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Sold Myself to My Husband’s Rival 109
I shattered her chains with a bolt cutter, caught her as she collapsed into me.Her body was too light. Too fragile. Every part of her had been hurt.But she was alive.I held her tightly, one arm around her back, the other gripping my gun.“We’re going home.”Comm crackled.“Target sighted! The masked man—he’s on the rooftop—repeat, rooftop. Evac route.”I looked up.No time.I turned to Marcus through the mic. “Don’t let him out of your sight. But do not risk Bella’s life.”“Copy that.”I swept her into my arms. She didn’t resist.Her head rested against my chest. Her fingers curled into my shirt like she didn’t believe I was real.But I was.And I was taking her out of this hell.On the rooftopExplosions lit the night sky.I made it halfway to the chopper when Marcus’s voice came through again.“Sir, the masked man—escaped. He had a tunnel rigged to the rooftop. He’s gone.”I clenched my jaw, every muscle in my body begging me to turn back and hunt him.But Bella whimpered against
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A long silence stretched between us.Just the sound of the heart monitor. The faint hum of the machines.“I deserved to know,” I whispered finally. “I had a right to grieve. A right to remember. You took that from me.”He didn’t argue.He nodded slowly. “You’re right. I failed you.”More silence.“I put you in danger,” he said, voice raw. “By hiding the truth. By not eliminating him when I had the chance.” I looked away, the ceiling blurring behind the tears I could no longer stop.I thought of my mother. Her laughter. Her perfume.My father’s arms. His voice.Then blood. Screams. Fire.And that man’s face—my uncle. The monster behind the mask.“I remember everything,” I said through gritted teeth. “I remember him laughing. I remember the knife. I remember trying to scream.”Jesse’s hand gripped mine tighter.“I swear to you, Bella,” he said, leaning closer, his voice a low promise. “He won’t get far. I will find him. I will end him for what he did to you. To your family. And to us.”
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I walked forward to her, my steps slow but deliberate. The air between us was thick with hate, years of betrayal and twisted agendas hanging over us like a storm cloud about to break.“I know you’re pregnant,” I said coldly, staring her straight in the eye.She shrieked, her body jolting as if the words physically struck her.“Do you really think I wouldn’t hurt you because of the fact that you are pregnant?” I stepped closer, voice laced with venom. “You’ve already framed me once before for murdering your child. I don’t mind being blamed for doing it for real this time around.”She paled, but I didn’t care. My rage was deeper than her fear.Behind me, I heard Jesse’s voice—tight, controlled.“Push me out, Jesse. I’m done seeing her silly face.”Without a word, Jesse stepped between us. His hand found my arm—not harshly, but firmly—and he turned me around.He guided me gently but insistently back to my hospital room. The tension in his silence was louder than a scream. As soon as we e
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She didn’t argue.She lay where I’d been moments ago.“Cover up with the white blanket. Don’t move. Don’t breathe loud.”I pulled the hood of her scrub top over my head, snatched her ID from the lanyard clipped at her waist, and shoved it into the pocket. My hands trembled only for a second before I steadied them.In less than two minutes, I was out the door.The nurse’s shoes were half a size too tight, but I pushed through the discomfort. I walked with purpose, head down just enough to avoid eye contact but upright enough to appear natural.Security nodded as I passed the first checkpoint.A brief flick of the fake ID, a half-smile, and a polite “Going down to diagnostics.”They didn’t question it.Because people don’t look twice at nurses.Especially not the quiet, invisible ones.I made it to the lower-level exit just as the shift was changing—chaos, movement, chatter.I slipped through the side door, stepped into the loading bay. I had done it. Bella’s POVGetting to the estate
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Declan followed close behind, brows drawn low. He still didn’t fully believe it—but his eyes told me he wanted to.“Give me a shovel,” I said. “And get me a few more men to assist.”He looked startled. “Miss, you shouldn’t be doing hard labor in your condition.”“I’m not asking,” I said softly. “Just point them to me.”Declan hesitated.Then nodded.Within minutes, two more men joined us. They looked younger—possibly new recruits—but the moment Declan barked an order, they obeyed without question.I pointed at the exact spot beneath the tree. “There. Dig there.”The first shovel hit the dirt with a thud.Then the next.I watched silently as they worked. Every slice of earth peeled back more of the past.And then—after twenty long minutes—the metal edge of the shovel hit something solid.A small, rectangular box.Old. Rusted at the corners. But still intact.One of the men looked to Declan.Declan stepped forward, knelt beside the hole, and lifted the box carefully.He wiped the dirt f
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They looked at me harshly. Suspicious. Cold.The moment the electric gate slid open, a cold hush fell over the entire compound.Beyond the metal doors stood nearly two dozen men, dressed in black military-grade uniforms—eyes sharp, movements precise. Their presence was commanding. Dangerous. These were not ordinary guards. These were my father’s shadows—men of silence and steel.And they were now staring at me like I was an illusion.Declan stepped forward with firm authority and pride in his voice.“She is Bella,” he declared. “She has returned.”The words hung in the air like thunder.The men didn’t move.They didn’t blink.Instead, a few exchanged glances. One narrowed his eyes. Another clenched his jaw.Then a tall, battle-worn man from the front line stepped out—gray in his beard, eyes like stone. “Declan… is this some kind of test?” he asked, his voice low and skeptical. “The heir died. We buried the legacy long ago. This woman can’t be who you say she is.”Declan stood his grou
