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14.
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 15.
Luca was distracted and it made him grumpier than he usually was on a regular day. He sat at the head of the large conference table with his eyes on his employee who was giving a summary of their new project which he was not satisfied with.His eyes were on the screen but his thoughts were on his wife and they had been straying towards her for some days now far more than he would’ve liked. Even when he tried to push the thoughts of her to the back of his head, there was always something that reminded him of her just like the flowers on the book cover on the screen right now.It forced him to think of Iris, surrounded by sunflowers and lilies. He could picture the smile on her face as she swirled in excitement because the only time he ever saw her truly smile was whenever she was in the garden.“Mr Luca? Mr Luca!” He was snapped out of his thoughts to see everyone staring at him with hopeful expressions and his eyes went to the screen to see it was blank. The presentation had ended and
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 16. 🔞
Luca exited the car just as it barely rolled to a stop in front of the entrance and slammed the door behind him. He made a beeline for the front door before Maverick could get out after him. He was still so angry at the audacity to come to his office and try to lie to him again. “Luca, wait” He heard Maverick call out to him but he ignored the man. He was still raging and needed something or someone to pour out his anger on and the only person that came to mind was the one person who wouldn’t leave his thoughts. “Luca don’t take out your anger on her, You’ll only end up hurting her more than you want to and you will regret it” Maverick barked, his heavy footsteps pounding on the floor as he tried to run after him. Luca halted his steps and turned to Maverick with a dark frown “You can retire for the night, Maverick.” He snapped, turning to march down the hallway that led to Iris’s room before he could get a reply. He pushed the door open and his steps halted at the sight before him
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 17. 18+
Iris felt dizzy as Luca crawled up her body and kissed her hard, forcing her to taste herself on his lips. Her body pulsed with intense need as she tasted herself on him.“Do you like the way you taste because I fucking do princess” He whispered against her lips.Iris watched through hooded eyes as Luca climbed down from the bed to pull his trousers and boxers down his legs in one swift motion. Her eyes widened as she took in his erect cock, the first one she had seen in her entire life.He reached the edge of the bed and held out his hand for Iris to take so he could pull her up into a sitting position with her legs on either side of his body and her face directly in his crotch. Iris’ body hummed in excitement but her eyes wandered the room, trying to look anywhere else but the erect dick in her face.“You’ll let me fuck that mouth, princess” His voice hoarsely demanded and Iris felt her heart begin to race for the first time since Luca stormed into her room.“I can’t” She whispered
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 18.
Iris moaned as she turned to her side on the bed and attempted to burrow into the warmth her husband should provide but she fell to her back on the cold side of the bed with no weight to support her. Her eyes flew open and her stomach clenched in disappointment when she saw the room was empty and Luca was nowhere in sight.She bit her lips to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. How could she have thought that the night they spent together was enough to change the way that Luca felt about her? It had been her first time and though she never had any plans to keep it for that special someone, she never imagined that she would be left feeling unwanted after.“You knew this would happen deep down so no need to start crying over it” She told herself but it didn’t help to stop the moisture in her eyes as she climbed down the bed and wrapped the robe on the chair around her body.She took a quick shower and discarded the nightgown in the bin. She felt guilty since it was probably wo
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 19.
Luca slammed the door of his office with so much force that the windows rattled against the impact. He was so mad and he hated how often he was always angry since he got married to that girl who could make him lose his mind with just her face.He had just spent the last hour telling off his incompetent staff and could barely get any work done the entire morning because he could not take his mind off what happened last night. He hated the way she looked at him with those innocent eyes as if she didn’t know how much he hated her.She had the guts to look at him with hopeful eyes as if she had expected him to do more, to change for her. He hated how he could still feel her against his skin, his lips and every touch still lingered like a second skin.“Luca, you need to calm down. What’s happening to you?” Maverick’s stern voice came from behind him as he walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window to stare down at the busy London streets.“Those incompetent imbeciles make me want to lose
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 20.
“Miss Iris, are you busy?” Iris looked up from her phone where she was reading through her comments on her book in the library. She had been reading and got tired so she decided to go through her comments for the thousandth time.“No Berta, please sit down” She gestured to the empty seat for the elder woman and dropped her phone on the table. “Is everything okay?” Iris asked when she noticed the worried look on her face.“I know it’s not my place to say this but I couldn’t help but notice that things have become more tense between you and Luca. I know things were not that good at first but it’s like he has become more hostile towards you. Did anything happen?”Iris lowered her head in shame as heat flooded her cheeks. She hoped they wouldn’t notice since Luca never said anything to her while anyone was present. There was no way she was going to tell Berta that she suspected that Luca was like that because he probably regretted consummating their marriage. “I don’t know, Berta. Maybe
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 21.
