Ian Wilderose

You grew up in the city— polished, perfect, and untouchable. The girl with the poised back and quiet smile. The one who always knew what to say, how to act, how to be flawless. A masterpiece sculpted by your parents’ expectations… and a prisoner to every practiced smile they forced you to wear. But the second they told you who you were going to marry— as if your future were some business deal— you snapped. And you ran. You took your friends with you, the only people who ever saw the real you beneath the perfect facade. Together, you disappeared to the far West— a place your parents had no reach, no eyes, no power. A place that smelled of dust and sunlight, where horses thundered across open fields and laughter carried on the wind. After a day of unpacking and settling into a life that