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Kael nodded sharply. “You’ll have it within the hour.”Declan looked at me as if seeing a different woman than the one who arrived earlier—no longer lost, or grieving, but commanding.Kael led me through the inner gates of the stronghold. It was another world within the estate—a command center hidden beneath beauty. Stone stairwells, reinforced steel doors, old retinal scanners from decades ago now flickering back to life with my presence.He opened a heavy metal door to a large room—part war room, part memory.Walls covered in maps.A central table glowing with a 3D hologram of the region.Weapons racks. Surveillance monitors. Files.This was my father’s mind—preserved.I walked inside slowly, touching the edge of the table. My reflection shimmered across the digital surface. My hand trembled as I laid the seal in the center.It fit perfectly in the seal reader embedded in the console.The system lit up.A soft voice echoed through the room: “Alaric’s heir… access granted.”I closed
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Jesse’s POVI came back within the hour.It wasn’t supposed to be anything major—just a quick meeting to finalize the security detail before our transfer to Dexy City. I had made sure everything was locked down before leaving. Bella was supposed to be safe. Untouchable.But the second I stepped into that hospital room, something felt wrong.The air was off. Still.Too still.My eyes narrowed as I stepped closer to the bed. She was lying too flat. Too stiff. The shape of her body didn’t match—too short, too small.My pulse spiked.I crossed the room in three strides and yanked the blanket back.Not Bella.A nurse. Young. Terrified.Her eyes shot open. She scrambled to sit up. “Sir—please—”I didn’t wait.“Who the hell are you?” I snapped.“P-please, I don’t know where she is,” she cried, trembling. “She made me do it. She said if I didn’t pretend to be her, she’d hurt me. She took my scrubs, my ID—she was gone before anyone noticed—please, you have to believe me!”My heart slammed agai
Last Updated : 2025-04-24
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Jesse didn’t wait.He didn’t have time.He stood tall, voice cutting through the confusion like a sword:"You were lied to," he said..""Anna drugged me. Stole my memories. Tried to turn me into a pawn."Gasps.Shouts."But I remember now," Jesse said, voice rising."I remember everything."He looked at each of them in turn, letting them see it."Bella saved me," he said.Jesse swallowed hard.Emotion strangled him for a moment.But there was no time for sentiment now.He pointed toward the battlefield beyond the walls."Anna’s forces are tearing Dominion apart," he barked."We have to join the battle and subdue Anna"A roar answered him."To the gates!" Jesse bellowed.And they moved—like a storm unleashed.The eastern gate flew open.Jesse led his forces through it, armor gleaming under the sun, sword blazing in his hand.Dominion's soldiers—nearly overwhelmed—saw him charge into the fray and rallied like men rising from the dead.Bella—fighting atop the crumbling battlements—turned
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Bella drew her own sword then—long, silver-edged, a gift from her late father.It gleamed in her hand like a promise.She turned to Kael."Stay at the walls," she said. "Command from here."Kael frowned, catching the dangerous light in her eyes."My lady—""I'm going down there."She didn’t give him a chance to argue.She descended the inner stairs two at a time, the battle raging louder with every step, until she burst into the courtyard where fresh soldiers were rushing to reinforce the lines.They parted instinctively as she passed—eyes wide, faces awed.Bella didn’t stop.She charged through the outer gate just as another battering ram crashed uselessly against the thick stone, and then she was in the heart of it.Sword raised.The first enemy soldier lunged toward her.Bella sidestepped easily, driving her blade into his ribs with clean precision.Another swung a heavy axe at her head.She ducked low, slicing across his knee, sending him crumpling to the dirt.Her training kick
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She met Marcus’s hard gaze head-on."Stand aside when Anna attacks. Protect Jesse if he’s targeted. That’s all.""And what about Anna?" someone called from the back.Bella’s smile was cold and sharp."I’ll handle her."Marcus was silent for a long moment.The entire clearing seemed to hold its breath.Finally—he nodded once.Hard."If Jesse fights for you," he said,"Then so will we."Bella's breath caught.Not relief.Not yet.There would be no real relief until Jesse stood beside her, whole again.But it was something."Swear it," she said quietly.Marcus drew his sword.Pointed it to the sky."I swear it," he said.One by one, the soldiers behind him echoed the oath—hands raised, fists pounding against chests.Bella closed her eyes for half a second. Dominion would not fall today.Kael stepped closer."My lady," he said urgently,"we must return. Anna's forces will reach the outer walls within the hour."Bella nodded.She gave Marcus one last hard look."Stay true," she said."Or
