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Chapter 18: Inside Secrets
Last Updated:
2025-01-14 04:11:40
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The Billionaire's Hidden Bride Chapter 19: The Hand That Is Hidden
Williams and I were in a suffocating quiet. There was a strange, uneasy silence that crept into our common area like an intruder. The man I'd been living with for months was a ruthless, cunning businessman with a polished façade and a dominating presence, and I'd thought I knew him. But until tonight, I had never seen him like this. Not after what he found out about me.Williams was someone I had grown to know as being extremely protective of his feelings, as though they were money he couldn't afford to waste. However, he had changed into a man I couldn't read in the silent years following the discovery of my true identity. His jaw was so tense that I feared it could crack, his eyes had darkened, and everything he did seemed to be planned out with icy accuracy. Even though it was brittle, the trust we had developed over the previous few months now rested on the thinnest of threads."How could you not tell me?" At last, in a low voice tinged with something I couldn't quite identify—bet
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"Freda." I was startled out of my reverie by Williams's voice. His eyes met mine, and his voice became more urgent. "You are no longer the only focus of this. This is about the business and the legacy of my family. Additionally, your family is currently under attack. Since trust is currently a luxury we cannot afford, we must know who we can trust.With a dry throat, I nodded. Every inch of my skin felt as though it were being studied, every thought I had clouded with mistrust. This was not merely a warning message. It was a proclamation. Too much was known by someone. My past was known to someone. And that changed everything, as Williams had stated.I had anticipated issues from my relationship with the Harringtons. However, this was something for which I was unprepared. There had always been layers of mystery around my birth family, keeping the truth hidden. My adopted parents, the family that had forster me, and the individuals I had believed I could trust were now at the centre of
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I hurried to follow her, my heart pounding. "Who is it?" Even though I was already afraid of the response, I asked.Her composure slipped for a brief moment as she turned to face me, but it was enough to reveal the underlying cracks. "Remain here, Freda," she said in a low, almost beseeching voice. "I will handle this."The way her hands trembled just a little bit as she gripped the doorknob, however, was what really made my stomach turn. I could see that she was practicing composure out of fear. I had never seen such fear.I pushed past her despite her warning, entering the foyer as she opened the door.Marcel Harrington was standing there, shining in the harsh porch light.My heart sank. Standing there with a grin on his face, as though he commanded the situation, was the man who had invested so much effort in attempting to destroy my life and who seemed to have a hand in everything. "Marcel?" Before I could hold back, I unintentionally exclaimed the words. Upon seeing me, his smi
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I didn't get much sleep the night after his visit. My thoughts were too jumbled to untangle as I tossed and turned. Marcel's smirk and his icy, calculating eyes were always visible when I closed my eyes. He had made it plain that he would not retreat and would not take a break until he had regained control. What did he want, though? What was his advantage over my mum? How did any of this relate to me?I could no longer maintain my act of ignorance. I was in the middle of something that was going on underneath the surface. The game had already started, whether I liked it or not.I realised by morning that I couldn't afford to watch helplessly. The composed exterior I had been maintaining for the previous few weeks was beginning to falter, and I needed to take action before I was overwhelmed by everything.I gazed out at the city skyline from the kitchen window. The storm that swirled inside me seemed to be much too bright for the world. I snapped out of my reverie when my phone buzzed
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The loud, purposeful knock on the door broke the tension that had been growing in the room, resonating like a drumbeat. Williams squinted at me as his hand automatically reached for his phone, probably bracing himself for whatever surprise twist lay ahead. He had the expression of a guy who was aware that everything around him was about to fall apart and that the thread holding it all together was gradually thinning with each second that went by.For a time, the unknown held me motionless. Was Marcel threatening again? Or maybe someone else—someone who had been secretly manipulating strings? I walked over to the door and clutched the handle with a shaking palm. I had the impression that I was standing on the brink of something irrevocable because of something weighty in the air at the time.I wasn't expecting to see Sophia standing there with flawless makeup and a shrewd, calculated smile when I opened it. She had the appearance of a predator in high fashion.She said, "Hello, Freda,"
