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40 — Richard
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Billionaire's Perfect Bride 41 - Elena
I sighed as I watched my phone ring in the open pigeon hole apartment. I was trying to park my car properly in front of Richard's house, my heart heavy. My thoughts all over the place. It was such a strange feeling to want to hope for something with all your heart, yet knowing better.What was that even? Does that have a name? It wasn't hope, but rather a longing for it.I wished I had it in me to so much as hope that my mother was calling me simply because she missed me. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I grabbed my bag and got out of the car, declining her call for the fifth time, but that didn't deter her. My phone started to ring yet again, and I braced myself when I finally pick up."Mom?" I pressed my thumb against the scanner, and the front door swung open."Elena, I've been calling you for over an hour now." She said thickly, her tone irritated, and a dull ache enveloped my heart.I had an idea on what was about to come."What took you so long?"I put my phone on loudspeaker as
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 42 - Richard
I clenched my jaw as I listened to thesound of my wife's sobs through the bathroom door. She was trying her hardest to be quiet, and it stung me. Hard. I had no doubt I was one of the sources of her pain, and I didn't know how to make it better.And that fucking sucked.The shower went off, and I took a step away, making my way to our bed instead. I got in and grabbed my phone, unsure how to act. For a moment, I considered texting my cousin and asking her to come over, but then I thought better of it. If it was Talia she needed, she would've just gone there herself, wouldn't she?Elena walked out wearing an oversized t-shirt instead of one of the sexy nightgowns I'd gotten used to seeing on her most evenings, yet she somehow looked even more irresistible than usual.She paused when our gazes collided, taking in the sight of me sitting up in bed and averted her gaze instantly, no doubt hoping I wouldn't notice how red her beautiful eyes were.I forced myself to look away, and pretende
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 43 - Richard
"I don't need you to be anything or anyone else. Not ever. You're my wife, Elena. You. No one else. You don't need to compare yourself to anyone else, and you don't need to measureup to anyone else either — because whether you realize it or not, you've already surpassed every standard anyone has ever set for you. Just because they won't or can't acknowledge it doesn't mean you're anything short of amazing. You're perfect the way you are. And no, I'm not saying that to make you feel better. I'm telling you that because it's true. You have a sense of loyalty so strong that you married me and sacrificed the future you envisioned for yourself. You're fucking beautiful, and you're smart, real smart. How many women do you know that have a full-time writing career and a thriving business? Fuck anyone who can't see your worth, Ponyo. Fuck them all.""Including you?"I blinked in surprise and smirked at her, my cock involuntarily stirring at her words. "Yeah," I whispered, a wicked smile on m
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 44 - Richard
I stared up at Elena’s office building, thinking back to the last time I came here. I had come to pick her up because I needed a present for Sarah’s birthday, and she’d been more distant than usual. Perhaps it was wishful thinking on my part, but could it be that she was acting that way because she didn’t want me to marry Sarah? I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair as I walked in. Lately, my mind had been a mess. Perhaps it had all been cognitive dissonance, a way of convincing myself that there really could be something there between Elena and I…or was there some atom of truth in my suspicions? The lady at the reception desk rose to her feet when I walked in, her eyes widening. “Mr. Delmonte,” she called, sounding surprised. “Hello. I apologize for barging in unexpectedly. Could you tell me where I can find my wife?” She beamed at me then and pointed at one of the doors. “Elena stepped out to get something a few minutes ago, but she’s meant to be back by now. Please che
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 45 - Richard
Elena cleared her throat, a blush staining her cheeks as she averted her gaze, flustered. There were hints of insecurity and doubt in her eyes, and I couldn't quite understand why. Was it that difficult for her to feel how fucking hard she made me? It was impossible for her not to realize what kind of effect she had on me.Now, more than ever, I wanted her to know that she was the only one on my mind. I kept thinking of the words that tumbled out of her lips when she was on the phone with her mother, and each time her words reverberated through my mind, my blood fucking boiled. I needed Elena to know that I could barely think straight whenever I looked at her.Thinking of someone else when she was in the vicinity was near impossible, but how could I make her see that?"What are you even doing here?" she asked, her voice trembling.I let go of her and forced my thoughts to calm down. “There's somewhere I want to take you today. Think of it as a surprise of some sort. A little treat from
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 46 - Richard
"Are you done with work?" she asked after a few minutes, glancing at my laptop.I nodded and closed it. “Yeah,” I yawned, “I'm so exhausted."Elena smirked, glancing at my pajamas and slowly nodded. “Let's go to bed then."She tightened her grip on my hand and pulled me along, both of us quiet as we made our way to our bedroom. Day by day, each memory with Sarah got overwritten, until one day, I would look around and find nothing but beautiful, homey Elena written onto my walls.How fulfilling that was sure to be.Elena released my hand and walked over to her side of the bed, her cheeks rosy and full. We had gone to bed together every night since the first night she fell asleep in my arms, but she still got very shy about it. It was odd, because we had always been so comfortable with each other.We were both silent as we got into bed, and I turned toward her with a smile on my face. “Why are you so nervous, Ponyo?"She chuckled and turned onto her side too, the two of us facing each o
