Share

71 - Elena

Author: Marcy Lee
last update Last Updated: 2023-11-26 00:07:35

“You seem nervous," Richard said as we pulled up in front of my parents' house. I nodded and turned towards him. “Moment of honesty," I whispered. "I'm scared to face Sarah, and the thought of being surrounded by my family for an entire weekend fills me with anxiety. Every time I'm here, I feel like I'm lacking, Besides.

this house... it's filled with memories of you and her."

Richard leaned in and cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing over my lips tenderly. "I'll overwrite them," he promised. "However, Ponyo, if you don't want to go, we don't have to, you know? I'll turn the car back around right now and we'll go enjoy our weekend home. Alone. Just the two of us.”

I frowned at him in surprise. "But I thought family means everything to you."

He looked into my eyes, his expression carrying a hint of sorrow that he tried to bury behind a smile.

“That's because I mean everything to my family.”

Hurt rendered me speechless for a moment, and he looked away.

"I love you," he whispered. "I lov
Locked Chapter
Continue to read this book on the APP
Comments (1)
goodnovel comment avatar
Olga Del Toro
Excellent Richard I hope you keep up your promises
VIEW ALL COMMENTS

Related chapters

  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    72 - Richard

    “You've been quiet all evening," I murmured as I walked out of Elena's bathroom. I leaned back against the wall and watched my wife. She was in nothing but a towel, seated in front of her vanity with a blank expression. She had been combing her hair for several minutes now when it rarely took her more than a few moments. I could pretty much guess what's going through her mind.She looked up at me through the mirror and forced a smile as she put her hairbrush down, but she made no move to come near me. Instead, her gaze traveled back to her face, and the way she stared at her reflection broke my heart.She and I had been existing in an environment that had been wholly supportive of our marriage. Everyone around us had acted like my past with Sarah was non-existent, and the fact that very few people ever even knew about Sarah and me made it much easier to live in our facade.I expected this trip to be hard, but this had exceeded my expectations in the worst way. I should have done more

    Last Updated : 2023-11-26
  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    73 - Richard

    I beamed at one of Elena's cousins as he narrated to me all about this supposedly brilliant idea he had for a TV show he thought I should create. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I neither wrote nor directed them. I was merely the investor behind it all.“And then the spaceship explodes," he said, mimicking the sounds loudly in the busy garden.I nodded, barely paying attention. "I think something like that already exists, Peter." Pretty sure what he was describing to me was the plot to Star Wars with some minor tweaks.“Yeah, but this is better.”Sarah walked over to me and rolled her eyes at him. "Stop harassing Richard," she said as she held up a beer for me. The circles underneath her eyes made me wonder if she heard us last night. Somehow, I doubted she'd be smiling at me this way if she had, but then again, no one could put up an act like Sarah did.“Just giving him some good ideas. You'll thank me when Elena and Richard become filthy rich."I took a swig of my beer and

    Last Updated : 2023-11-27
  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    74 - Elena

    I stared at myself in the mirror, taking in the smeared lipstick, my messy hair and clothes. I'd been so distraught watching Sarah follow him around the garden, and he turned my mood around just like that. He knew exactly what I needed without me even saying a word.I tried my hardest to fix my appearance, but no matter what I did, I still looked like I just had a quickie with my husband. I supposed it was the smile that I couldn't suppress.I was strangely giddy as I slipped out of the bathroom, but my mood dropped instantly when I found Sarah leaning against the wall. She looked at me with such hatred in her eyes that I found myself frozen in place."It wasn't enough that you stole him from me, huh? You just had to fuck him all night knowing I could hear you two." She waved her hand in my direction. “And now this? You just had to steal his attention away when we were finally having a civil conversation. What is it that you're trying to do? You just had to show me how much he wants y

    Last Updated : 2023-11-27
  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    75 - Richard

