AGAINST ALL ODDS

across the narrow country road. Clara Hathaway gripped the steering wheel of her rented car, her

was, heading

t walked away from a wedding; she'd walked away from Luke, her family, and the life everyone had me

er with a free spirit and a contagious laugh. She had met David six months earlier at a gallery

reasons," David had said softly,

ished portrait of herself. David had insisted on painti

," she had replied, he

, his dark eyes locking onto hers. "There's alway

' expectations. Her parents wanted her to marry into a powerful family, and Lu

she felt seen, heard, and alive i

her dressing room, staring at her reflection in the pristine white gown

her whispered. Do you want to sp

rm of a hastily scribbled

. I can't

ran across the parking lot. The cool breeze against her face felt

y a gnawing guilt. She couldn't ignore the chaos she'd left in her wake-her par

hurt anyone. She just want

ed by an uneasy silence. The sprawling mansion loomed a

ng whether to turn back, but befo

ression a mixture of ange

churned. "

sharply, stepping a

eated on the edge of a couch, looking pale and tense. Jasp

s," Luke said,

in her chest. "I didn't know they'd

Luke interjected. "You lef

I never meant for

left me standing at the altar, Clara. You humili

couldn't go through with it, Luke. I couldn't marry

uke's jaw tightened as

admitted, her voice b

dened, but sh

ee. Like I could finally be myself. And when I realized I didn't feel that way w

n unreadable. "So, you decided ru

shamed. "I didn't kn

one who made a mistake," she said, her voice trembling. "I should've tol

ing slightly. "You were trying to h

ushed, but she

romising to make amends with her family and the media. Luke, h

or go. Jasper gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder

r, but as the night wore on, she