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She glanced to her left where Rovan rode beside her, his horse’s breath steaming in the frozen air."The eastern watchposts have fallen?" she asked calmly.Rovan nodded."Yes, my lady. Minimal casualties. Dominion forces are stretched thin defending the outlying trade routes, just as you predicted."Anna smiled faintly.Bella thought she was clever—moving silently, rebuilding her little empire in the shadows.But she had grown soft.Love. Loyalty. Sentiment.All the weaknesses Anna had carved out of herself years ago.Bella had them in abundance.And Anna would use every one of them to crush her.The estate was visible now in the distance.Even from here, its silver towers and iron gates gleamed under the pale moonlight like a fortress carved from a dream.Anna narrowed her eyes.Soon, it would be hers.She raised her hand, signaling a halt.The army stopped instantly—trained, disciplined.She turned in the saddle to face them, her voice cutting through the cold air like a blade."Ton
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And soon—she would pay for it with everything she loved.Anna stood above the valley cliffs, her black-gloved hands gripping the stone railing as she watched her forces disappear into the misty hills.Her smile was razor-sharp now.Because the truth was—This was never about Jesse alone.No.This was about Dominion.About power.About taking everything Bella had rebuilt after her fall — and grinding it beneath Anna’s heel.She wanted Dominion for herself.The empire.The resources.The power it held over every shadowed trade route and underworld contract on the continent.Jesse had just been the bait.The excuse.And Bella, foolish in her sentimentality, had handed her the perfect justification by kidnapping him.Anna turned to Rovan, her second-in-command."We won’t just retrieve Jesse," she said, her voice smooth and deadly."We’ll seize Dominion itself."Rovan’s brows furrowed slightly. "But my lady, Dominion’s forces—""Will be fractured," Anna interrupted coolly. "Once the borde
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Small at first.Barely noticeable.Then it grew worse.His entire body tensed, muscles locking, breaths becoming shallow and fast like he was fighting something.His hands gripped the blanket tightly, knuckles white.I sat up immediately."Jesse," I whispered, reaching out to touch his arm.He flinched violently at the contact, a sharp cry tearing from his throat—a sound so broken, so full of fear, it shattered something inside me.He wasn’t awake.Not fully.He was trapped somewhere deep inside himself."Jesse," I said again, firmer this time. "It's me. Bella. You're safe."He thrashed once, fists clenching like he was trying to fight invisible enemies.Sweat beaded on his forehead.I caught his wrists carefully, not restraining him, just anchoring him to something real."Shh..." I whispered, leaning closer. "You're safe. No one’s hurting you. I'm here."Slowly, his breathing hitched—sharp, jagged gasps breaking through the fog.His eyes snapped open, wild, unfocused.He looked right
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I brought him his tea, just like every other morning since he returned.But this time, when I placed it in his hands, he didn’t immediately drink it.He just... stared at me.Longer than usual.Long enough that the hairs on my arms prickled.Like he was trying to see something inside me.Something he couldn't quite remember.I sat beside him, keeping a careful distance.“How are you feeling?” I asked gently.He tilted his head slightly, confusion flickering across his face.“I feel like... I should know you,” he said finally, his voice rough from sleep and something deeper.My throat tightened.“You do,” I whispered. “You will.”He frowned, as if struggling inside his own mind.“I keep seeing... flashes. A hand reaching for mine. Laughter. A... necklace?”He pressed his fingers to his temple, frustrated.“It’s all broken. Like... like pieces of glass.”I reached out slowly, letting my hand rest lightly over his.“You're remembering,” I said, voice trembling with hope. “Even if it’s sm
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His eyes locked on mine.No memories.But something shone there.He stepped closer, holding the tiny flower out to me.“You’re beautiful,” he said softly. “Just like this.”My throat tightened painfully.Tears pricked the corners of my eyes.I took the flower carefully, cradling it between my fingers like it was the most precious thing I’d ever been given.“Thank you, Jesse,” I whispered.He smiled.Really smiled.For the first time since I brought him back.Jesse’s smile.The one I’d fallen in love with once before.The one I was falling for all over again.We spent the rest of the afternoon in the gardens.I told him small, harmless things—stories about the flowers, about the diffMarcust statues scattered around the estate.He listened closely, his attention sharp whenever I spoke.At one point, he reached out and brushed a leaf from my hair, his fingers lingering near my cheek longer than necessary.He didn’t understand why he wanted to touch me.Didn’t remember.But he still did.
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Down the maintenance shaft.Through the hidden door.Into the cold breath of the night.We made it to the transport just as the first alarm howled through the estate.I shoved Jesse inside, climbed in after him, and Kael slammed the door shut.The vehicle peeled into the tunnels like a bullet, shields cloaking us from heat sensors.Behind us, the estate lit up with searchlights and shouting guards.Too late.I held Jesse close against me as we sped away.His breathing was shallow.His body stiff.But he was here.Alive.Mine again.I looked down at him—this man who had fought so many battles for me without ever asking for anything back.And I whispered the words I should have said a long time ago.“I’m never letting you go again.”We made it back to Dominion just before sunrise.The sky was still dark, bleeding into deep violet as we pulled through the hidden tunnels beneath the estate.Kael handled the security re-entry codes.Justin coordinated the sweeps to make sure no foreign tra
