart to slow its rhythm. I would not give him the satisfaction of a breakdown.

I had very little to take with me. I opened the dresser drawer and quietly packed my passport, my IDs, and my mother's jewelry into my tote bag.

Gideon's voice cut through the silence. "What exactly is this act?" A second later, something light hit my shoulder. It stung just a little.

A small cardboard box clattered to the floor. Pink. Strawberry flavored. Empty. Gideon ordered me around with practiced ease. "We are out.

Go buy another box." Emma giggled from against his chest. "Gideon, stop it.

How could you ask her to buy those for us?" This kind of degradation had happened so many times, I honestly thought I was immune to it by now.

But a sick wave of nausea still churned in my stomach. Unable to stand the sight of them for another second, I zipped my bag and turned toward the door.

Gideon crossed the room in three massive strides.

His hand locked around my wrist like a vice, his voice turning to absolute ice. "You used to act like a screaming lunatic, and now you are switching up your strategy?

Playing hard to get?" "Why are you always so insanely jealous?

Can't you learn to be a little more compliant and sensible like the others?" "You demand my absolute loyalty, but who the hell do you think you are?

What gives you the right to ask that of me?" I looked at him, a bitter, hollow smile pulling at my lips.

Back in college, there was always a line of girls throwing themselves at him. Back then, he used to ask me the same question over and over again. Why don't you ever get jealous?

Do you even care about me at all? Later, I finally learned how to care. I learned how to show it. And then he started calling me suffocating.

I peeled his fingers off my wrist one by one, walked around the foot of the bed, and headed for the hallway. Emma wrapped a blanket around herself and blocked my path.

Her face was a mask of pure, innocent distress. "Anna, please don't leave.

If someone has to go, it should be me." Gideon caught up to her, sweeping her up into his arms right in front of my face.

His voice dripped with exaggerated affection. "Where do you think you are going? Our night is not over yet.

You are not the one leaving." Emma's voice remained soft, but her eyes were practically glowing with triumph and smug victory. "But Gideon, I think she is actually mad this time." Gideon shot me a look of pure contempt. "Let her go.

Her parents are dead. Knowing how stubborn she is, she refuses to beg anyone for help." "She has nowhere else to go.

This is her only home." I stood perfectly still, a tiny, almost invisible smirk touching the corner of my mouth.

Three years ago, standing in front of my parents' caskets, he held me tight and swore he would protect me forever in their place. And now here he was.

Holding his mistress, mocking me for being an orphan with nowhere to run. Maybe I was finally numb, because my heart didn't even ache.

I gave him one last exhausting look and walked out the front door. Gideon's voice stabbed into my back. "Anna, I am giving you one last chance. Are you absolutely sure about this?

Do not come crying to me later." I did not answer. I did not look back. It was four in the morning by the time I hit the main road. The night wind bit into my skin.

Suddenly, a black van swerved aggressively, cutting me off. The world flipped upside down. Rough hands grabbed me, dragging me into the back seat.

When I regained consciousness, the sharp, salty smell of the ocean filled my lungs. I looked down and used my teeth to gnaw at the rough rope binding my wrists.

I worked at it, millimeter by millimeter. Just as the knot loosened, I heard muffled voices from outside the cabin.

I crept toward the heavy metal door and peeked through the narrow crack. One of the kidnappers stood with his back to me. His tone was incredibly respectful. "Mr.

Pierce, what are your orders? How do we proceed?" Gideon's voice crackled through the phone's speaker. [Anna is too used to acting high and mighty.

She needs to suffer a bit to learn her place.] [I am leaving it to you. I don't care what methods you use, as long as she breaks.

I want her crawling back, begging me to remarry her.] He paused for a second before adding one final order. [Don't go too far.

Just don't cripple her.] A violent chill shot down my spine, making me shudder uncontrollably. When he first fell in love with me, my pride was exactly what he adored.

Now, he wanted to crush my spirit, file down my edges, and mold me into an obedient pet. What gave him the delusion that he owned my soul?

Just as the thought crossed my mind, the kidnapper turned his head. His eyes locked directly onto me.

He froze, immediately hung up the phone, and lunged forward, reaching for my shoulder. I twisted out of his grip, ducked under his arm, and sprinted out onto the open deck.

The dark horizon blurred into the freezing, turbulent ocean below. Without a single second of hesitation, I threw myself over the railing.

The moment I hit the water, the icy depths swallowed all sound. I swam until my muscles screamed and my lungs burned.

By the time I dragged myself onto the rocky shore, the sky was already turning gray with the dawn.

