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Chapter 135

Author: Theresa Oliver
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56
Ari woke the next morning to bright sunshine streaming in through the window. But it wasn't the extreme bright that comes with snow. No, she had a feeling that it was the first unofficial day of spring, and she wanted to take advantage of it. She rolled over and her arm landed on Grayson.

He opened one eye.

"Morning." She laid her head down on his chest, not wanting to leave and begin the day. "I wish we could stay here all day long."

Grayson chuckled. "It would be nice." He rubbed her back, still half asleep.

She raised up and looked into his eyes. "Well, we could."

"Don't tempt me." He traced lazy circles on her bare back with his eyes still closed. "So, what do you have planned for today?"

She sighed, not wanting to think of leaving Grayson... even for a few hours. "I have an appointment at the hospital today about Henley's House and I can't miss it. I was thinking of asking my mom and Vickie to come along, too." Ari chuckled. "Mom's been driving Henley crazy."

"Yeah, I overheard.
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    "Come in!" King Maxwell's voice bellowed from the other side of the door."Ari's been kidnapped," Grayson blurted out."Close the door!" King Maxwell stage whispered.Xavier hurried to close the door."Now, what happened?" the king asked, his voice stern. "Tell me everything."Grayson and Xavier told him about the kidnapping being an inside job, the men that were involved, and how she was kidnapped."And there's more," Grayson said. "Just before Xavier told me that Ari was taken, I went to Ralph Barker's apartment and found this in a nightstand drawer next to his bed." He reached inside his suit and pulled out the slip of paper. Then he explained what he thought the initials and numbers meant."You mean to tell me that my head of security had your ex-fiancé killed?" the king shouted."Yes, but I don't know why Piers killed Ralph, unless Ralph was getting cold feet and Piers killed him to make sure he didn't talk," Grayson said. "And if Piers is mixed up in all this, I'm sure that Ari's

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    Ari looked around the warehouse and all eyes were on her. Marcus gritted his teeth as he walked purposefully toward her and slapped her across the face. "How dare you say that about me?" He raised his hand again, but Piers caught it.Piers shook his head. "You gave your word that she will not be harmed for twenty-four hours."Marcus glared at him for a moment, and then ripped his hand out of his grasp. Then he turned his attention to Ari. "Kill me, will you?"Ari raised her head and glared at him, staring daggers into his eyes looking through her hair covering one eye. "Mark my words. You will never get away with this. You should have taken the deal that King Maxwell offered you. It's as good as you're going to get." She shrugged. "It's more than I would have given you.""Why you—" Marcus made a move toward her again, but Piers stood in his way and shook his head in warning."Not while I'm here," Piers replied. Quicker than Ari would have thought possible, Marcus whipped out a gun an

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    Grayson called Xavier, knowing he couldn't just sit there and wait. At that moment, he would give anything to have Ari back."Yeah," Xavier answered on the first ring. "Find anything?" Grayson asked, pacing the floor in his office. "Yeah, I think you'd better get down here." From the sound of it, Xavier was pacing, too.Grayson sighed, fearing the worst. "I'll be right there." He clicked off and was ready to walk out when the door slowly opened. "Where's Ari?" Celeste asked, slowly walking in, obviously having overheard something. "Do you know where she is?"Grayson sighed, biting his lower lip. "Please, sit down." He knew he had to go, but her mother deserved to know the truth before he left.Celeste said nothing but slowly walked into the room and folded her arms across her chest. "Where is she?"Grayson looked directly into her eyes, pain ripping through his whole body, as if someone had physically shoved their hand into his chest and ripped his heart out."Ari's been kidnapped."

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    Ari looked around the warehouse, taking everything in. Maybe she would find a clue as to where she was. She kept hearing the crashing of waves, as if she were near the ocean, which meant that she was a few hours away from the castle. Either way, it would be a long walk back.One thing was certain: she couldn't just run back down the road to the castle, even if she did manage to escape. But then again, if she could just get out, then she could easily find her way back to the castle. Surely, someone would know the way and could give her a ride. Although she had no idea what time it was or how much time had lapsed, she knew she had much less than twenty-four hours now and, although there were no windows, she knew it had to be dark—or close to it—making it the perfect time to escape. But she was also getting hungry and she knew she had to eat soon. Also, when she came out of the restroom earlier, Piers had put another zip tie around her wrists again. So, she had to escape when the Zip tie

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    Grayson rode with Xavier into the night toward the shore. Although the chances of finding her in the dead of night was slim and none, he knew he had to try. And from the moment Xavier had heard, he was along for the ride. Without question. "Thank you for this," Grayson said, looking over at him.One corner of his lips curled into a smile. "You don't have to thank me. You would do the same for me, if the tables were turned.""Without question."Xavier shrugged. "But then again, I'd do it for Ari, anyway."Grayson chuckled. "Of course, you would," he teased. "I'm glad that you two get along so well.""What can I say? She's a nice girl...." Then he grinned. "and I'm a nice guy."Grayson laughed. "Yes, you are... but I didn't say that.""Of course not." Xavier looked over at him and smiled. "So, have you seen anything suspicious?"Grayson shook his head. "No. Nothing that could be used as a fortress or a hideout.""The shore is farther away than I thought." Xavier sighed."Which is why I

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    Ari ran through the forest as quickly as she could, headed toward who knew where. She remembered that there was a road that lead back to the village, and she had to find it. She couldn't follow the beach; she'd ever get home.Home.A small word that held so much power. As she ran, all she could think of was Grayson and going home, their home together, at the castle. Then she fell, stumbling over a root protruding from the ground, but caught herself with her hands. But she got up and started running again. After a bit, she looked behind her to see if anyone was following... and ran straight into something. When she looked up... it was Piers."No!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her knees buckling under her. But to her surprise, he caught her in his strong arms."Quiet!" Piers said, holding a finger to his lips."Hold it right there." When she looked up and saw Grayson holding a gun, her heart leapt with relief and joy."Grayson!"Piers quickly pulled her in front of him. "I want

