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The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 51
Bella was gone again.Just like that. Like last night didn’t matter. Like I didn’t watch her fall apart in my arms and whisper my name like it still meant something.The bed was a mess. Her perfume still lingered in the room. But she left behind nothing. Not even a damn goodbye.I sat at the edge of the bed, jaw clenched, my fingers gripping the sheet so tight I thought it might tear. I should have gotten used to this by now. But it still hit the same.A knock came from the door. Room service. Breakfast for two. I didn’t even remember ordering it. It didn’t matter now.I didn’t touch it.I just sat there, chest tight, anger building in a place I didn’t know how to reach.My phone buzzed. Dennis.I snatched it up. “Talk.”His voice came in calm, like he didn’t just have answers I’d been chasing for months. “I’ve finished the research you asked for. I confirmed it. Bella and Ryan’s marriage… it’s not real.”I froze.“What?” My voice cracked in the middle.Dennis cleared his throat. “The
Last Updated : 2025-04-07The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 52
Bella’s POVI saw him the second I stepped off the elevator. He was standing by the front desk, talking to someone, but his eyes flicked to me the moment I walked into view. Of course they did. Leo always looked for me like I was something he owned, something he lost but still expected to find again.I kept walking. Not too fast. Not slow enough to be noticed. Just… unaffected. That’s what I wanted him to see. Me, in control. Me, composed. Me, completely untouched by last night.“Bella,” he called out behind me. His voice was calm, but there was a warning in it. Like he knew I’d ignore him, and he wasn’t going to let it slide this time.I stopped near the lobby’s coffee stand. I didn’t turn. I let him come to me.“Tell me the truth,” he said, just close enough for only me to hear. “Is it real? You and Ryan.”His question startled me, and I furrowed my eyebrows. My heart racing in my chest but then I turned, slowly, arms folded, face blank. His jaw was tense. His eyes looked like they
Last Updated : 2025-04-07The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 53
When I had suggested this meeting, I did not expect it to go this far. Not only were we getting all types of calls, but there was so many meetings were were tending to on this trip. I just got an email from a higher representative that stated we had to go meet an important client who was going to be the overall decision-maker in this situation. I didn't want things to escalate to this stage, I had started it for the necklace scheme and getting Leo away from me and somehow it had come to this. I sighed to myself as I sat in front of the mirror. So many things had happened on this trip, my cheeks were heated as I thought back to sharing the same bed with Leo, so much had happened in such a short time. I stopped thinking about it, shaking my head as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. No, it's fine. I just got into the current and that's all. I thought back to his stupid two-weeks play and how he took this as some type of joke. I didn't know what had come over me and why I ha
Last Updated : 2025-04-08The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 54
The car barely stopped before I flung the door open again. I rushed out, grabbing the woman’s arm, helping her as gently as I could. She was crying now, her whole body trembling. “Somebody help us!” I yelled as we got through the doors. “She’s in labor! Someone help!” A nurse rushed toward us with a wheelchair. The woman could barely sit up. She clung to my arm as if it was the only thing keeping her grounded. “Ma’am, you need to let go so we can take her...” “I’m not letting go until you promise me someone’s going to take care of her!” I snapped at the nurse, and she stared at me with widened eyes. One of the nurses stepped forward. “We’ve got her, I promise. Just give us space.” The woman’s nails dug into my arm as they moved her. I didn’t even notice at first but by the time she let go, there were deep red lines scratched along my forearm. I must’ve grazed the metal side of the wheelchair while trying to support her but I didn’t care. “Make sure she’s okay,” I said again, my
Last Updated : 2025-04-09The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 55
The moment the words slipped out, I knew I could not take them back. I saw the confusion on Leo’s face immediately. His brows furrowed hard, his entire body going rigid. He stepped toward me, blocking out everything else in the hospital hallway. “What the hell are you talking about?” he asked, voice low but sharp. I shook my head quickly, stepping back. “It is nothing, forget it.” I tried to turn, tried to walk away, but he caught my wrist in a firm grip. His fingers wrapped around me, not painful, but impossible to shake off. “Let go,” I hissed under my breath, trying to pull free. He said nothing. He only dragged me with him, pulling me around the corner, away from the nurses, away from the people sitting and pretending not to watch. I struggled, but his grip only tightened. His pace was relentless, his body tense with something I could not name. “Leo,” I warned, trying again to yank free. “Stop it. Let me go.” He found an empty corridor and stopped so fast I almost crashed
Last Updated : 2025-04-10The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 56
Leo pov I stood in the empty hallway, my hands still curled into fists at my sides. She was gone. I stared at the doors she had disappeared through, my mind still catching up to the words she had thrown at me like knives. She had been pregnant and she had lost our baby on our wedding day and I had not even known. "What the fuck?" I kept repeating the words like it was going to do anything to change the situation at hand. I felt like I wanted to scream and that I was doing insane at this point. I dragged a hand through my hair, the walls of the hospital blurring in my vision. My body felt stiff, like I was locked in place. I needed to move. I needed to get out of here before I did something stupid. I turned, ready to walk back toward the entrance, when the doors at the other end of the hall banged open. A woman rushed in, hair disheveled, her heels clacking loudly against the tile floor. She looked around wildly, grabbing the first nurse she could find. "My daughter!" she cr
