MasukShare
19
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-02-03 23:48:26
Insertwriternamehey guys! so glad to see everyone enjoying my story! this book will be daily updated from now on, and with the chances of multiple chapters on some days so brave yourselves for the fun ride. see u, xoxo
Bab terkait
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 20
Leo’s POVListening to her speak, my eyes were focused on her lips. They were just as beautiful as I remembered, her words started to fade away anf I found myself leaning closer.Her lips were soft, warmer than I remembered.For a second, she kissed me back. Her hands almost reached for my neck, pulling me closer. I could feel her heartbeat racing against mine.But then, she froze.Bella pulled back fast, eyes wide, breath uneven. Without warning, she reached in, striking my face with a slap.It stung but barely did a thing to make me move."What-what was that?" Her voice cracked, full of panic.I didn’t know how to answer."You fucking bastard, Leo, how dare you?!" She took a step away from me, "so not only did you choose to kidnap me, you assaulted me too?"Hearing the genuine hurt in my voice made me realise I crossed the line, unlike me, she really wasn't stuck on two years ago.It stung my chest how she repelled from me."Bella, wait." I reached for her, but she stepped back, s
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-04The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 21
Bella’s POVThe rain was cold. It soaked through my clothes, chilling me to the bone. But none of that mattered. I was focused on Leo. His breathing was uneven, his eyes wide and unfocused. I didn’t understand what had happened. I didn’t ask. I just knew I had to get him inside.I’d left angered, hating that for a short minute I had kissed him back. But more than that I was completely shocked by what just transpired. “Come on,” I whispered, wrapping my arm around his waist. He was heavy, his body tense, but he didn’t resist. His steps were slow, uneven. Like he wasn’t really here. Like his mind was somewhere far away.We stumbled back into the cabin. The door creaked shut behind us. The rain kept pounding outside, but in here, it was quieter. I guided him to the small couch, helping him sit. His shirt was soaked, clinging to his skin. His chest rose and fell fast, like he couldn’t catch his breath.I didn’t know what to say. So, I said nothing.I found a towel draped over a chair. I
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-05The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 22
Bella’s POVI stared down at his hand holding mind, trailing my gaze up until I met his eyes and then back at his hand. I snatched my hand from his grip and repelled. I could still feel the warmth of his hand on mine, even though I wasn’t holding it anymore. His eyes had been so intense, pulling me in, making me forget, just for a second, everything that had happened. Everything he’d done.For a brief moment, I let myself get lost in it. In him. His gaze. His warmth. The familiar feeling that used to make my heart race.But then it hit me.Like a slap to my own face.I pulled my hand away fast, my heart pounding for a different reason now. Anger. Disgust. At him. At myself.What the hell was I doing?I stood up quickly, putting distance between us. His eyes followed me, confused, maybe even hurt. But I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to fall for it. Not again.I heard the bed creak as he shuffled in bed. I crossed my arms over my chest, my jaw tight. “No,” I muttered under my breath,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-06The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 23
Leo’s POV I woke up with a sharp headache, my hands instinctively went to search the space beside me. Empty. She was gone. I sat up, wincing and groaning, massaging my temples. I stared at the empty space, so none of last night was a dream after all. I clenched my jaw, my fists tightening on the blanket. She chose him. A man who couldn’t even love her the way I did. The child wasn’t mine. Every illusion I’d clung to was shattered in an instant. Two years. Two fucking years of searching for her, chasing shadows, thinking I could fix what was broken. What a joke. I swung my legs off the bed, grabbing my clothes from the floor. My movements were stiff, cold. “Enough,” I muttered to myself. “No more.” I stormed out of the cabin and got into the car. My hands gripped the steering wheel as I drove back to the house, the anger simmering beneath my skin. The front door swung open as soon as I parked. My mother stood there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. “Leo!” she snapped. “Where wer
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-07The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 24
I leaned back in my chair, a smirk playing on my lips as I stared at the ceiling. Bella was coming. She was actually coming. For the first time in weeks, I felt lighter. The anger, the frustration, all of it seemed to dissolve at the thought of her stepping into my world again. This was it. My chance. She could try to avoid me all she wanted, but now, there was no running. A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. Dennis stepped in, his hands full of documents. “Sir, how do we prepare for Le Deon’s arrival?” I almost laughed. “Simple. Make sure—” I froze. The name hit me like a slap to the face. “Wait… what did you just say?” I asked, my smirk vanishing. Dennis blinked. “Le Deon, sir. We need to start making arrangements for her arrival.” “Why?” “I told you she’d signed up for the competition?” Dennis looked just as confused as I did. My entire body tensed. Not Bella. I had been celebrating for nothing. I cleared my throat, forcing my expression to stay neutral.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-08The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 25