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  • Bought by the Billionaire Prince   Chapter 144

    Ari had fallen asleep on the way home, despite her best efforts to stay awake. But the lack of sleep and the continuous motion of Grayson stroking her hair, made sleep inevitable. But now that she was with Grayson again, the world could fall apart, and she wouldn't care. Her stomach hurt a bit, waking her."Are you alright?" Grayson asked, his voice filled with concern.Ari nodded. "My stomach's hurting just a bit, but I'm fine. I just need to rest.""And eat," Xavier added, looking at her in the rearview mirror. Ari laughed. "Well, that's a given." She thought for a moment, wanting to word it correctly. "Xavier, Grayson, thank you both for coming to my rescue.""It's my pleasure, my lady," Xavier teased."You know I would move heaven and earth to get to you," Grayson replied, his voice low and husky.Xavier nodded. "And he is not exaggerating."Ari laughed. "Well, I truly appreciate it." Then she thought of something. "I had to do something that I'm not proud of." She bit her lower

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    Ari ran through the forest as quickly as she could, headed toward who knew where. She remembered that there was a road that lead back to the village, and she had to find it. She couldn't follow the beach; she'd ever get home.Home.A small word that held so much power. As she ran, all she could think of was Grayson and going home, their home together, at the castle. Then she fell, stumbling over a root protruding from the ground, but caught herself with her hands. But she got up and started running again. After a bit, she looked behind her to see if anyone was following... and ran straight into something. When she looked up... it was Piers."No!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her knees buckling under her. But to her surprise, he caught her in his strong arms."Quiet!" Piers said, holding a finger to his lips."Hold it right there." When she looked up and saw Grayson holding a gun, her heart leapt with relief and joy."Grayson!"Piers quickly pulled her in front of him. "I want

  • Bought by the Billionaire Prince   Chapter 142

    Grayson rode with Xavier into the night toward the shore. Although the chances of finding her in the dead of night was slim and none, he knew he had to try. And from the moment Xavier had heard, he was along for the ride. Without question. "Thank you for this," Grayson said, looking over at him.One corner of his lips curled into a smile. "You don't have to thank me. You would do the same for me, if the tables were turned.""Without question."Xavier shrugged. "But then again, I'd do it for Ari, anyway."Grayson chuckled. "Of course, you would," he teased. "I'm glad that you two get along so well.""What can I say? She's a nice girl...." Then he grinned. "and I'm a nice guy."Grayson laughed. "Yes, you are... but I didn't say that.""Of course not." Xavier looked over at him and smiled. "So, have you seen anything suspicious?"Grayson shook his head. "No. Nothing that could be used as a fortress or a hideout.""The shore is farther away than I thought." Xavier sighed."Which is why I

  • Bought by the Billionaire Prince   Chapter 141

    Ari looked around the warehouse, taking everything in. Maybe she would find a clue as to where she was. She kept hearing the crashing of waves, as if she were near the ocean, which meant that she was a few hours away from the castle. Either way, it would be a long walk back.One thing was certain: she couldn't just run back down the road to the castle, even if she did manage to escape. But then again, if she could just get out, then she could easily find her way back to the castle. Surely, someone would know the way and could give her a ride. Although she had no idea what time it was or how much time had lapsed, she knew she had much less than twenty-four hours now and, although there were no windows, she knew it had to be dark—or close to it—making it the perfect time to escape. But she was also getting hungry and she knew she had to eat soon. Also, when she came out of the restroom earlier, Piers had put another zip tie around her wrists again. So, she had to escape when the Zip tie

  • Bought by the Billionaire Prince   Chapter 140

    Grayson called Xavier, knowing he couldn't just sit there and wait. At that moment, he would give anything to have Ari back."Yeah," Xavier answered on the first ring. "Find anything?" Grayson asked, pacing the floor in his office. "Yeah, I think you'd better get down here." From the sound of it, Xavier was pacing, too.Grayson sighed, fearing the worst. "I'll be right there." He clicked off and was ready to walk out when the door slowly opened. "Where's Ari?" Celeste asked, slowly walking in, obviously having overheard something. "Do you know where she is?"Grayson sighed, biting his lower lip. "Please, sit down." He knew he had to go, but her mother deserved to know the truth before he left.Celeste said nothing but slowly walked into the room and folded her arms across her chest. "Where is she?"Grayson looked directly into her eyes, pain ripping through his whole body, as if someone had physically shoved their hand into his chest and ripped his heart out."Ari's been kidnapped."

  • Bought by the Billionaire Prince   Chapter 139

    Ari looked around the warehouse and all eyes were on her. Marcus gritted his teeth as he walked purposefully toward her and slapped her across the face. "How dare you say that about me?" He raised his hand again, but Piers caught it.Piers shook his head. "You gave your word that she will not be harmed for twenty-four hours."Marcus glared at him for a moment, and then ripped his hand out of his grasp. Then he turned his attention to Ari. "Kill me, will you?"Ari raised her head and glared at him, staring daggers into his eyes looking through her hair covering one eye. "Mark my words. You will never get away with this. You should have taken the deal that King Maxwell offered you. It's as good as you're going to get." She shrugged. "It's more than I would have given you.""Why you—" Marcus made a move toward her again, but Piers stood in his way and shook his head in warning."Not while I'm here," Piers replied. Quicker than Ari would have thought possible, Marcus whipped out a gun an

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