Last Updated : 2025-04-11The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 57
Bella pov I stared at the email, reading it twice before I could even react. Charlotte Emerson. A personal thank you, a celebration trip to show her gratitude and a formal invitation attached, all smiles and warmth. Turned out her daughter had been the woman I'd brought in to the hospital. I barely had time to process it before my phone buzzed. I answered out of habit. "Miss Bella?" a familiar voice said. "This is Charlotte. I just wanted to call personally... to thank you again for helping my daughter. It means more than I can ever say." I mumbled something polite, feeling a knot form in my chest as she continued. "We're hosting a small retreat, just a few friends, a jungle hike, a private dinner. I would be honored if you joined." Of course I agreed. How could I not? But the second I hung up, reality hit hard. Leo would be there. The last person I wanted to see, the one person I could not pretend around anymore. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the half-packed su
Last Updated : 2025-04-12The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 58
I had forced myself to stop looking at her. Every glance made her shrink smaller inside herself, and I told myself, if I cared at all, I had to let her breathe. I leaned against a tree casually, folding my arms, pretending to care about the conversation circling the group. I smiled once or twice at jokes I did not hear, nodded at things I could not remember. But somewhere between pretending and forcing it, I glanced back. And she was gone. The spot where she had been standing was empty, like she had never been there at all. My fingers twitched against my arm. I pushed off the tree casually, slow enough not to draw attention, and moved around the group, pretending to scan the trail. "Bella?" I called low under my breath, hoping I was wrong. Hoping she was just a few steps ahead, fixing her shoe, tying her jacket. No answer. I thought I was going to lose my mind. I started walking faster, heart slamming harder with every step. The trail thinned quickly, trees tightening around i
Last Updated : 2025-04-13
Latest chapter
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 91
I heard a voice. It was deep and sudden, and my whole body locked up. I turned so fast that my heart slammed against my ribs. My hand reached for the closest thing—a charger sitting on the table. I gripped it tight, lifting it high, ready to defend myself.Footsteps came toward me. Closer. Too close. I screamed and swung hard.But strong hands grabbed my wrist before I could hit anything. I screamed again, fighting against the grip, my chest rising and falling as I struggled to pull free. Then I heard it.Leo’s voice, low and urgent, said my name, said it was him. I blinked fast, vision blurring from panic and tears, and finally saw his face. His eyes were wide with concern. I dropped the charger. My knees buckled.He caught me instantly, one arm locking around my waist, the other cradling my head. I crashed into his chest, face buried against his shirt, sobs breaking free before I could stop them. I shook in his arms, unable to speak at first.He lowered us both to the couch, never l
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 90
My head was still spinning, but at least now I could see.The light above flickered faintly as I sat against the cold wall, legs tucked under me. Leo was right beside me, crouched low, one hand gripping mine, the other rubbing small circles along my back. He hadn't moved from my side since they untied me. His jacket was around my shoulders.When the paramedics finished checking my pulse and cleared me for now, I turned my face toward him, voice small. "Where are they? The ones who took me?"He looked up slowly, jaw flexed. "They ran. Police chased them, but by the time they got into the building, the whole place was empty. Except for you."I swallowed, letting that sink in. "Where is this place?"He stood up halfway and scanned the shadows around us. "Old warehouse. Not far from the main road. Looked abandoned.""How did you even find me?"He looked at me then, finally sitting beside me. "Your phone. You left it in the car. I tracked it, but when I got to the street and saw the car wi
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 89
My head felt heavy, like someone had dropped a rock on it. I groaned softly, trying to move, but something was wrapped tightly across my face. I blinked under the blindfold, confused and tense. It took a few seconds before I realized my hands were pulled back and tied. Not just tied, they were tight. The rope scratched against my skin every time I tried to move.My ankles were bound too. My body was flat against something hard and cold—probably a floor. My breathing turned shallow as I tried to sit up, twisting my wrists, pulling hard. Nothing gave.I turned my head slightly, hoping for sound, for anything."Hello?" My voice cracked. It sounded small, echoing against bare walls.I swallowed, my throat dry. "Please. Who are you? What do you want from me?"There was no answer. Just the hum of quiet. My chest tightened.Footsteps approached, slow and controlled. My body stiffened as I turned my head toward the sound. I didn’t know who it was. My heart raced.Then came a voice. One I knew
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 88
