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A TASTE OF REGRET
Huling Na-update:
2025-03-02 20:10:07
Kaugnay na kabanata
THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE THE GRAND REVEAL
The Grand chandeliers of Howard castle's ballroom sparkled like a sky full of stars, casting a golden glow over the sea of guest dressed in the most extravagant outfits money could buy. The air filled with sophistication, champagne glasses clicked, the rich laughter echoed, and geh scent of rose and expensive cologne filled the room. And then, I walked in. The moment my heel clicked the marble floor, there was this thin silence that fell over the room. Eyes turned, mouths parted in astonishment and whispers ignited like wildfire. I knew I looked breathtaking.I was wearing a limited edition Elie-Saab gown, one of the most expensive creations from the brands latest collection, and ethereal, deep sapphire dress adorned with intricate crystal embroidery, hugging my curves and flowing like liquid silk. It was a masterpiece, designed only for the wealthiest elite and I wore it effortlessly. Jewelry from Cartier gleamed against my skin, a delicate diamond necklace and a matching earrings th
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-02THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE THE TABLES TURN
Giselle's POVThe moment Becky called for security, I knew she made the biggest mistake of her life. But instead of reacting, I stood my ground, watching as the two guards approached with caution yet firm expression. "Miss," One of them said, his voice neutral and authoritative,"we need to see your invitation." I turned my gaze to him unwavering."I don't have one." A hushed murmur rippled through the crowd, the guest watching with anticipation, eager for drama. The guards, however remain professional though I could see a hint of unease in their stance. "Miss, without an invitation, we have no choice but to escort you out." I arched a brow."is that so." Patrick who has been standing few stance away, suddenly stepped forward, shaking his head in desperation. "Giselle, stop this nonsense and leave you're embarrassing yourself." I let out a low chuckle, crossing my arm."Really? We'll soon see who the real fool is." Patrick's jaw clenched at my word, but before he could respond, Becky step
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-02THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE GISELLE VON HOWARD
Patrick's POVI was as hard as wood, fists clenched so tightly they were pounding nails into flesh. I churned with rage in my belly as I replayed the meeting over and over again—Giselle walking away with head held high in victory, brother lagging behind, leaving me panting for air in shame.Her self-satisfied, idiotic grin provoked another rage simmering below me to a boil. How the bloody hell had she managed it, then?Becky was sitting beside me, her hand on my arm, but I hardly even noticed. She was droning on about some inconsequential rubbish, no doubt attempting to soothe my wounded pride, but I was hearing nothing but Giselle. The woman I'd manipulated.The woman to whom I had made no vows.The woman who had just told me and the rest of mankind that she was everything. "Patrick, is something the matter?" Becky's hand rested on my chest. I barely looked at her. "Not now, Becky."She scowled, obviously irritated that I was not meeting her eyes, but before she could protest again,
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-04THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE A MAN'S REGRET
Patrick's POVThe evening press oppressed me, stifling life from every action. The shame, the shock, the overwhelming realization that I was wedded to Giselle Von Howard—the heiress Von Howard—swirled my head.I needed to talk to her.I had to hear it from her own lips why she hid it from me, why she stayed behind my shadow when she could have occupied the highest pedestal.I shouldered through the partygoers, searching the opulent ballroom for visions of her.The air buzzed with gossip, eyes lingering on me, but I did not mind. I was not leaving there without laying eyes on Giselle.I pushed through to the VIP section where she had disappeared into, two enormous men in black suits standing in my way."I have to see Giselle," I insisted, trying to push past them.One of the guards, a giant, shifted hardly at all as he spoke. "I'm sorry, sir, but Miss Von Howard isn't seeing visitors." Miss Von Howard.The privilege hurt more sharply than I had expected. "She'll see me," I persisted. "I wa
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-05THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE A RECKONING AND A SECRET
Giselle's POVWhen I finally get into my room, the silence in the room was deafening, yet my mind was anything but quiet. Memories clashed over me like a relentless storm. Each one was sharp, vivid and mercilessly cruel. I could still see Patrick's face, twisted in the shock a s disbelief as her realized that the woman he had once dismissed as a nobody was the Von Howard's heiress. His pride had been shattered in front of those people and for the first time, he had been focused to acknowledge my worth. Good. He deserved it. I could picture his anger frustration as her tried for each me, only to be stopped by my father's guards. I imagined the humiliation that was burned through him when Nicholas ordered him to leave. I let out a bitter laugh and whispered to myself, "Serves him right." Patrick had thrown my love into the mud, treated me like a doormat, made me feel worthless, discarded me for another woman only to learn that I had already been someone out of his league. But I wasn't
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-05THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE THE VOWS ARE MADE