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my cufflinks. My black tux fit perfectly, sharp and tailored. The crisp white shirt underneath, paired with a dark silk tie, made the look complete. My shoes were polished until they shined, and my hair was styled neatly. I looked every bit the part for tonight’s event.But I couldn’t focus on how I looked. My mind was elsewhere.“Dennis,” I called out as I fixed my tie one last time. “Any news from her team?”Dennis stood by the door, his phone in hand. He glanced at the screen and shook his head. “No news, sir. Nothing at all.”I frowned. “She hasn’t said why she’s doing this? Others have begged her to show up before, and she always refused. Why now?”Dennis cleared his throat. “No reason given, sir. No statement from her team.”I nodded slowly, the same questions running through my mind. Why this event? Why here?“You ready?” Dennis asked.I adjusted my jacket, giving myself one last look. “Yeah, let’s go.”We arrived at the event, and the
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-09The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 26
As soon as I got to the boutique, I ran my fingers over a silk gown, considering it, when a sharp, familiar laugh made me pause. “I still can’t believe it,” a voice drawled behind me. “After all those years, and she ended up with nothing, still shopping off the racks like some loser, I see.” I didn’t turn around. I didn’t need to. Stella. “Oh, come on,” another voice joined in, dripping with false pity. “She didn’t end up with nothing. She married some nobody. That counts for something, right?” Laughter. My grip on the fabric tightened. “She thought she could do better than Leo.” Stella’s voice was laced with amusement. “And now look at her. No power, no name, no future. Honestly, it’s a little pathetic.” More laughter. Whispered comments. They wanted me to hear them. They wanted a reaction. Slowly, I turned, letting my eyes settle on Stella. She was standing with two other women, both of them holding fancy bags in their hands. “Oh, Bella!” she greeted with fake laughter. “
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-10The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 27
I stopped right in front of Leo, folding my arms across my chest, a smirk curling at the corner of my lips. “Ms Deon wants to be part of the collaboration,” I said, my voice calm but firm, “and in exchange,” I pulled out a printed image of my grandmother’s heirloom, “she wants this priceless Ruby Arch necklace, it’s a rare find and she wants you to be the one to get it.” A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd. Stella’s face twisted in shock, then fury. Her eyes darted to Leo, her hands clenching into tight fists at her sides. “No!” she nearly screamed. “No way! That necklace is mine! You can’t take it from me!” Her voice echoed through the hall, her carefully polished image cracking right in front of everyone. The flashes kept coming, reporters whispering, trying to get every word. Leo didn’t move or say anything at first, still staring at me like he wasn’t sure if this was real. “Leo!” Stella’s voice shook. “Tell her! Tell her she can’t have it!” His eyes finally
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-11
Bab terbaru
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 67
The airport buzzed with quiet tension. The kind of tired that settles in your chest after too many days of pretending everything is fine. We had said our goodbyes to the client hours ago. We’d packed up, handed off the last of the materials, and smiled for one final photo. The trip was over.Leo didn’t speak much. He just walked beside me. He carried my bag through the terminal without offering or asking. He simply reached for it when I shifted my weight, like he already knew it was getting too heavy.He was calm. Collected. Gentle in all the ways that used to make me suspicious. Now I just let it be what it was.We got through security without much delay. He kept checking the signs like he wasn’t used to waiting in lines. I stayed close, quiet. We didn’t talk about what would happen once we landed. We didn’t talk about what we were now. We just moved.At the gate, I sat by the window. He sat next to me. He didn’t scroll through his phone. He didn’t check his email. He just sat back,
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 66
The papers were already on the table when I walked in. A pale folder, two pens, and silence.Ryan was sitting on the other side, dressed neatly, the same calm expression he always wore when things got heavy. His tie was slightly loose, like he’d taken a deep breath before I arrived. He looked up when I stepped in.“Hey,” he said quietly.“Hey.”I sat down across from him. The room was private, not too cold. Neutral tones, thick carpet, tall windows. A space designed to make final things feel manageable.We didn’t rush.The lawyer explained everything, but we barely listened. We already knew. There was no fight over assets, no long arguments over rights or blame. There had never been any mess between us—just a quiet arrangement, born from need.I flipped through the pages slowly. It felt strange, how easy it was. How quickly things ended when there was no damage to undo.I reached the signature line.He’d already signed.I picked up the pen.My fingers hesitated for just a second. Not
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 65
knew something was different the moment the client pulled me aside. He looked like he had something to say that couldn’t be said in front of cameras. He waited until the end of the panel, after the last flash faded and Bella had stepped aside to speak with one of the stylists.“Mr. Rathore,” he said quietly, hand on my shoulder. “Can we talk for a moment?”“Of course.”We stepped into the shade beneath one of the trees lining the venue courtyard. The crowd was still buzzing behind us, photographers packing up, reporters chatting among themselves. Bella stood in the center of it all—tall, calm, a little flushed from the attention but holding her own effortlessly.He gestured toward her. “You didn’t know, did you?”“Know what?” I asked, my attention snapping back.“That the woman you and Miss Delano helped last week—the one in the parking lot—was my daughter.”I stilled.He nodded slowly. “She never told the hospital who she was. She’s stubborn. Wanted to keep things quiet while she sor
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 64