Iris watched from the top of the stairs as Luca stormed out of the house with a resolve. She waited for his car to drive out of the compound before going down the stairs and out the front door. She looked around to make sure that no one was around watching her before creeping out of the house, grateful that Loren or Ace were nowhere in sight.The guards around the house paid her no mind most of the time so no one questioned or stopped her as she began the long trek to the gate with sweaty palms. She had not been outside the house since she arrived in London and didn’t even know where she was going.All she knew was that she needed to leave the house so she could clear her head and think clearly about how she was going to live her life from now on. Everything in the house reminded her of Luca which was the last thing she needed after the way he had talked to her this morning.“Where are you going?” Iris screamed as Ace’s smooth voice filled her ear and she felt his breath down the side
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 22.
Iris saw a flash of surprise pass through Luca’s eyes, followed by anger. She may have tried to defend herself before but never had she raised her voice at him like she did just now. She had told herself countless times that she deserved all he told her but she was tired.She couldn’t do it anymore. The abuse, neglect, insults. She was done. She had gotten to her breaking point. She had let Vera and Helen abuse her for years because of the circumstances of her birth but why should she let Luca continue to treat her like this when she didn’t do anything wrong?She had to stand up for herself because no one would do it for her. If she didn’t speak up now, Luca would only continue to treat her worse every day. Today he was doing this in front of their staff, maybe next time it would be in front of thousands of people.“Just stop it” She said again, this time her voice was quieter, tired just as she was. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she looked at him with pleading eyes.Luca did not
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A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire EPILOGUE
Iris was still on her bed when she heard the bedroom door open. She didn't want to wake up yet because it was her birthday and she wanted to sleep in for once while Luca did what he did best, spoiling their children. They had three kids now. Autumn was seven now and was the exact copy of her mother. Sometimes, Iris would find herself lost in her thoughts, staring at her until she was called. Their boys, Axel and Kai were 4 and 1 respectively and perfect carbon copies of their father. Iris felt like a stranger in their house and even Autumn behaved just like Luca, it was scary sometimes. "Princess?" Luca called, climbing onto the bed. She stretched and felt her bones crack before turning to see him. A smile graced her face when she saw their youngest in his arms. Kai's eyes widened and a smile wider than Iris's own graced his face and he giggled while stretching his arms for her so she could take him. She pulled herself up and reached out to take him, wincing when his fingers cur
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 105
Iris was so comfortable laying on Luca’s chest while his breath fanned her face and his hands traced meaningless patterns on her back which made her shiver every two seconds.She didn’t want to move because that was why bliss and perfection were to her. Luca had fucked her into oblivion that even when she woke up, her legs were still shaking even though she had yet to stand up.She didn’t hate it though. It was the best way for her to wake up but Luca had other plans. He said he had something she needed to see so they couldn’t stay in bed longer as she would have liked instead of being in the back seat of the car as they drove to their destination which he also wouldn’t tell her.“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me where we are going?” She asked again and Luca rolled his eyes, taking them off his phone to stare at her again.That was also part of the reason why she was mildly irritated. He had forced her out of his arms and still wouldn't give her any attention.“Sorry, Princess.
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 104
Iris kept turning. It was very late and yet she couldn’t get herself to fall asleep. The sleeping pills Jasmine had given her did nothing to help and she was certain that it kept her awake instead of doing its job.Her eyes watched the moon and followed the owl that flew past it. She had left the window blinds open, hoping the calming view would make her fall asleep but all she had done was count the number of stars she could see and try to trace outlines with them.At the back of her mind, something nudged her. She knew what was keeping her awake and what she needed to do but something was holding her back, pinning her so she wouldn’t move towards what her body craved.She crossed her heart and made up her mind, sitting up and flinging the covers which felt heavy instead of comforting against her skin and threw her legs off the side of the bed, getting on her feet and making her way out of the room.She was sure her guts were strong but they failed her as she stood in front of their
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 103.