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Even after Sophia had left, I could still hear the door slamming, as if her poisonous words were still haunting the room. As I glanced down at the pile of documents she had left behind, my hands began to shake. Every word on the page shouted deceit, manipulation, and a complex web of lies for which I was unprepared. I had been participating in a game that I was unaware I had joined. Now, though? The regulations were different now. Something inside of me stirred for the first time since entering this world of riches, power, and deceit—an ember of defiance, a refusal to break beneath the weight of it all. Sophia was going to get a harsh surprise if she believed she could ruin me. With the city lights extending infinity in front of me, I slammed the papers onto the table and marched to the window. I had had enough of being a pawn; solutions were waiting somewhere. I discovered Williams in his study the following morning, his crisp suit immaculate as usual, but his face etched wit
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Aside from the slight crackle of the fireplace, the room was silent. Sophia threw the mess into my lap, and I had to sort through everything after Williams left hours ago to go to yet another late-night meeting. With shaky fingertips, I touched the edge of the file, the name Sophia Harrington gazing back at me accusingly.The thought that Sophia might be telling the truth made my chest constrict, even though I couldn't trust her. The tone of the note, which was sarcastic, disturbed me. Someone wanted to play games and was more knowledgeable about my past than I was.I was deep in meditation when there was a strong knock on the door. I didn't think anyone would show up.With caution and a firm voice in spite of the fury roaring inside of me, I said, "Come in."Marcel entered with an unreadable expression as the door creaked open. Tonight, he seemed different, his customary haughtiness subdued by an unidentified factor.Without introducing himself, he stated, "We need to talk."I leaned
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The penthouse's curtains let in sunlight, which filled the space with gentle golden tones. I watched the city below come to life as I stood by the window. This moment, a brief respite from the storm, felt oddly serene despite the chaos all around us."Did you get any sleep?" There was silence until Williams spoke.He was leaning against the doorway with his shirt unbuttoned at the collar and his tie undone when I turned around. His typically polished manner gave way to something more human and vulnerable."Not really," I said with my arms crossed. "I'm thinking about too much."He approached me with purposeful strides. "I don't hold you responsible. It was unexpected last night."Unexpected?" I arched an eyebrow. One way to put it is that. Williams, there was a murder in front of us. It's not like you can simply brush that off.He came to a halt next to me, staring at the skyline. "You handled it better than most people would, even though I know it's overwhelming."I couldn't contain
Last Updated : 2025-01-18
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The room fell into absolute silence.Freda stood, stunned, unable to form words. Her gaze locked with the stranger at her door—no, not a stranger. Not anymore. His face wasn’t just familiar—it was known. Like a dream half-remembered, engraved deep into the soul.“I—” she started, but her throat tightened.The young man stepped into the room. His movements were careful, calculated, as though afraid the moment would shatter if he moved too quickly. He looked about her age—tall, lean, a quiet intensity behind gray eyes that mirrored Jonathan Harrington’s.“I’m sorry to just... show up like this,” he said quietly. “But my name is Elias Jonathan Harrington. And I think I’m your twin brother.”The name hit her like a hurricane. Elias Jonathan. Named after both their father and grandfather—an ironic twist if it weren’t so heartbreakingly true.“How did you find me?” Freda finally managed.He reached into his coat and pulled out a weathered letter. “This arrived for me on my twenty-third birt
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The Billionaire's Hidden Bride Chapter 97: Beneath the Ashes
