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last update Last Updated: 2025-04-28 19:51:50

Leo was already pulling his phone out before I could say a word.

I stood there, frozen in the middle of the living room, watching him pace near the window as he barked into the phone.

"Dennis, get access to every street camera near the house," Leo said, his voice tight but controlled. "Side roads too. Look for a kid, maybe with a backpack, moving fast. Alone."

He paused, listening, his hand curling into a fist at his side.

"Use our contacts if you have to," he added after a second. "I want eyes on every damn corner."

I hugged my arms around myself, feeling like the walls were closing in.

The idea of Jack out there, scared and alone, made my stomach twist painfully.

Without thinking, I turned and headed down the hallway where I found Ryan sitting stiffly on the edge of the couch, staring at the floor like he couldn't move.

I sat down beside him, close enough that our knees brushed.

"This is my fault," I said, my voice cracking as I reached out to touch his arm. "I should have been more
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    I stood there for a second, trying to wrap my head around what Leo had just said."Your house?" I repeated, glancing at Ryan, who looked just as confused as I felt.Ryan shook his head slowly, his hands tightening into fists at his sides."Why would he be there?" he muttered under his breath.I turned back to Leo, searching his face for some kind of answer, but he was already moving, grabbing his keys off the counter, his shoulders tense."There’s no time for this," Leo said, his voice clipped. "We’ll ask questions later. Right now, we need to get there."Without another word, we hurried out the door, piling into Leo’s car.I barely remembered buckling my seatbelt, my hands trembling the whole drive.Leo gripped the steering wheel tightly, his jaw locked, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror more than once like he couldn’t drive fast enough.Ryan sat stiffly beside me, tapping his foot anxiously against the floor mat, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.When we finally pulled

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  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   72

    We stepped inside, the soft murmur of conversation floating down the long hallway.I kept my head down at first, still overwhelmed by the day, but the moment I looked up, I stopped dead in my tracks.Standing near the grand staircase, arms folded, was Leo’s mother and just a few steps behind her, Stella.I froze, my heart kicking up painfully, old instincts screaming at me to turn around, to run before history repeated itself.Leo noticed immediately, he slowed beside me, glancing once at the stiffness in my body, then following my gaze.Without missing a beat, he reached for my hand, threading his fingers tightly through mine.The simple gesture grounded me, but it also sent a jolt of heat straight to my chest.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Stella stiffen, her hand flying to her mouth like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Leo’s mother narrowed her eyes, scanning the space between us like she was trying to rewrite the reality in front of her."What is going on here?" she

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Latest chapter

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   77

    For a moment, I couldn't move.The sight of the woman sitting there, dressed like that, laughing like it was funny, held me frozen in place.I was still trying to make sense of it when she stood up and sauntered closer, her hips swaying.Before I could react, she reached out, sliding her hand around the back of my neck.I jerked away instinctively, shoving her hand off hard enough that she stumbled back a step."Don’t touch me," I snapped, raising my voice.She blinked, startled, but that didn’t stop her.She stepped forward again, reaching for me like she thought she could fix it somehow.I didn’t give her the chance.I shoved her aside, not hard enough to hurt, but enough that she crashed back onto the edge of the bed."Stay away from me," I barked, the words vibrating in the tight space between us.She flinched, her hands scrambling at the sheets, her wide eyes flicking up to meet mine.As I turned to leave, my hand already on the door, I heard her scrambling behind me."Wait," she

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   76

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  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   75

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  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   74

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  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   73

    Leo povI kept Bella’s hand in mine as we made our way down the hall toward the study where Dennis waited.He was already standing near the desk when we walked in, his phone in one hand, a stack of papers in the other.The second he saw us, he set everything down and straightened."I checked the security footage like you asked," Dennis said, his voice calm but tight. "We found out how Jack got here."I stepped closer, my grip tightening slightly on Bella’s hand.Dennis glanced between us before continuing."It was your cousin," he said carefully. "He found Jack wandering near your old house. Instead of calling anyone... he brought him straight here."I stared at him, blinking once, slow and heavy."My cousin?" I repeated, my voice sharper than I meant.Dennis nodded grimly. "The footage is clear. He guided Jack into the car, drove him here, and left him at the gate."I raked a hand through my hair, pacing a short step away before turning back."Why the hell would he do that?" I mutter

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   72

    We stepped inside, the soft murmur of conversation floating down the long hallway.I kept my head down at first, still overwhelmed by the day, but the moment I looked up, I stopped dead in my tracks.Standing near the grand staircase, arms folded, was Leo’s mother and just a few steps behind her, Stella.I froze, my heart kicking up painfully, old instincts screaming at me to turn around, to run before history repeated itself.Leo noticed immediately, he slowed beside me, glancing once at the stiffness in my body, then following my gaze.Without missing a beat, he reached for my hand, threading his fingers tightly through mine.The simple gesture grounded me, but it also sent a jolt of heat straight to my chest.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Stella stiffen, her hand flying to her mouth like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Leo’s mother narrowed her eyes, scanning the space between us like she was trying to rewrite the reality in front of her."What is going on here?" she

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   71

    I stood there for a second, trying to wrap my head around what Leo had just said."Your house?" I repeated, glancing at Ryan, who looked just as confused as I felt.Ryan shook his head slowly, his hands tightening into fists at his sides."Why would he be there?" he muttered under his breath.I turned back to Leo, searching his face for some kind of answer, but he was already moving, grabbing his keys off the counter, his shoulders tense."There’s no time for this," Leo said, his voice clipped. "We’ll ask questions later. Right now, we need to get there."Without another word, we hurried out the door, piling into Leo’s car.I barely remembered buckling my seatbelt, my hands trembling the whole drive.Leo gripped the steering wheel tightly, his jaw locked, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror more than once like he couldn’t drive fast enough.Ryan sat stiffly beside me, tapping his foot anxiously against the floor mat, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.When we finally pulled

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   70

    Leo was already pulling his phone out before I could say a word.I stood there, frozen in the middle of the living room, watching him pace near the window as he barked into the phone."Dennis, get access to every street camera near the house," Leo said, his voice tight but controlled. "Side roads too. Look for a kid, maybe with a backpack, moving fast. Alone."He paused, listening, his hand curling into a fist at his side."Use our contacts if you have to," he added after a second. "I want eyes on every damn corner."I hugged my arms around myself, feeling like the walls were closing in.The idea of Jack out there, scared and alone, made my stomach twist painfully.Without thinking, I turned and headed down the hallway where I found Ryan sitting stiffly on the edge of the couch, staring at the floor like he couldn't move.I sat down beside him, close enough that our knees brushed."This is my fault," I said, my voice cracking as I reached out to touch his arm. "I should have been more

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   69

    I barely remembered the drive to Ryan’s place. My grip on the wheel was so tight my knuckles hurt.Every minute Bella stayed silent, every minute I did not hear her voice, my patience thinned to nothing.I pulled up hard in front of the house, the tires kicking dust across the sidewalk.The door was cracked open slightly. No sound came from inside.I did not wait. I shoved the door wider and stepped in without knocking, my fists already curled, my chest heaving with the anger I had been holding back for too long.Ryan sat slumped on the couch, his elbows resting heavily on his knees, staring blankly at the floor.He didn’t even flinch when I entered."What the hell did you do to her?" I said, my voice cutting through the stillness.He looked up slowly, his eyes bloodshot and unfocused, like he wasn’t really seeing me.My temper snapped.I crossed the room in three long strides, grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and hauled him halfway off the couch."Talk," I growled, shoving him back ha

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