Chapter 13 Inside the bridal shop , Zoe gazed at her reflection in the mirror . She was dressed in a pure white wedding dress . The gown was simple , without excessive details . Around her elegant neck , she wore a string of pearls . Her entire being looked pure and almost holy . For a moment , Zoe remembered the first time she had tried on a wedding dress . Back then , she had also stood before a mirror just like this , but her heart had been in an entirely different place . At the time , all she could think about was her happily ever after . She thought about how , in three years , Walter and she would be living happily together . She hadn't expected much of that marriage , but her heart still raced with excitement at the thought of the future . Back in the present , Zoe let out a bitter laugh . Her younger self could never have imagined that her second wedding would feel like this . She felt cold and detached , a stark contrast to the radiant bride she was supposed to be . Around her , the staff members drew in sharp breaths . " Ms. Quinn , you're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen . " Truly . Whoever's luckly enough to marry you is blessed . " Then , Zoe turned away and calmly said , " I'll take this one . " She was about to return to the fitting room to change when another door opened . A man in a perfectly tailored black suit stepped out . The bespoke suit clung to his lean , sculpted build while his strikingly dark eyes held a captivating depth . Zoe realized she had been staring too long , so she coughed awkwardly to pull herself back to reality , The man's lips curved into a smile . " Are you planning to run away with me , miss ? " he said , his magnetic voice humming with a teasing charge . At that , Zoe's eyes widened in disbelief . A man she had never met was actually suggesting elopement ? Whatever faint impression his striking looks had left on her instantly vanished . Chapter 13 2/3 She frowned and said , " No , thank you . " After leaving the bridal shop , Zoe didn't head home . Instead , she went to a bar . She had been holding it in for three whole years . Now , in Frankland , new pressures were already piling on . All she craved was a way to let it all go . The bar pulsed with deafening music . Zoe leaned on the counter and tossed back a glass of liquor , the ice - cold burn quelling the restless fire inside her , if only slightly . " Hey , miss , care to have a drink with me ? " Hearing that , she lazily lifted her half - dazed eyes and saw the same man from the bridal shop . " Are you following me ? " she asked . P His lips tugged upward , feigning innocence . " Perhaps it's fate , " he replied . Warmed by the wine , or perhaps a reckless impulse , Zoe felt a sudden thrill . She leaned against the man unbashedly , catching the clean scent of pine in the air . " Then , let's make it a one - night stand . " The drinks kept coming , glass after glass . The man drank alongside her , but unlike her , his eyes burned with determination . It was as if he had already claimed victory . Well past midnight , a dazed Zoe slurred , " So ... where to next ? " A flash of something unspoken glimmered in the man's eyes . Supporting her , he led her into a car . Then , he slammed his foot on the accelerator and sped into the night . Zoe wasn't sure how long she'd been out when he gently shook her awake . Still half - asleep , she stumbled out of the car , only for her drowsiness to vanish instantly . They were standing atop the highest mountain in Frankland , with the glittering city sprawled below them . Suddenly , the man tilted his head back and shouted into the vast night sky . The sound released something within her . She drew in a deep breath , gathered her strength , and let out another cry . A wave of liberation washed over her , lifting her adrift heart . Chapter 13 3/3 Zoe's eyes gleamed as she looked down at the city lights . Their sparkle twinned with a light perhaps now kindling in her once - dim spirit . The alcohol surged through her all at once . When the man's handsome face drew close , she didn't move away . Cool lips brushed hers , and soon his tongue slipped past , claiming her completely . Her mind went blank as heat spread between them , the atmosphere turning heavy with desire . Amid the dizzying blur , she heard his low whisper against her lips . " This time , I won't let you leave me . " C