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12. DROWNING
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THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 13. THE PRICE FOR FORGIVENESS
~RUBY I was shaking profusely. My hands, my legs, my whole body was shaking uncontrollably as I watched Ethan dive into the water to save his brother. I was in a daze. Everything seemed blurry to me and the world slowed down. I watched with unseeing eyes as Ethan carried his brother out of the water, the same thought ringing in my head. I almost killed someone. I almost caused the death of Ethan's brother. My in law. A perfectly healthy person. Was I so far gone in my head, my unreasonable anger, that I was stupid enough to do something as dangerous as that? He could have drowned. He could have swallowed the water and died. And it would have been my fault, I would have been arrested and be prepared to be sent to jail, if Ethan had not been around. I was a fool. Ethan was pumping his brother's chest, trying to get him to spit out the pool water he had swallowed. Ash was breathing only narrowly, and he was unconscious. His skin had become red, as rashes app
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 14. CRAZY WOMAN
~ASH I felt uncomfortable in my skin as I opened my eyes. The light filtering from the windows hit my eyes directly and I groaned, trying to raise my arm to shield myself from the light. But it did no good, as I was busy noting the red spots and rashes that spread across my arms. Right. Chlorine. A psycho had pushed me into the pool. I closed my eyes and tried getting them to adjust to the light before opening them again when I saw someone standing before me. With a knife! My eyes flew open immediately, ignoring the fierce pang of pain that went through me as I scrambled up on the bed and started to crawl away from her. She pushed me into a pool and was now trying to stab me. "Help! Help me! Someone get me away from this crazy woman!" I yelled, ignoring the hoarseness of my voice as I screamed over and over, trying to get out of the room. I needed to get away from this woman. I needed to get away from her! The door blasted open and Ethan rushed in. He saw
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 15. THE DEVIL AT WORK
~ASH My jaw dropped open as I processed her words. What did I just hear? She must have noticed my bewildered expression because she sighed, running her hands through her hair. She must have been doing that for a while now since her hair was in tangles, betraying her nervousness. "You don't need to look that surprised, Ash," she grunted, "it's just an apology. Nothing big," she said. "Sorry. I don't think I got that. Are you talking to me? Or is someone else in this room that I'm now aware of? I mean, you're the Fireball. All small, and fiesty, and full of fire." She didn't answer me, just glared at me from the foot of the bed. It was obvious how uncomfortable she was, and I felt her thrill as I watched her struggle. "Oh. How the almighty has fallen. Look at you now, all subdued and less angry. I don't think I've ever seen you without that scary anger of yours," I grinned. "I'm serious, actually. I'm trying to swallow my rage and settle this amicably. If not for
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 16. BOILING RUBY
~RUBY Ethan was staring at me incredulously. "What...what were you doing?" He asked. I knew he heard me. The expression on his face betrayed the lie in his question. He heard me loud and clear. And if what I remember was what I really said, then I had just messed up. I mean, who would make a promise to their husband and then go back on their word immediately the husband leaves the room? You're right. That's me. I opened my mouth to speak but no excuse came out. "I believed I just asked you a question," he repeated and I began to panic. I detested lying, I had never been good at it. And I did not even want to lie to him of all people. He’s my husband. The one I was slowly falling in love with. Therefore, this left me with the only option of telling the truth. The thought of admitting that I was just snapping at his brother made me shrink away. He would definitely hate me. "I..." I started to say when Ash cared his throat. "We were just role-playing.