Patrick's POVThe waiting room at the hospital was unusually still, with only the gentle tick of clock above the reception breaking the silence and the faraway, muted thrum of the nurses as they moved between the corridors, to and fro. The pungent scent of the antiseptic filled my lungs, but I barely noticed it. My mind was somewhere I was not. My eyes were glued to the doors of the emergency department, now shut behind Becky who had been swept inside a moment ago.I combed a hand through the matted hair, letting out a frustrated, deep breath. How had this happened?Becky had collapsed so quickly at the party, shouting out in agony. The raw terror that I experienced at the moment was complete. I had picked her up into my car, sped through red lights, and reached the hospital in a flash.And I was standing here with my mom and Debbie, the both of us steamrolled like I was, but for totally different reasons.I was praying to myself in my heart. Please. don't harm Becky. Not because I ca
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-05THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE LEARNING THE TRUTH
Giselle's POVI was frozen in fear, my heart pounding against the walls of my ribcage as I gazed up at Nicholas. His freezing blue eyes held me captive, his jaw working."So, you're pregnant." His voice was a crack of thunder in my ears.I curl a protective hand over my belly, cradling the tiny life inside me. My throat tightened, and I staggered backwards into my bedroom.Nicholas followed me, his movements slow and graceful as he shut the door. The air around us was thick, oppressive. And then, in a dam-break flood of emotion, the tears I had held inside me for weeks brust free. I fell on the bed and wept deeply.Nicholas was beside me in an instant. His muscular massive arms folded me, pulling me into his chest. His warmth, his immovable solidity, it was so comforting. I grasped him, fist twisting in the material of his shirt as if he was the only anchor that stopped me from drowning in my sorrow."Shh...," He murmured, running his fingers through my hair. "You don't have to cry,
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-05THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE THE COLLAPSE OF HILTON GROUP
Patrick’s POVThe hospital lobby was suffocating. The sterile white walls, the quiet hum of machines, the murmurs of worried visitors all pressed down on me like a weight I couldn’t shake off.Becky was still in the ward, her condition uncertain. My mother and Debbie sat stiffly on the uncomfortable waiting chairs, their faces drawn with worry. I knew they expected me to sit with them, to wait out the storm, but I couldn’t.Not now.My phone had already vibrated five times in the last ten minutes. Each time, my assistant’s messages became more urgent. The financial reports were showing a catastrophic downturn. Hilton Group’s assets were vanishing overnight.I ran a frustrated hand through my hair and turned to my mother and sister.“Take care of Becky,” I said quickly. “I have an emergency at work.”Debbie frowned. “Patrick, what’s going on?”My mother crossed her arms. “What could possibly be more important than being here?”I exhaled sharply. “I don’t have time for this.”“Patrick!”
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-06
Pinakabagong kabanata
THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE THE WEIGHT OF CROWNS
Giselle's POVI couldn't breathe.Not because my practice corset was too tight—though it was stuck to me like a vice—because the dressing room walls kept closing in with every untexted moment, every unspoken one, every time I blinked and Patrick's face flashed before me in the darkness.He was there for me.I knew the moment he walked into the lobby. My father had eyes and ears everywhere, but even if he hadn't, I would have known. The air around me shifted. My heart shifted. My phone was in off mode when Becky called me, crying, accusingly, bewildered. I did not need the explanations. Not yet. My world had swerved too far from its axis. I had wished for silence to put it on a straight axis once more.But silence was treacherous. It betrayed things into me I did not want to know."Giselle," my assistant Sarah had called at the door. "Five minutes before last rehearsal. Ready?" "Coming," I had replied, rising from the velvet couch and regarding myself in the mirror.The woman in th
THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE BENEATH THE SURFACE
Patrick's POVI couldn't sleep.I reclined on the hotel bed looking up at the ceiling fan, its soft whirring mingling with the hum in my head. I was in Miami but felt more distant from all I ever knew. The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast shadows with dance motions on the wall. My phone was silent, face down on the nightstand.Giselle had yet to call me back.I rolled over on my side, pulling the comforter up over my chest like it could shield me from the shame crawling all over my body. Why wasn't she answering? Why wasn't her number still open? Dozens of questions ran through my mind—had something happened to her? Or was she just. done with me?Becky's face remembered, scowling in anger when she pilfered my phone from off my person earlier. How she crumpled. The terror in the shriek she let out. The crying, the trembling of her hands laid over her belly. And I? I had taken a step back. Like a coward.I groaned and sat up straight, running my hand through my hair. I needed some air
THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE SHADOWS OF THE PAST
I woke up to the soothing whizz of sea waves on the windowpane, sea wind seeping through the almost-closed curtains. My body felt heavy, as if stuck with a sticky of laziness for days. I rolled over and threw my arm over to the bedside table where my phone rested. Missed calls and unread messages streamed before me.Patrick had been phoning me again.I cursed, sitting up and rubbing sleep from my eyes. I'd been staying away from him, not that I wasn't, but because my brain was in turmoil. My heart was a battleground, past and present, duty and desire.A knocking on the door to break me out of my trance."Come in," I roared, throwing the bed back.Nicholas came in, quieter than normal. "You did not call last night. I was frightened."I fabricated a small smile, attempting to bleed some of the tension from the moment. "I was tired. The party wore me out more than I anticipated."He crossed his arms, his eyes pinning me as he nailed me with them. "Or you were avoiding Patrick?"I winced
THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE UNRAVELING SHADOWS
