No Longer Yours to Break novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Vicky cried for what felt like forever.

Zoe just sat there, silent, until the sobs finally died down.

Vicky hid her face in her arms, like she didn’t know how to look at her.

For once, she didn’t seem sharp or scheming–just lost.

“…Don’t you hate me?” Her voice came out rough, muffled by her sleeve.

Zoe didn’t hesitate. “Right now? I still can’t forgive you. But the person I hate… isn’t you.”

Vicky slowly lifted her head, eyes blank as she stared at her.

***

Zoe handed Vicky some money and walked her all the way to the airport gate.

Vicky had told

her everything about what went down on the wedding day.

With how tight Southport’s social circles were, staying wasn’t an option. It wasn’t safe.

Maybe a new country, new culture–maybe that’s where Vicky would finally figure out who she was.

She didn’t hold back this time. Told Zoe everything.

And when Zoe heard the bit about the sapphire bracelet, she almost laughed.

The thing that wrecked her, that chained her down for over ten years—just a stupid mix–up.

All because of a bracelet taken by mistake.

Right then, Zoe let it go–the obsession that had haunted her across two lifetimes.

***

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Lucian and Zoe’s wedding day.

Everything was running smooth, the wedding march playing soft in the background.

Lucian scanned the crowd. No sign of Connor.

Still, something told him the guy wasn’t done yet.

He gave a quiet signal to his team–double security, no screw–ups. Then he turned to Zoe and smiled like everything was fine.

But Zoe had been on edge all morning.

And the second they stepped onto the stage to exchange rings–boom. A thunderous crash shook the room. The doors slammed open.

Her heart plummeted.

A guy in a sharp suit stood at the entrance, clutching a huge bouquet of red roses.

Connor.

His stare locked on them up on stage, blazing with rage.

Then his eyes landed on Zoe in her dress—and just like that, they went glassy.

The room froze. Whispers rippled through the crowd as people realized who he was.

Connor didn’t care. He marched to the center, dropped to one knee. “Zoe, I messed up. Bad. But it was all a misunderstanding.

“I get it now–I get how you feel. It’s always been you.

“Please, just let me explain. I’ll do better, love you harder. I’ll fix everything.”

Zoe didn’t say a word. From where he knelt, Connor couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

Lucian’s voice cut through the silence. “Mr. Buxton, you seem to have forgotten- this is our wedding.”

His tone was cool, but it sent a chill down the room. “You storm in like this… what

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exactly do you think of my family?”

Zoe turned, surprised by the edge in his voice.

Connor saw her glance and completely misread it.

“Zoe’s not yours,” he said, standing. “Not yet, anyway. We’ve got over twenty years between us—you really think some outsider can just show up and take her? Mr. Lyttelton, do you even have the guts to let Zoe decide for herself?”

His voice wasn’t just bold–it was a straight–up challenge. He was picking a fight with the Lytteltons.

Lucian looked at Zoe, let out a breath, and moved to signal security.

But before his hand even lifted, the mic was snatched from him.

Startled, he turned–Zoe had stepped into the spotlight.

Every eye locked on her.

Blank–faced, she spoke, voice low but clear. “No, Connor.”

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