Iris laid her head against the window, mind fuzzy as the car raced towards the Taylor’s mansion. The loud blaring of the sirens from the police cars trailing behind and in front of their car prevented her from thinking. She thought she knew what exhaustion was but she didn’t until now. The past few days had been hectic with compiling all the evidence Selene had against Vera and pulling strings to make sure her arrest was sure and nothing would be done by anyone wanting to interfere.Since she couldn’t bury herself in her thoughts, she was aware of the heat teasing her fingers as they tingled in anticipation of touching Luca’s hands lying in the space between them.He was on the phone, typing away furiously and Iris wondered if she should just use the opportunity to brush her fingers across his hands while pretending it was a mistake.Her decision was made for her when Luca absentmindedly lifted his hand to trace his fingers lightly over her hands and she flinched away from his touch
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 102
Iris sat in front of the mirror in her hotel room in a pensive mood. They had arrived in New York yesterday with Selene and were staying at the penthouse in the Rutherford’s latest hotel and it was a beauty to behold. It was a four-bedroom penthouse which Iris knew would cost a fortune for a night.A knock came on the door and she softly told the person to come in. Ace peeked his head through the tiny hole.“Are you ready? We have to leave soon. Luca is waiting for you” He told her before disappearing, closing the bedroom door behind him.Iris sighed again. Luca had given her the master suite while he took the bedroom opposite much to her disappointment. She knew he did it because of their recent sleeping arrangement but he should have asked her if she wanted to stay with him but he went ahead to softly tell her to get a good sleep while gesturing at the bedroom before he disappeared into the opposite room.Since they started sharing a bed, it was the first time she had slept in a new
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 101.
“Princess” Iris heard Luca call from behind her closed door. She peeked above her computer where she stayed working on some manuscripts that the new assistant had sent her. Iris had not yet gotten used to working with Lucy who took over Hailey’s position.To her, it felt weird seeing her instead of Hailey, but the girl was nice and knew how to give her space, space that Hailey had no problem invading. Iris missed Hailey sticking her nose in her every business but now, it was so quiet in the office because Hailey had been her only friend there.“Princess? Are you sleeping?” Iris hated the uncertainty in his voice but there was nothing she could do. Something was holding her back from telling him she wasn’t angry at him and just needed time to sort out her feelings.“There is someone you need to meet. I know you don’t want to see or talk to me at the moment, but you would really like to meet her” He spoke, this time grasping her interest.She frowned in surprise and racked her head to s
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 100.
“Are you okay?” Alanna asked from where she sat beside her while Luca sat opposite her. She could feel his eyes on her the past twenty minutes they had been sitting in the court’s waiting room but she kept her gaze on the floor, adamant not to meet his lingering eyes.She snapped her head up to meet Alanna’s worried gaze and she gave her a reassuring smile “As okay as my nerves would allow me to” She replied and dared to cast a glance towards Luca’s direction where she saw him looking at her as expected and she quickly looked away to meet Alanna’s knowing gaze.“You don’t have to do it if you are not okay with it. They can’t force you to testify and it won’t stop Helen from being locked up forever. They have solid proof against her” Alanna said, holding onto her arms.Iris shook her head in refusal “No, I have to. It’s going to be some sort of closure for me” Iris replied, her voice thick with so much emotion but she was glad the tears didn’t appear.She had finally been able to get a
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 99.
Iris never meant to keep standing by the door with her ears pressed against them after she disappeared behind them before Luca could get to her.She couldn’t find the courage to face him. She had not been able to sort out her emotions. They were conflicting and dangerous and it messed with her head and her thoughts.When she moved out of Luca’s room, she had hoped it would give her the room to fix her thoughts and decide where her head was.Iris wanted to leave the house altogether but she wasn’t stupid enough to think it would be possible.Luca may think she didn’t notice but she had. There was an increase in the guards around the house; sometimes she could hear footsteps parade the hallway in front of the room.She knew when Luca left, the familiar heavy steps fading away into the hallway and Ace’s own which never left.She sighed in defeat and removed the black dress she was wearing. She had said her final but was reluctant to one of her best friends today so her head was a mess.I
A Substitute Bride for the Billionaire 98
The ride home was stifling. Iris kept her gaze on the road the entire ride and when the car rolled to a stop in front of the house, she was out of the car before anyone could say a word.Luca ran after her but her legs were faster. He hurried up the stairs just as she entered the hallway and opened the door.“Princess” Luca tried to stop her before she disappeared into the guest bedroom but failed. Maverick and Ace gave him that pitiful glance that he had come to hate but he waved them off.“Is she close?” He asked Maverick before the bulky man could step out of the room with Ace.“Yes. She should be here in a few minutes” Maverick replied and gave him a nod before they disappeared.Luca leaned on the wall across the guest bedroom and folded his hands over his chest as he stared at the closed doors.She was particularly more sensitive today since it was Hailey’s burial ceremony and he understood so he would give her the space she needed no matter how much it killed him to see her in