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 47 - Richard
I thrummed my fingers idly on the kitchen counter as I consulted my watch for the umpteenth time with a sigh. I was upset. It was nearly nine o'clock in the evening, and Elena still wasn't home yet. This was the fifth day in a row she was working this late. Sometimes she didn't get back until past midnight. I was worried. This was a new side of her job I hadn't seen before. She was working longer hours than expected. Each day, she woke up as early as four AM in the morning and jogged around the penthouse a few times. She used the gym afterwards, and left home with nothing but a nauseous-looking green liquid. Then she spends the entire day writing and editing her part of the sci-fi romance she had planned with Frederick, then she went to her office afterward and edited her new work-in-progress for several hours.She worked so hard, and barely ate. She didn't get enough rest, either. Her two-hour sleeping time wasn't sustainable, but I had no idea on how to get her to take better care
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 48 - Richard
I scrolled through my camera feed, the feeling bittersweet. Sarah always hated taking photos together, so most of them are of her alone. There wasn't many of us together, and I couldn't find a single one of the both of us in which I was smiling. All of these images looked forced, as though I knew she was humouring me by taking a photo with me.I sighed as I uploaded all my photos with family and friends to the cloud before navigating to my settings and pausing on the factory reset button. I hesitated for a split second before clicking on it. A fresh start was what I wanted. It was what Elena and I both needed, and in real life, we couldn't have it. We didn't have the luxury of giving each other an honest chance without our baggage weighing us down. I thought it would be painful to erase a part of our lives, but the thought of hurting Elena was more painful. I should've done this long ago.Things between us had been all shades of weird. We had been pretending that Sarah wasn't a facto
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Billionaire's Perfect Bride Epilogue - Richard
I slipped into my wife's dressing room and leaned back against the wall, taking a moment to just watch her. Her makeup artist was putting the final touches on her, and she looked fucking magnificent. Tonight, her long hair was loose and wild, spread all over her body, accentuating the blazing-white gown she was wearing.It was the same gown I watched her draw on Sarah's birthday. Seeing it on her tonight was surreal. Her creativity knew no bounds, and I couldn't be more proud of her.Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and I pushed off the wall. I grinned when she dismissed everyone in her room, no doubt reading the look in my eyes.“Richy," she said, smiling. I would never tire of the way she said my name. On her lips, it was simultaneously a prayer and a sin."Baby," I whispered. "You look far too fucking beautiful in this. I can't take this. I can already imagine what all your pervs will have to say about the photos of this book launch." She chuckled. “It's the last one, my love," she
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 90 - Richard
My heart was pounding wildly as I led Elena to the helicopter that was waiting for us. I had negotiated more multi-million dollar deals than I could count, and never before have I felt fear like I felt today.“Are you okay?" she asked as I buckled her in. “You're so quiet."I nodded, unable to suppress my nerves as I sat down next to her."Where are we going?" Elena asked through the headphones.I beamed at her. “You'll see.”I held her hand tightly as we flied toward the cabin where our story started. I knew that there was no point in pondering on what-ifs, but lately I couldn't help but wish things had played out differently.What if I'd drank a little less and actually remembered my night with Elena? Would we have been happily married years ago? We'd have made so many more memories together, and we'd both have saved each other from so much pain."Wow!" Elena pointed out the window, a huge smile on her face when she saw the hundreds of flowers spread across the lawn...She was so rid
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 89 - Elena
I walked through the home Richard and I built, my heart heavy. There was no trace of Sarah left, our cleaners ensured it. Yet I could still feel her here. I wondered if the scars she left would ever fade.I was trembling as I sat down on the sofa, still reeling from the news that was released about her. Countless affairs, and irrefutable proof that the child she was carrying was not Richard's.Climbing her way to the top like that...I never would have expected that. I couldn't wrap my mind around it. It was like I never really knew her at all, and it made me feel even worse for sacrificing so much for her.I felt like an idiot, and I was ashamed of my subservience. I catered to her all our lives, feeling guilty for having had the childhood she'd always wanted, when it was obvious that she lacked for nothing.She'd always had this way of making me feel inferior, and if not for Richard, I never would've been able to untangle myself from her web. I didn't even dare think about what would
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 88 - Richard
