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45. RUNNING INTO ASH
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THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 46. WHO IS THE CRAZY BROTHER?
~RUBY I stood at a spot, my legs frozen, unable to move. Portraits of myself in different canvases stared back at me, unblinkingly. The only difference was that I was painted with black hair, instead of red. But God, the image was uncanny. He captured my expressions perfectly, as though he drew me while I was sitting before him. What... how...he was obsessed with me so bad that he drew me this perfect from memory? When I was married to his brother? When he had never, for once, bothered to be nice to me? The speed at which my jaw dropping surprise turned to anger took me aback for a second, but I didn't let it stop me. "What the hell is your problem? Have you lost your head? Why the fuck do you have this much portraits of me? Are you that jobless? You have nothing better to do?" I started, the pitch of my voice rising with each word. I knew my words were cruel, but I was past caring. I wanted to murder him so much that my blood boiled with anticipation just at
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 47. WHAT IS THE TRUTH?
~RUBY I tried to sleep, to see if my mind would drag the thoughts threatening to overwhelm me into the hidden bottom of the abyss of my mind. I could not sleep. I kept thinking. Something about Xena's entry nagged at me, as though there was a hidden pattern I needed to unravel. Ash reportedly loved his sex in a rough, dominant way. Ethan wouldn't mind if the lady took control. I flashed back to the times I had sex with my husband since we got married, and how the sex seemed to be performed by two different people. How shy Ethan had seemed when we had open, unhidden sex that didn't involve lights out. How I never got to see his face on the days that involved rough, dominant sex. My mind replayed images of Ethan looking confused, disbelief marring his features whenever I indirectly make a reference to the shutting lights - walking away sex, and how he seemed not to remember. How he always, miraculously, ended up turning out drunk and fully dressed the n
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 48. TURN OF EVENTS
~RUBY Tomorrow was the trial. I woke up nervous, my heart beating with the speed of a jet, and it took all my willpower to not call the detective and cancel. Ethan was cool with me being the witness at the court, and he had promised that I would be fine. Ash was indifferent, of course. Not like I expected a reaction from him or anything. But he could have acted like he was worried or concerned about me. Right? Ella was quiet the whole time, and as Ethan left for work, Ash for his evil hideout, she pounced on me. "I feel like I'm in a prison," she stated and her suddenness took me by surprise. "I'm sorry...what?" She sighed, sitting down beside me and placing her head on my shoulder. "I don't know. I know I've been here for days but it seems longer. All I can see is the four walls of this ridiculously big mansion. I need to go out. You know I've never had the patience to stay indoors for long," she said as she sighed again. I knew she was right. Ella ha
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 49. AT THE HOSPITAL
~RUBY Ash was shirtless as he ran downstairs, his panic stricken eyes landing on Ella's collapsed form. He didn't ask any questions as he carried her, running into his car and sending a quick text to Ethan and the detective. I was trembling, my heart pounded with fear and tears ran down my face. It seemed as though I've been doing a lot of crying these day, and I honestly couldn't remember having a full day with no incident happening. It was always one thing after the other. We were almost at the hospital before Ash asked me anything, and I didn't fail to notice how he asked when I had stopped crying. "What happened?" His voice was low, and I almost didn't hear it. "I don't know. She just... collapsed. We were talking. One moment, she was talking my ears off and the next, she was unconscious." He nodded, said nothing else and kept his eyes on the road. The nurses had been notified beforehand, so we didn't have to wait before she was wheeled into the emerge
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 50. THE WITNESS
~RUBY I stayed by Ella's side all night, my eyes wide awake and alert as I watched her unconscious form. There was nothing else to do. It was my fault that she was here, in this state, and the least I could do was pull an all-nighter. Ethan and Ash stayed up with me, after the depart of the detective and when it was midnight, Ethan went home for a bathe and change of clothes since he would be going to work when it was day break. Ash stayed in the waiting hall, while the nurses gave me permit to stay in the same hospital room with my friend. Dawn crept upon me and met my unblinking stare, fastened on Ella. If only— No. I would not go down that train of thought. There was no use wishing something else had happened. The door opened, and Ethan walked in, worry coating his entire body and making his shoulders rigid with fear. Fear for me. Fear for my friend. Fear for the outcome of these chain of events. "Ruby. Darling. You've not slept a wink since yesterday
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 51. THE FRAUDSTER
~RUBY The silence ended for a moment. Then the courtroom door opened, Ash came in, and all went to hell. The audience began to mutter loudly, pointing towards me. Ethan jumped up from where he was seated and started to shout. "What the hell? Ruby, what are you on about? Tell the goddamn truth," he yelled from where he was standing and Cole, standing with him, was looking at me with anger. I didn't say a word. Instead, I looked where Ash was standing, his back to the door. His familiar indifferent gaze steadied me, and I almost smiled at him. But I didn't. I knew he would have questions for me, too, just like everyone else, but I didn't have answers for them. So I looked away. "Were you threatened? Answer me for fuck sake, Ruby. You know this is bullshit. You know it wasn't fabricated. What...why..." His words broke off, pain making his shoulders rigid. The judge had been trying to restore order to the noise that continued to rise steadily but to no avail.
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 52. FOR THE ANTIDOTE
~RUBY I wandered around in the house like a ghost, trying really hard to not cry. I didn't want Ella to see me this way, so I was grateful that she was in the hospital, 'The Ruby I know is a monster. SHE IS A FUCKING MONSTER,' Ethan's voice rang in my head as I went from room to room, unable to settle down. I can't even imagine how much Ethan hated me now, and my heart seemed to be in an unending abyss. He wouldn't understand. He didn't even want to understand. My actions made him into a monster, and now...now... I don't even know what to think. I wished he had given me a chance to explain though. I wanted him to understand. I wanted my husband to look into my eyes, see my anguish, and tell me that he understood. I just wanted his understanding. But it seemed all I would be getting was shattered glasses, and broken hearts. I wanted to sink down to the floor, and die. I didn't regret what I did. All I wanted to do was to save my best friend, and if I was tr
THE TWIN BILLIONAIRES’ BRIDE 53. PLAYED THE ELEPHANT
~RUBY The CEO of Amber Homes paled, his hands forming into fists by his side. “What…what is this?” He asked, his eyes hard on mine. Someone chuckled from the throng of Police men, and stepped out. It was Cole. “You're under arrest, Mike Homes. I suggest you hold your peace. Anything you say or do will be used against you in the court of law,” he said smugly and I resisted the urge to smile. The CEO Amber Homes— whom I just realized had a name since I paid attention for the first time— started to tremble. His eyes went wide with shock and I could see the fear plastered all over his face. But for some reason, there was still a level of boldness and confidence on him which he tried to play along with. “Court?” He began. “On what grounds do you possess that will warrant you to arrest me? You have nothing on me. Ruby already confessed in court,” he pointed at me. I scoffed at him. Mike Homes was yet to understand how grave his situation was. “Oh, I have enough gro
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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