The sunlight was already peeking through the curtains when I opened my eyes. The bed felt warm beside me, his arm still lazily draped over my waist. I shifted a little, and he stirred, his lips brushing against my shoulder.“Morning,” he mumbled, voice low and thick with sleep.I turned to face him, smiling. “Morning.”He leaned in slowly and kissed my forehead, then my cheek, then finally my lips. It was soft, slow, like he wasn’t ready to let me leave yet.“You sure you have to go?” he asked, his hand sliding to my lower back.I laughed, dragging my fingers through his messy hair. “Yes, I have to work. You do too.”He groaned and buried his face in my neck, then kissed my collarbone once before finally letting me sit up.We both got ready quietly, stealing glances in the mirror as we moved around each other. At one point, he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind while I was putting on my lipstick, resting his chin on my shoulder and swaying me side to side.When it was time t
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 87
By the time we got home, I couldn’t even remember the last time I smiled that much. The ride back was quiet, but the kind of quiet that made you feel full inside. My head rested against the seat, his hand holding mine the whole way, his thumb brushing lazy circles over my skin.As soon as we stepped into the house, he locked the door behind us, tossed the keys into the bowl near the wall, and turned to me.I stood in the hallway, slipping off my shoes, when I felt his eyes on me.I glanced up. “What?”He didn’t answer. Just stepped closer and reached out, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. His hand stayed there, cupping the side of my face.“You still look like trouble,” he muttered.I rolled my eyes. “You said that at dinner.”“Still true.”He leaned in and kissed me slowly. No rush, no pressure, just lips that knew where to find mine and fingers that held me still. I kissed him back, my arms sliding up around his neck, pulling him closer.Somewhere between that kiss and the nex
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 86
I was still standing there, stunned, like my body hadn't caught up to my mind.Everything had happened so fast. The slamming of the door, Stella’s yelling, Julie on her knees. The slap. My fingers still tingled from it. Not from pain, but from the shock of doing it.Leo turned to me, voice low. “Are you okay?”I nodded slowly. “I’m… I’m fine. Just a little shaken.”His hand gently rested on my lower back, grounding me. “I’m sorry,” he said. “For all of that. It won’t happen again.”I nodded again, this time more firmly. But something was still tugging at the back of my mind.“Leo,” I said, hesitating a little. “Before we go… I need to ask you something.”He glanced down at me. “What is it?”I bit the inside of my cheek. “When Julie came in earlier… I saw something on her hand. A scar.”He furrowed his brows. “A scar?”I nodded. “Just a quick glimpse. But it looked familiar. I’ve seen it before, a long time ago. I can’t shake it off.”Leo looked thoughtful. His fingers tapped lightly a
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 85
It didn’t matter how many reports they dumped on my desk or how many meetings I sat through with a straight face. My mind stayed locked on her. Bella. Every damn second.I stood between her legs while she sat on the edge of my desk, her fingers lazily playing with my tie like she didn’t know what she was doing to me. My hands were at her waist, holding her close, pressing her gently toward me.“You don’t know how much I’ve been thinking about you,” I murmured, brushing my lips against her cheek. “Every second I was away, I was imagining this.”She smiled, sliding her hands to the back of my neck. “You did text me like four times, not exactly subtle.”“I missed you. I don’t care how it looks.”Her kiss landed softly at the corner of my mouth. I caught it with mine, deepening it, moving one hand up her spine and pulling her body tighter against mine. The taste of her, the scent of her skin, everything about her made it hard to think.“We should go home,” I whispered against her mouth. “
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 84
By the time I stepped back into the house, I didn’t care about Stella’s voice calling after me. She could cry all she wanted. I was done listening to her.The second I walked through the door, Bella was right there. She looked up from the couch, startled, but before she could say a word, I reached her.I wrapped my arms around her tightly. Her body stiffened for a moment, then she relaxed into me.“I missed you,” I said into her hair, holding her like it had been months instead of hours.She pulled back slightly to look at me. I cupped her face gently, my thumbs brushing her cheeks.“Bella,” I said, watching her eyes. “It was never your fault. The cake, Stella fainting—it was all planned. She tampered with it. With Julie. I saw the footage myself.”Her lips parted slowly. She stared at me in disbelief.“Wait… what?” she asked. “She did what?”“They infused the cake with something before handing it to you. Then made sure you delivered it. Dennis got the footage.”Bella blinked at me, h
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 83
Leo pov The streets were quiet, but my head wasn’t.As I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles went pale. I kept thinking about that night from the wedding. Everything felt blurry back then but not anymore. The way Bella had looked at me when she said she lost the baby... the way she said she walked to the hospital alone... it kept replaying.Why didn’t I notice something was wrong? Why didn’t I look for her that night? Why the hell did I let my own bride vanish while I was placing a necklace around someone else's neck?I shook my head and hit the gas harder.Dennis had better have answers. He said I needed to see something, something about that night. And I didn’t care if it was midnight or worse. I wasn’t going to sleep until I knew everything.When I finally pulled into the lot, the building was mostly dark. Only one light glowed in the upper corner.I took the stairs two at a time.The office was silent when I pushed the door open. Dennis was there, seated at the long conferenc