My heart felt heavy as I walked into the house I arranged for Sarah. I wished it hadn't come to this, because despite the rift between them, I knew Elena still loved Sarah. I wished I didn't stand at the center of their fallout. All I wanted to bring my wife was happiness, not torment. I knew Elena. I knew she was still hoping that Sarah would change, but the bitter truth was that she wouldn't."Richard," she called, smiling. That intimate and smug smile of hers irritated me a great deal. I may have been able to dispel many of the rumors she circulated, but I wasn't able to get rid of them entirely."Congratulations, " I said. "The doctor told me you're in the clear, and the baby is doing well. Looks like a change of scenery is exactly what you needed."She nodded. “Yeah. I love this place. It's much better than your place. We'll have to renovate that. It isn't child-friendly, and I hate the interior."I nodded as I sat down on the sofa, opposite her. “Yeah, we're not doing that. Elen
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 87 - Elena
I watched as Alanna joked around with Talia and Felicia, my heart full. Emerson, Ford, Brock, Talia and Felicia have been staying here with me, much to Alanna's delight and Silas's annoyance.Felicia and Talia have been taking turns sleeping next to me, ensuring I didn't get caught in a downward spiral caused by social media. Though truth be told, there wasn't much being shared anymore. Richard's plea worked, and people massively took down their posts. It sparked discussions about cyber bullying and the mental health of celebrities, but while that topic was on people's minds, so were we."Elena," Alanna called.I walked up to her, and she frowned as she pulled their security feed up on the TV. It showed Richard walking into the building, and my eyes widened.Silas groaned and gritted his teeth. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my least favorite Delmonte."Alanna and I stared at him wide-eyed as he called up the police and requested that Ares be taken off their property. He turned to me
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 86 - Elena
I was absentminded as I took a bite of the breakfast Alanna made for me. I tried not to, but I ended up scrolling through my social media feeds all night, and I found nothing but hatred directed at me. Despite Richard's best attempts, screenshots of deleted content were making their rounds across all channels. We've made it into every single gossip magazine, and they were all scrambling to create timelines of Richard and Sarah's relationship.It came to no surprise to me when The Herald reported on Sarah's pregnancy, which only villainized me further. Now I was not just the woman standing in between two childhood sweethearts, I was also the evil stepmother-to-be.Watching my love for Richard being turned into a spectacle for everyone to witness was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. Photos I couldn't recall taking were being posted online, showcasing how we used to look at each other when Sarah and Richard were still dating. The media had everyone convinced that I'd been se
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 85 - Elena
My heart felt heavy as the driver that picked me up parked in a large elevator. It started to rise, until the car was parked in the corner of my friends' living room.The passenger door opened, and my friend Alanna offered me her hand. Her arms instantly wrapped around me, enveloping me in a tight hug, and that one small human gesture was more than enough to make me fall apart. I burst into tears, loud, heart wrenching sobs escaping my throat as she led me to the sofa. “I didn't know where else to g-go,” I said to her.Alanna and I have been best friends ever since she walked into my boutique in search of a wedding gown. No one has ever understood our friendship, but it was one of the most genuine and closest I've got. Alanna was one of a kind, and right now, she was the one person that could give me the solace I needed, without judgement.“I'm going to kill him," she whispered.“Easy, Little Psycho," her husband, Silas, said.Silas handed me a handkerchief with a small ¥ embroidered
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 84 - Elena
I was barely thinking straight as I walked to our bedroom, tears streaming down my face andRichard on my heels.“Baby," Richard pleaded. “Please. Please trust that I'll fix this."I whirled around to face him. "How?" I screamed. “How will you fix this, Richard? Articles about us are all over the internet. It isn't as simple as suing just one single magazine, and even if we do, it's too late!"I walked into our wardrobe and yanked my clothes off the hangers, my movements erratic."Elena," Richard called in panic, his voice breaking. "What are you doing, Ponyo? You can't... don't do this. I beg of you, don't do this, Elena."I shook my head and grabbed my suitcase. "I'm not spending another moment in the same house as her. I've tried, Richard. For years, I've tried, sacrificing my damn soul to keep her happy in the process. I can't take much more.”He grabbed my shoulders and held onto me tightly, panic flashing through his eyes. "You're insane if you think I'll let you go."I shook my
Billionaire's Perfect Bride 83 - Elena
I walked into the kitchen to find Sarah sitting by the breakfast bar, dark circles marring her beautiful face. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with defeat. She knew. There was no doubt in my mind that Richard confronted her about what she did five years ago.She huffed and looked away as she picked up her teacup, her hands trembling. I wished I had the energy to keep up the facade, but I didn't. After what Richard told me last night, I could barely stand to look at her. How was I supposed to allow her into my life, knowing how much she tookfrom me? "Why did you do it?" I asked, unable to keep the question buried.She looked up at me and gritted her teeth. “Do what?""That night... why did you sneak into Richard's room? Why did you pretend it was you he slept with?"She looked away and shook her head, avoiding my gaze. I'd never seen her at a loss for words, but she was today. It was clear that she thought she got away with her deception. Just how long had she gotten away with m