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 17. I’M NOT CONCERNED
~Ash "Ruby? Ruby? Are you okay? Is it something I said?" I called after Ruby as she ran out, a hint of worry in my voice. I was surprised. Did I say anything to make her run? I was pretty sure I didn't. One minute she was standing there and the next, she was not. There was no snarky remarks, no glares or the usual flares of anger and rage as she left. She didn't even turn around to look at me. I wanted her to look at me. Even when she was mad at me. Especially when she was mad at me. But what made me strangely worried was the gasp. She gasped, as if something...someone had hurt her. I hoped that wasn't me. Even if she had every reason to be mad at me. I was playing both her and her husband like fools. Yet I did not want to be the reason for that pained gasped. But since when did I care about Ruby’s feelings? I mean, she was important to me, as she served as the main tool that would lead to her husband's downfall. Ethan deserved to be taught a lesson, and I was going
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 18. UGLY MEMORIES
~RUBY "Ruby?" Someone called my name. I blocked my hands with my ears, blocking the sound of the person calling out for me. I could not afford to see anyone right now. But the person came anyway, blocking out the light that accompanied them from the closet door. I turned my face to the direction of the person and I was mildly surprised to see Ash. But I didn't care. I just wanted him to go away. "Don't! Stay away from me. Go away," I tried to speak but I choked on my tears. His expression was that of pity and something else. Something that was hard for me to decipher with my current state of mind. I still could not find it in me to care. He crouched down and whispered softly. "Hey. What happened? Who hurt you and why are you hiding out in the closet?" He asked. I shook my head at him and continued to whimper, my heart shattering into a zillion pieces over and over. Ella. I needed to call Ella. But I lost my phone and I had no idea where it was. Ash s
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 19. MY FATHER’S SAVIOR
~RUBY My heart hammered loudly against my chest as I heard Patrick's voice on the phone. But what really cemented the fear in my heart was my father. He grabbed the phone from Patrick and was rambling to me. I could not hear what he was saying but he was panicked, and close to tears. I stood up and searched for something to grab. I needed to hold something, anything and Ash was the only person I could work with. So I held Ash's arm so tight that it was enough to leave marks. "Jesus Christ. I can't hear a word of whatever you're saying, dad. Just calm down, stop panicking and talk to me," I yelled, sheer terror blinded my eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I...it's just...I...you and Ethan need to get down here now please. They are going to take over my company and liquidate it. I...they're not listening to me. Just get down here," he choked and he sounded as though he had been crying. My father cherished his company a lot, it was what kept him going during the dark, down ti
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 20. MR A
~RUBY I watched as my father sighed, his eyes darting towards me at Ethan's question. I didn't say anything though. I just waited for his response, along side Ash and Ethan. My father sighed and walked to the window, turning his back on us. "Mr A. I consider him a...friend. I don't know how or where he got my contact information from but one day, a year ago, I received a text from him." I didn't know what or how to feel after the drama that had happened withing the last twenty four hours. So I said nothing, felt nothing amd continued to listen to my father's tale. "My company was doing well, actually. So I was not desperate for any kind of help. But what he proposed, what he asked me to do was risky. I didn't want to do it, because it would be foolishness to invest in something that risky and unpredictable." My father was a good business man, but he was too compassionate. I could see where the story was going. "He convinced me. And I took the risk. Guess what? The i
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THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE EPILOGUE
~RUBY ~FIVE YEARS LATER~ I was flipping a pancake when I heard a loud splash, immediately accompanied by a squeal, and I sighed as I walked and poked my head out of the pool door. “Jesus Christ. Ash. Jules. Keep it down,” I chastised, but Ash just looked up from his painting and grinned at me. “I don't know what you're talking about, fireball. As you can see, I'm innocent,” he winked and went back to painting. “Mummy see. I can do a backflip,” my daughter squealed and before I could stop her, she ran to the pool steps, closed her eyes, and flipped back into the water with a loud splash. “If you keep doing that there'll be no pancakes for you,” I said and she popped her head out immediately. “Oh no. I love pancakes!” “Then stop making such a loud noise,” I snapped and walked back to the kitchen, hiding a smile. The only way to get Jules into submissiveness was to threaten to take away her food. Soft footsteps pattered behind me. “I'm sorry, mum. I won't ma
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 96. THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
~RUBY I watched in horror as Ash lunged at Richard. The move took Richard by surprise and he stumbled backwards. He glanced up and spat, a trickle of blood running down his jaw. Ash's attack had taken him in the jaw, and he cursed as he glared at my husband's brother. “You bastard,” Richard growled and he attacked Ash with a ferocity that scared me so much that I took a step back, my legs trembling. They exchanged blows that left Richard reeling, but Ash was taking the worst of it. He had been beaten and bruised, and even though anger fueled his movements, his body was badly battered, making his movements sloppy and clumsy. Richard landed a blow on Ash's face, and a sharp crack filled the air. My horror grew as I saw blood trickle down Ash's nose, and I realized that his nose was broken. My hands started to shake as they continued to beat each other, and the grunts made me flinch. I had to do something. If I stood there and watched, helpless and useless, som
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 95. HEROIC FIREBALL