Before I could even catch my breath, a cold, elegant voice floated down from above. "I won the bet." A man stood on a jagged rock a few yards away, a pair of binoculars resting loosely in his hand.

Behind him idled a heavy duty SUV, flanked by several men in black suits. "I bet my security team on whether you would survive the night or drown." I forced myself up on trembling legs, my voice hoarse. "Who are you?" The man slipped his hands into the pockets of his trench coat and hopped down from the rocks.

A distant, polite smile graced his lips. "Rowan Sinclair. Your future husband." "Let's skip the pleasantries." "I accept the marriage.

The terms your grandfather offered are very generous. But I have one strict condition." "The wedding will not be in London.

It has to be in Boston." He gave me a long, calculating look. "I need to establish my dominance in the domestic market quickly.

A high profile wedding is the most efficient way to do that.

Every single member of Boston's elite will receive an invitation." "Including Gideon Pierce." I looked up at him, my voice completely steady. "He is my ex husband.

Are you not worried he will ruin your big day?" Rowan's lips curved into a dark, predatory smirk. "Worried? I am counting on it." ... The wedding date was locked in immediately.

Two weeks before the ceremony, Rowan took me to a high society charity gala. It was held on the top floor of the city's most exclusive hotel.

It was a masquerade, requiring every guest to wear a mask upon entry. Halfway through the night, I slipped away to the restroom.

Through the heavy wooden door, I heard Emma's sweet, trembling voice. "Gideon, it has been days.

Why haven't those men called you back?" "Are you really not worried about Anna at all?" Gideon's breathing sounded heavy, but his tone was as arrogant and lazy as ever. "Why would I panic?

It is not like she can actually escape." "Give it a little more time.

Once the fight is beaten out of her, she will come crawling back to me." The distinct rustle of clothing shifting against the wall followed his words.

I lowered my eyes and let out a quiet, genuine laugh. After everything, Gideon was still utterly convinced I would return to him. I turned around and took a few steps down the hall.

A second later, the bathroom door clicked open. Heavy, familiar footsteps approached from behind. My spine stiffened instinctively. My breath caught in my throat.

Gideon walked right past me, a velvet mask dangling casually from his fingers. The heavy stone in my chest finally dropped. I was about to keep walking when he suddenly stopped.

He turned around. He stared at me, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his eyes. "Have we... met before?" My lungs seized. For a split second, my mind went entirely blank. "Mr.

Pierce, your pickup lines are incredibly outdated." Rowan Sinclair appeared out of nowhere, standing tall at my side.

He reached up and pulled off his own mask, revealing his cold, aristocratic features. "It is a shame, really. This woman is my fiancée." "The wedding is in two weeks.

I believe my people have already sent you the invitation." "I look forward to seeing you there." Gideon's eyes locked onto Rowan's face for a long, tense moment before he forced a smile.

Summoning his practiced corporate composure, he took a step forward and shook Rowan's hand. The moment they let go, Emma came jogging down the hallway.

She immediately started whining about how Gideon had left her behind. Gideon aggressively brushed her hand off his arm, muttered a harsh reprimand, and walked away.

Emma pouted, but quickly scurried after him. Rowan glanced down at me, a faint, mocking smile on his lips. "What are you so terrified of?

Do you think he is going to eat you alive?" "Terrified..." I repeated the word in a daze. Maybe it was the muscle memory of being entangled with him across two lifetimes.

Maybe it was because every time we fought, I was always the one who lost. My body had learned to fear him long before my brain could stop it. But things were different now.

I had no reason to be afraid anymore. ... The next two weeks vanished in the blink of an eye. On the day of the wedding, I sat in the bridal suite.

Through the door, I could hear footsteps and hushed, gossiping laughter. Word had spread that the Pierce family was in chaos. Rumors claimed his ex wife had jumped into the sea.

There were whispers of suicide, kidnapping, and cartel hits, all blending into a wild urban legend. Even my makeup artists were whispering about it.

They said that was exactly why Gideon Pierce was running late to the most important society wedding of the year. I looked at my flawless reflection in the vanity mirror.

My heart was a quiet, perfectly still lake. The wedding march began to play. I walked slowly down the aisle, moving steadily toward Rowan.

Soft, buzzing whispers immediately filled the grand hall. Hundreds of guests stared at me.

Some looked curious, some looked greedy for drama, and some gave knowing, weighted glances. Every single person in the room recognized me as Gideon's ex wife.

And naturally, so did the man sitting in the front row.

The exact second my fingers touched Rowan's palm, a raw, entirely unhinged scream tore through the room from behind me. "Anna!"