he call came just after midnight. I was sitting alone at the small desk in our suite, answering emails, pretending I wasn’t listening for her soft footsteps from the other room. I didn’t expect to see her tonight. She had been quieter than usual during dinner, not cold—but pensive. I didn’t push.My phone lit up with her name. Mother. I stared at the screen for a moment before answering. I knew what this was.“Leo.”Her voice was sharp, not angry yet, but on the edge. Controlled. Intentional.“Mother.”“I don’t like what I’m hearing.”I didn’t say anything.“People are talking,” she continued. “The board, the press, your aunt, your uncle—do you know how many calls I’ve taken in the last two days?”“I can imagine.”“You’re embarrassing yourself,” she said. “You’re embarrassing this family.”The words didn’t hit like they used to. There was a time I would’ve flinched. Not anymore.“Is that what you think I’m doing?”“I think you’re letting emotion cloud your judgment. Again. You’re atta
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 63
We were back on the couch again, wine glasses half-full, legs curled loosely beneath us, the dim lamplight softening everything around us. There was something about the way Leo sat—relaxed, patient, dangerously close—that made the air between us buzz, even when we weren’t saying anything important.“Are you ever going to stop looking at me like that?”“Like what?”“Like you’re trying to memorize me.”“Maybe I am.”“You already know what I look like, Leo.”“Not like this. Not after everything. Not when you’re actually letting me near you again.”“I’m not letting you near me. You just keep showing up.”“And you’re letting me stay.”“I didn’t say you could stay.”“You didn’t say I couldn’t.”“…You’re impossible.”“And you’re not saying no.”“Don’t push it.”“I’m not. I’m just sitting here. Drinking wine. Staring at the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”I rolled my eyes, but my lips fought a smile. He leaned forward just slightly, resting his elbow on the back of the couch like he ha
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 62
T he next few days passed like a quiet breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding for years. There were no confessions. No apologies repeated. No grand displays of love. Just small, careful gestures that lingered longer than they should have.Leo didn’t crowd me. He didn’t follow me too closely or fill the air with words just to hear himself speak. He simply stayed close. In step. In sync.When we walked to meetings or down quiet hallways with our clients, he carried my samples without needing to be asked. Not in a way that said he thought I couldn’t, but in a way that said he noticed the way my ankle still bent awkwardly if I put too much pressure on it. He reached for the heavier bags with ease, his hand brushing mine only briefly, and then let the moment pass without making it more than what it was.When we stood beside each other at tables or inside crowded booths, he never touched me first. But if my fingers grazed his, he didn’t move away. Sometimes, without thinking, his hand wo
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 61
The air was cooler by the time I stepped out of bed. The curtains swayed gently from the breeze sneaking in through the open balcony door. I didn’t hear him, but I could feel that I wasn’t alone. The night had that charged stillness, like something was waiting to be said.I walked across the room, barefoot, careful not to put weight on my sore ankle. The ache had dulled to a throb. I reached the doorway and saw him.Leo stood with his back to me, leaning slightly on the railing, one hand resting flat on the cold metal, the other holding a glass he hadn’t taken a sip from. His sleeves were rolled up. His shirt clung gently to his back, just loose enough to move with the breeze.He didn’t turn when I stepped onto the balcony. I think he knew I was there the whole time.“You don’t sleep much, do you?” I asked.His shoulders lifted in a quiet shrug. “Not when I feel like I missed something.”The stars were brighter out here. The sky stretched above us, open and wide, but his voice pulled
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 60
H e came quickly, like he hadn’t hesitated for a second. I didn’t even remember what I sounded like on the phone. Maybe I hadn’t said anything clearly. Maybe all he heard was my voice breaking. But it was enough.The door opened and closed gently behind him. He didn’t ask questions. He just walked to where I stood near the window, eyes red, the necklace still resting against my collarbone.He didn’t say a word.He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, slow and careful, like he was afraid I might fall apart if he moved too fast.I melted into him. For once, I didn’t pull away.His hand slid up my back, the other resting lightly on the back of my head. He didn’t press me or kiss me or try to fix it all in one moment. He just held me like he was making space for the sadness I couldn’t carry alone anymore.We stayed that way for a long time.Eventually, he guided me toward the bed, pulled back the covers, and helped me lie down.He didn’t leave.He slid in beside me, fully cloth
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 59
He didn’t say anything else after placing it in my palm. He just stepped back quietly, giving me room to breathe. My fingers had curled around the necklace before I even realized it. It was instinct. Muscle memory. The second I felt the shape of it the weight, the smooth stone, I couldn’t let go.I couldn’t look up at him either.The box sat open on the table, the air between us still. He didn’t speak, didn’t ask, didn’t reach for me again. He just waited. For what, I didn’t know.But I couldn’t hold it in anymore.“Can you… give me a moment?” I asked softly, my voice tighter than I meant.He nodded. There was no hesitation, no look of confusion or hurt. Just a quiet understanding in the way he stepped out of the room and closed the door gently behind him.The second it clicked shut, something in me broke.I turned away from the door, walked to the far corner of the room with the necklace still in my hand, and sank to the floor. My back hit the side of the bed, my knees folded to my c