Freda’s breath caught in her throat as the control room plunged into darkness. The hum of machines died. The only sound was the frantic thump of her heartbeat—and the voice."We’ve only just begun."She reached for Williams instinctively, fingers finding his. His grip tightened, anchoring her. On her other side, Grace clicked a flashlight on, casting a beam through the stale air. Dust particles swirled like ghosts. The control panels flickered—faint static pulses, nothing operational.“What the hell was that?” Grace muttered, scanning the corners of the room. “This wasn’t part of Cassian’s theatrics.”Freda’s spine stiffened. “That voice... it wasn’t him. It was different. Younger. Calculated.”“System override,” a mechanical voice droned from a nearby panel. “Engaged. Level Four lockdown initiated. Harrington protocols activated.”Doors slammed shut around them.Williams cursed. “He’s locked us in.”“No.” Grace crouched by the panel, fingers flying across an auxiliary screen. “This i
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The silence in the safe room was too loud. Freda's ears rang with the noise of her heart pounding in her ribcage. The voice had only just stopped, and she remained still, staring at the one who spoke. The words appeared to have gained a life of their own, resonating in her mind. "We've located her."Williams shifted to stand next to her, his stance rigid. "Who is it? "The prototype?" There was an intensity in his voice.With her stomach in knots, Freda nodded slowly. Although she had anticipated this day, the burden of it was nearly too much for her to handle. Her sister, the one born before her, the one designed to be the ideal representation of the Harrington legacy, was here now after her entire life had been a lie. She was coming for what Freda had put so much effort into creating.However, Freda couldn't simply stand by and watch everything happen. Not when she had all she had to fight for at her fingertips. With Williams at her side, no.Grace's clear, concentrated voice cut t
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The voice from the other side of the line echoed in Freda's ear, causing her heart to race. The voice was calm and steady as it declared, "I was the initial prototype." "Yes, Freda, I do recall you." She remained perfectly still, the vial tightly gripped in her hand, as the surroundings seemed to fade away. Williams, who had just entered with a serious resolve, observed her complexion fade. "Who was that?" he demanded in a quiet voice.Freda didn't take her eyes from her phone's screen. The words were clear even if the voice was twisted, almost artificial. "Remember me? What do you mean?"Without hesitation, the voice on the other end responded. "I recall every detail. Freda, you and I are not that different. We have the same foundation, the same blood, and, regrettably, the same curse."Freda's fingers dug into the smooth phone as her hold tightened. "What are you discussing? Who are you?"The speaker went on, "I was born first, but you're the heir." The first test was me. The lea
The Billionaire's Hidden Bride Chapter 94: Ashes and Echoes
The scream echoed down the marble corridors of the Harrington estate.By the time Freda, Williams, and Alex arrived, security had sealed the hallway. Selene’s door was flung open. Her bodyguard was unconscious. And inside—Selene stood frozen, pale and trembling, her silk robe stained with blood.But it wasn’t hers.A man lay sprawled at her feet, a bullet lodged in his chest, the syringe he’d brought rolling under the dresser.Alex knelt beside him. “Dead,” he confirmed. “A clean shot. Straight through the heart.”“Who fired?” Williams demanded, scanning the room.“I did.” Selene’s voice was hollow. “He was already halfway across the room before I woke. If I’d been a second slower…”She didn’t finish.Freda stepped forward, gripping Selene’s trembling shoulders. “Who was he?”Selene stared at the body. “His name was Darien. He trained with me under Cassian’s program years ago. We were children then. I thought he was dead.”Freda turned to Williams. “That means Cassian’s activated mor
The Billionaire's Hidden Bride Chapter 93: The Ghosts We Bury
For a moment, Freda couldn’t breathe.Jonathan Harrington—her father, the man she believed had died before she was old enough to remember—stood in the corridor, alive and real. His once-proud frame had thinned, his eyes bloodshot with years of torment, but the commanding presence remained.“Dad…” she whispered.Jonathan didn’t smile. He didn’t reach for her. Instead, he looked over her shoulder, where Williams, Alex, and Grace hovered just behind.“We can’t talk here,” Jonathan said, his voice low, urgent. “There are eyes everywhere.”Freda’s heart pounded, caught between disbelief and instinctive trust. She stepped forward.“Where have you been? Why—why now? And what do you mean Cassian’s not dead?”Jonathan’s gaze hardened.“Because he never died in that fire. It was staged.”Freda sat across from her father in a cold, concrete-walled room beneath one of the original Harrington estates—a place so off-grid it didn’t exist in any legal registry.Williams stood guard at the door, while