~RUBY I knew deciding to go to the location was me walking into a trap, but this was Ash. There was no saying what that man could do to him, and I honestly could not stand losing another member of my family. He was my husband's brother. And my friend. Besides, I would not be able to go on for long as a member of the Riverstone's family with no one to help me. But the greater factor of all, that made me pick up a pen and write a note to Ella, that made me decide that I would go, even when it was glaringly obvious that there was nothing I could do to help, was because he had always been there for me. Ash had always, always given me a shoulder to cry on. He had comforted me countless times, being there for me, took risks for me, and loved me all the same. The least I could do was to be there for him, too. So I placed the note I wrote on the bedside table where Ella's phone was, took a deep breath, and picked up my phone. The location he sent was a secluded area not
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 94. THE SILENT PROTECTOR
~ETHAN I staggered out of the hospital room, my vision swimming and my head pounding. But I didn't stop. Every step was agony to my limbs, and I was sure the pain was going to rip me out from inside. But I continued to walk. I had ruined everything. Memories of how I acted that day played over and over in my head, so frequently that I thought I was going to lose my mind. I wanted to scream, to shake myself out of the pain. But I didn't. Doing that would only draw attention to me, and I really needed to get to Ruby. To salvage the situation. But if I let out this scream of horror and pain that was building in me, they would detain me and stop me from going to Ruby, so I swallowed it. Gritting my teeth in pain and dizziness, I made it to a side door that led outside the hospital. A cab pulled up as soon as I managed to drag myself to the sidewalk, and I stumbled inside. “The.. River…Riverstone's Villa, please,” I gasped in short breaths as I spoke, and the cab man
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 93. THE WALKING DEAD
~A FEW HOURS EARLIER~ ~ETHAN My body felt as though it was being dragged through mud as I tried to regain consciousness. Straining against the strange sensation, I opened my eyes. I was in a hospital. The ‘drop drop’ sound of the drip sounded like a ticking bomb to my ears, and I closed my eyes, trying to shut the sound away to no avail. Wires ran across my body, connected to different types of machines, and my heart rate picked up as I tried to remember what happened. My head hurt so bad though, and it made it so hard to think, so I relaxed a bit, trying to coax the information out of my brain. Something was at the edge of my brain, something important, but I couldn't access it. It was as though my brain was asleep, and reviving it would take a lot to work. Footsteps sounded down the hall, and I closed my eyes immediately, pretending to be asleep. Two people stepped into my room, and I could feel their scrutiny as they peered down at
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 92. FALLING INTO PLACE
~RUBY Everything clicked into place for me. How he always seemed to know when something happened, how he always appeared out of thin air whenever Mr A struck. It explained how he knew about my allergy. He must have read about it in the marriage document I exchanged with Ethan. Oh my goodness. My knees got weak and could not hold me up any longer, so I slid down the floor, the coolness grounding me a little bit. Ella was worried, and she stood up from the couch to join me on the floor. “Baby. What is it again? What did Patrick say?” Her voice was choked with worry and panic, while my mind whirled at the extensiveness of Richard's cruelty. “Mr. A. Richard is Mr. A,” I managed to whisper, and the tremor of shock that went through Ella reverberated in me. “How…why…” she wanted to talk, but words eluded her, as they did me. “God. Richard's scheme was so…” I tried speaking too, but I could not wrap my head around it. Everything that has been wrong, that ha
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 91. A FEW MINUTES
~RUBY It's been twenty four hours since the trial, Ash's kidnap, and the accusations, but it felt like years to me. I laid on my hospital bed and didn't say a word. There was nothing to say, anyway. Ella and my father exchanged worried glances all the time, but they could not help me. So they waited for me, and I waited for my husband. If only Ethan had listened. If only I had been strong enough to save them both. If only I hadn't found the diary. If only… Damnit. There was no point in wishing things had happened differently, but I couldn't help myself. If I had a genie, I would not even ask for three wishes. What I would have wished for was for Ethan to come back to life, and set things right. If he came back, I would make him listen, and the three of us would raise the kid together. I would not even give a damn about Richard and his shenanigans. He could go to hell for all I care. All I wanted was Ethan. But a dead person always remain dead. They never ca
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 90. THE NEWS
~RUBY I was shaken from facing that crowd and telling the truth, but I was glad I did it. I was so scared, that I feared I would not be able to speak, but I did it. “My darling. I'm so proud of you,” Ella whispered as she hugged me, and I sagged against her, watching them lead Ash away. Cole went with them, and the courtroom bustled around me and Ella. No one paid attention to us though, so I let my facade down, and let her hold me. I felt weak, since I didn't allow my body to recover before rushing all the way here, letting Ella brief me in the taxi. The short burst of energy that carried me through the whole process of running here and giving my account was gone now, and my body ached so bad. “I'm so tired. I feel like my legs are going to give out any minute,” I groaned and Ella shifted her weight slightly away from mine. “Come on. Let's go back to the hospital,” she said and I nodded. We made our way slowly through the court room, Ella calling for a taxi as we wal
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 89. MY STRONG FIREBALL
~ASH I was shocked. Surprised. Befuddled. Stunned. I didn't expect Ruby to wake up soon, and from Cole's expression, he didn't expect it too. But she was here and she was awake, and that was all that mattered. I was happy. She seemed okay, no matter how weak she looked. She was okay. Even if I was sentenced to jail or death, I would die happily. The judge started at her words. “You are a witness to what happened?” He asked. “Yes, I am.” The prosecutor stood up with an uncomfortable expression, and Ruby, standing in the witness box, took the oath of truth. “Speak, witness,” the judge ordered. “Ethan, my husband, invited us both to the restaurant. He was acting weird, but I was too absorbed in the information I wanted to pass across to them to notice. It was when he showed us the pictures and started acting up that I noticed. I tried reasoning with him, but he was too far gone in his answer to listen. It was when he wanted to hit me that Ash stepped in and s