I awoke to the quiet thrum of the air conditioner, cold blankets drawn high around me as if wrapping me in some kind of protection. Body had recovered and caught its breath, but mind was assailed with memories, questions, and theinine whine that somethings still hung over in the distance, threatening to unravel.I yawned, my whole body hurting from the strain of the last two days, and stretched out to grab my phone. No call from Patrick. That was not expected. Half of me had been expecting him to call a hundred times at least, but nothing. Perhaps he finally gave up. Or perhaps something else was preoccupying him.A gentle knock on my door brought me back to reality."Come on in," I said, shoulders propped against the headboard.Nicholas slid open the door and grinned, impossibly so, after all these years we'd spent living in secret. He placed a tray of breakfast on the nightstand and sat at the foot of my bed."How's it going?" he asked, never once looking away from mine."Good," I a
THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE WHISPERS IN THE DARK
Giselle's POVThe city sounds outside my hotel room window hummed like a distant lullaby as I shivered on the chaise lounge, staring at my phone. The screen was white, no call, no message. Patrick had called no one, nor did I call him. Half of me wanted to know where we were, but the other half didn't care.I breathed deeply and placed the phone on my side. Miss World was the following day, and I still had some of those last-minute things to sort out. However, my mind was preoccupied by a maelstrom of endless questions—Patrick, Victor, something somewhere in the background.As I was about to hoist myself up, there was a soft knock on the door of my suite. My throat was parched. Was it security? Had something occurred? I walked on my feet, clutching around me the silk robe that I had wrapped around my naked body, and crept up to the door."Who is it?" I asked."It's Nicholas," my brother's reassuringly familiar voice said over the telephone. I swung open the door at once and flung it w
THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE DOUBT SHADOWS
Patrick's POVI tapped my fingers on the steering wheel, my patience wearing off second by second. Giselle's phone remained silent, and terror in my chest fell like a heavy balloon. It'd been days since I'd even gotten a call from her, and the longer she didn't ring, the worse my head struggled conclusions which I didn't want to think.The ring on my phone jolted me out of trance. I answered it in a hurry, but there was no chance when I glanced and saw my sister's name on the screen."Debbie?" I managed to say, struggling to maintain a steady voice."I'd have you drive me over to the hotel where the contestants are staying," she said in a whirlwind. "I don't want to ride on the same bus as the women."She was heart to heart, and I knew not to dismiss her concern. Debbie didn't play up, and if she wasn't fine, then something was seriously wrong."I'm coming," I said, shifting the car into gear.The drive over to her place was short, my focus split between Debbie not talking and what wa
THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE A RIDE INTO UNKNOWN
The sky was gloomy with a strange tenseness as I walked out onto the balcony with my phone gripped in my tight fist. The blank screen greeted me with nothing missed calls, nothing messages—total deafening nothing from Giselle's end. I had been calling for days now and yet, absolutely nothing was coming through. In the depths of me, fear whispered a change of phone number by Giselle that successfully severed her from the world, including me.I brushed my hair one-handedly, getting more frustrated by the second. The city lights below twinkled like diamonds in the sea, the opposite of the tempest taking shape in my mind. I picked up the phone again, trying to call for the last time. The phone rang once, twice—then straight to voicemail. I muttered a curse under my breath.My phone rang in my hand at that moment. I glanced at the screen—it was Debbie. I took a deep breath and answered. "Hey, Debs.""Patrick, can you do me a favor?" she asked, her voice tight with worry and tension. "I don
THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE A CALL THAT NEVER CONNECTS
Patrick's POVThe phone rang and rang and rang. No answer.I frowned at the screen, as the failed call again stuttered, the same loud robot voice speaking in my ear: The number you tried to reach is not currently available. Unavailable. As if she'd been unavailable for days.I let out a bitter breath, massaging the bridge of my nose. My chest tightened, the pressure searing at the cleft of my belly like flames. I had not been able to locate Giselle for what seemed like an eternity. I cautioned myself that I was not going to lose it. That she was maybe busy—maybe her phone was off, maybe she needed time—but somewhere inside me, deep in my heart, I knew that something went wrong. She would have called by now. She always did.The couch I was lying on was stubborn and unforgiving, but I barely noticed. My entire focus was on the phone, fingers going on autopilot to dial her number again against my will, cursing myself as I did for it being a waste of time. At my side, Becky rested her elb
THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE CAPTIVE IN THE SHADOWS
Before her POV:Darkness engulfed me, dark and oppressive. My body was immobile. Pain ran through every limb of mine, a burning that never ceased to remind me I was alive.I forced my eyes open.A dim, wavering light spilled across the icy stone walls of what appeared to be a cell. My wrists were bound to the chair I sat in, metal cuffs biting into my skin. The air was thick with dampness and metal, the unmistakable smell of rust and dried blood.I panicked.I wriggled against the restraints, my wrists twisting, but they wouldn't move. I breathed and scanned the space. One door, and it was plated and reinforced, the kind that could not be beaten open by brute force.I was not merely captured.I was ambushed.I heard it then—deliberate, painstaking footfalls closing in on me.The door creaked wide, and there she was—the last human face on the planet I wanted to see.My mother.She came in, eyes as piercing as ever, mouth twisting into a snarl."You're awake. Good," she said with a prac