    I leaned back on our new sofa, feeling at home in my own house for the first time in years. It took us a few months, but we had successfully made this our home, down to every last detail.Spending my weekends shopping for decoration had been far more fun that I ever thought it could be. Being with some one who actually valued my opinion and didn't always want to get her way has been insanely refreshing.I sighed as I stared at the clock in the living room. The only thing that was missing tonight was Elena.She had been working late every night this week. If she wasn't editing her drafts and taking strolls out to garner inspiration for plot points, she was attending book launches or doing interviews or accompanying Grandmother Willow and Talia to their countless charity functions. She was the hardest working woman I had ever met, and fuck, I was proud of her... but I missed her a lot too.I grabbed my phone and scrolled through her Instagram pictures, just to catch another glimpse of h

    Last Updated : 2023-11-28
  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    76 - Richard

    I was reluctant as I walked over to Ford's house. If the boys hadn't warned me that they'd throw me out of our poker club if I didn't show, I'd have stayed home with my lovely wife.We usually met once a month to play poker and catch up, but I had been skipping it ever since I got married to Elena. It was odd how hard I found it to leave her for even just a single night. I wanted to be around her every second of every day, and even then, it wasn't enough.I bit down on my lip, wondering if I should just lose tonight so I could go back home to my wife as soon as possible. I suspect they'd see straight through me, and I'd never hear the end of it.I paused halfway toward Ford's front door and frowned at the figure darting through the trees."The fuck are you doing, Phillip?"I watched him as he glanced around before jogging my way."Can't be too careful," he said, smiling. "I'm fucking dead if your cousin sister catches me here. She's been extra strange lately. Best not to provoke her."

    Last Updated : 2023-11-28
  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    77 - Elena

    I dropped my head to Richard's shoulder and snuggled closer on the sofa. I was writing on my tablet as he reviewed documents on his laptop, yet I was filled with such happiness tonight. It was the simple things I loved most with him."Mr. and Mrs. Delmonte?"We both sat up in surprise when one of our bodyguards walked in. Our staff were usually so invisible that it was easy to forget they were there at all. They never entered the house when we were at home.“What is it, Ben?” Richard asked.Ben hesitated for a brief moment. "Sarah Williams is at the gate. We've denied her entry, but she doesn't seem to be in a good state of mind. I would recommend that we let her in before she causes a scene and attracts the media."Richard looked at me for approval, and I nodded. If what he was saying was true, something was really wrong. Sarah would never risk causing a scene otherwise. She cared more about her reputation than she'd ever cared about either of us."Let her in," I said.I grabbed my p

    Last Updated : 2023-11-29
  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    78 - Richard

    I looked up when Sarah walked into our kitchen, dark circles underneath her eyes. I stared at her in disbelief. Was she truly carrying my child? She was so adamant that we wouldn't have children for at least a couple more years, so how could this have happened? When did this happen? In the weeks leading up to our wedding, all we did was argue. I couldn't even remember the last time I slept with her. It only could've been that one time that I got drunk shortly after I had Elena in my lap. I woke up with Sarah in my bed, when it was Elena I wanted.Sarah took a seat at the breakfast bar, and the smile on her face grated on me. There was something so smug about it, as though she felt like she'd won some sort of game. It wouldn't surprise me if that was exactly how it felt for her. All she enjoyed doing was play with people's lives."Where is Elena?"I gritted my teeth. I didn't like hearing my wife's name come out of her mouth. It raised every protective instinct in me and left me feelin

    Last Updated : 2023-11-29
  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    79 - Elena

    I meandered my car into the garage, and got out, halting the minute I set my eyes on the front door. I exhaled, trying to gather the courage to walk in. All day, all I'd managed to think about at work was about Sarah's unexpected pregnancy and what exactly it meant for all of us. Now, more so than ever, I was racked with so much guilt. It consumed me, spreading its poison until I was left second-guessing every decision I had ever made.I'd never felt so selfish, so horrible. So totally broken.When I married Richard, I wondered if there would come a day that I'd regret it. At the time, I convinced myself that what I'd regret most would be the things I didn't do. I couldn't have been more wrong.Richard and Sarah were going to be a family, whether I liked it or not. They would share an unbreakable bond, and I would always be a third party. An unwanted one at that. Because of the decision I made, I was taking away an innocent child's chance to grow up with both of their parents as one u

    Last Updated : 2023-11-30

Latest chapter

  • 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

DMCA.com Protection Status