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35. A STEP CLOSER
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THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 36. THE EXPLOSION
~RUBY The explosion shook the ground, and the impact of it had people scrambling for safety. Etham grabbed my wrist and dragged me down to hide under our table. My heart, which never really settled from its earlier pounding started again. We were under the table for a few minutes, when Ash popped his head to glare at us. "Come out. We need to go and check on the Detective. It was his car that exploded," he said as he strode away without waiting for us. Ethan helped me up and we rushed after him. A crowd had gathered around the exploded car and I held my breathe as we made our way through the them. The Detective...rude as he was, was the only key we had to unravelling Ella's whereabouts and I sure as hell wasn't hoping to see his dead, burnt body. We walked hurriedly towards the remains of the smouldering car, taking care not to get too close to the ruin. What if the Detective had gotten into the car by the time it blew up? I shuddered at the thought of the
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 37. THE TRUTH
~RUBY I sobbed as I watched Ella on the drive home. My eyes never left hers and she didn't stir until we got home. Ash carried her into the house, and she stirred as he placed her down on the couch gently. Ella was restless, shifting her body one way and the other as if to find a comfortable spot. She was whimpering, her hands weakly batting away invisible hands. I sat down beside her and shook her awake gently. "Ella. Ella, open your eyes. You're safe now," my voice was laced with tears as I watched my best friend fight an invisible opponent. She gasped at my touch, and opened her eyes, looking around in fear. When she was calmed down enough to focus on my face, she cried out with hope and joy as she hugged me, latching on to me like I was a lifeline. "Ruby. Ruby. Oh my God, Ruby. I thought I wasn't going to see you again. I was scared. I was so afraid," she sobbed and my heart tore into tiny, unrecognisable pieces at the sheer panic in Ella's voice. My eyes f
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 38. MIDNIGHT SIN
~RUBY I froze, my gaze pinned on Ella's sleeping form. As if she sensed me looking at her, she opened her eyes. "Ruby. I–I don't want to stay here. Can we go home, please?" She whispered and I nodded, trying so hard to hide the fear and panic from my face. I nodded, and walked outside the hospital room to find my husband. The Detective had left, Ash was leaning against the wall, and Ethan was pacing nervously. "Ella wants to go home. Can you arrange that?" I smiled shakily and Ethan, who was too agitated to notice how slightly I was shaking, nodded and walked away from the hallway. I turned away from Ash, too exhausted to even think of him. I knew I should tell someone about the call, but I didn't want to bring about another conflict into all this chaos. And I didn't even know where to start from. I walked back into the room, and helped Ella to stand. I knew Ethan would deal with the medical authority so we didn't need to worry about them not letting Ella leave.
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 39. TORMENTED ASH
~ASH I couldn't sleep. My heart was pounding like crazy and I kept thinking about that moment in the terrace. How her lips felt when I kissed her. The small, tiny gasp that echoed in the back of her throat when our lips touched. The way her stiff and rigid body softened towards mine for a moment. The way she leaned in, opening up to me as her restraint crumbled. The way she tasted. Good lord. I know I've kissed her a lot of times during the nights I sneak up on her, but this— this was different. It was tender and sweet and beautiful and— It made my heart race. Sweet baby Jesus! I blushed hard when she left, my racing heart making it hard for me to hear anything else. I wanted to kiss her again. I wanted to kiss her so bad and I thought about it all night that it made me mad. I should not be thinking about kissing her again, at least not this way. The only time I should kiss her should be when I'm pretending to be her husband and fucking her brains
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 40. DARK NIGHT
~ASH Ethan stepped into the pool house, his eyes on his wife. He looked from me to Ruby, to my hand that was still on Ruby's wrist, then back to Ruby's face. I imagined myself in his shoes, coming home from work and seeing my Chlorine allergic brother leaning over the pool and holding my wife's hand whose jaw was wide with surprise. I came to the conclusion the same time he did. He turned a steely gaze on me and I jumped up, dropping Ruby's wrist which suddenly seemed to burn my hand. "No. This is not what you think it is," I said and he raised both eyebrows, turning an accusatory glance on me. Ruby didn't look at me as she walked away, ignoring her husband as she pushed open the glass doors and went in. Ethan turned around as if to call her back but decided against it at the last moment. As soon as she was out of sight, he stormed towards me. "I think it is exactly what I think it was," he was glaring down at me, his gaze hard and cold. I ran my hands through m
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 41. AFTER THE PLEASURES
~RUBY I watched as he left, without a backwards glance. My body ached deliciously and I was damn sure I would be sore tomorrow, but honestly, I kinda missed that side of Ethan. Which was why I wasn't surprised when he walked out. He always did that whenever he was rough, and the only difference this time was leaving before I was asleep. I yawned as I shifted on the bed, my legs aching from the intense lovemaking. Ella was definitely going to want details tomorrow, judging from my screams earlier. I closed my eyes, trying to sleep, when an alien feeling hit me from nowhere. Guilt. Shame. It suddenly felt as though I did something wrong, and by heart started to pound. The feeling was very similar to what I felt when Ash kissed me, and when I had been a little bit tempted to let him kiss me again at the pool. I sat up. But this time was different, right? I made love to my husband. It was no big deal. There was nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to feel guilty for.
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 42. INTRUDER
~RUBY Ethan had to be kidding, right? I waited for him to smile, for that confused, strange look to be replaced with a teasing one. I waited for him to tell me that it was a joke, and that he was just messing with me by asking that question when it should have been obvious what we did. What I'm pretty sure we did. What my husband's face was insinuating that we didn't do. It had to be a joke. One I was willing to forgive if he was willing to admit that he was kidding. “Ruby? I just asked a question. What did we do last night?” Damn. Damnit. Damnitdamnitdamnit. Ethan really was asking me what I meant. He looked rough and smelt like he had bee drinking, which meant that he must have come out here to drink after our lovemaking. Hence the forgetfulness. Right. “I don't know why you are so hesitant to talk to me. I remember getting drunk with Ash and falling asleep. My memory doesn't contain any activity with you so do me a solid and talk to me,”
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 43. THE TALE OF THE ELEPHANT
~RUBY Ella screamed like the world was ending. The detective was the first person to get through the fray and he ran up the stairs, towards the direction of the room. My legs, which were jellied earlier became strangely energetic and I pushed past Ethan, the lawyer and Ash, running after the detective. Ella. The caller was making good on his threats and he had come for Ella while I was still indecisive. Ella. My baby. My best friend. The caller had shown their hand. The crash and Ella's scream made my decision tilt towards siding with the caller and keeping my friend safe. After all, whoever it was knew a meeting, impromptu as it was, was going on and I was close to telling the truth. I would never forgive myself if something had happened to Ella. I bounded up the stairs and as I ran into the room, chest tight with fear, I was relieved to see Ella in the arms of the detective, trembling slightly. She was alright. She was okay. Never mind that s
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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
