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Chapter 18

Author: Michy Gaza
last update Last Updated: 2024-11-30 00:37:09

The morning sunlight glinted off the stained glass of St. Augustine’s Cathedral, casting colors across the polished floors and filling the grand space with a kaleidoscope of brilliance.

The high arches and delicate carvings on the walls stretched toward the heavens, creating a scene as extravagant as the lives of those gathered to witness it.

Among the Caldwell family’s friends and allies, whispers lingered like a trail of perfume, who was this quiet, unknown “daughter” about to wed one of the city’s most powerful heirs?

In a quiet room at the back of the cathedral, Sarah stood alone in front of a tall mirror, adjusting her veil.

The dress was a shimmering cascade of lace, custom made by the city’s most celebrated designer.

Her shoulders were bare, her neck long and graceful beneath the delicate tulle draping her arms.

Around her neck was a piece she had crafted herself, an intricate choker of diamonds and rose quartz, delicate petals winding together in patterns of leaves and blooms,
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    Alexander’s smirk broke through the tension like a sharp knife through silk.He tilted his head slightly, a glint of amusement in his eyes.“Well,” he said, leaning back in his chair with exaggerated nonchalance, “since you want to consummate our marriage. We should at least make an attempt at the… consummation part.”Sarah raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching in amusement. “Oh? And how exactly do you propose we do that, dear husband?”He gestured dramatically to his wheelchair, his tone light but laced with challenge. “Clearly, you’ll need to help me into bed. After all, it seems I’m destined to be a burden.” His grin widened as he added, “And since I’m completely at your mercy, you’ll have to do all the work tonight.”Sarah folded her arms, giving him a long, appraising look. “All the work, huh?” she echoed, her voice playful. “You sound awfully confident for someone so helpless.”Alexander chuckled, the sound low and rich. “Helpless is my brand, darling. But don’t worry, I’m sure

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    Sarah lay sprawled across the bed, her figure illuminated by the moonlight.Her long hair spilled over the pillow, curling like dark tendrils against the white linen.At some point, she had rolled closer to him, her arm now draped across his chest in a way that was both unexpected and… comforting.Alexander froze, unsure of what to do.The woman who had spent the day sparring with him, teasing him with her quick wit and sharp tongue, now looked impossibly serene.Her lips, which had delivered more barbed remarks than he could count, were slightly parted as she breathed in and out, soft and rhythmic.Her long lashes cast delicate shadows over her cheeks.For a moment, the sight of her distracted him from everything else, the investigation, the pretense, the world outside their bedroom.She sighed in her sleep, her brow twitching slightly as if she were reacting to some dream he couldn’t see.The sound was so soft, so unguarded, that it sent a pang through him.How is it that you’re alw

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    The atmosphere in the boardroom was electric with tension.The heavy oak doors creaked open, and Alexander entered, Sarah following close behind.She immediately felt the weight of the room’s scrutiny, powerful gazes appraising, dismissing, and judging her presence.At the head of the long table sat Lawrence Blake, Alexander’s father, his face a storm of barely contained fury. Beside him, a man who bore a striking resemblance to him, his younger brother, Gerald Blake, leaned back in his chair, exuding smug satisfaction.“Ah, Alexander,” Gerald drawled, his smile as sharp as a knife. “So good of you to join us.”Alexander’s jaw tightened. “I wasn’t aware I had a choice,” he said coolly, wheeling himself toward the table.Sarah kept her head down, trying to remain inconspicuous as she took a seat at the edge of the room.But her eyes never left Alexander, who radiated restrained anger as he parked his wheelchair at the table’s head, directly opposite his uncle.“I’m sure you’ve been inf

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    The air turned electric as Darius’s boots pounded the forest floor, his rifle cradled tight against his shoulder. His men moved ahead of him like shadows, silent, fast, lethal.Their coordinated breaths were drowned out by the distant echoes of gunfire erupting from the estate.Alexander was still fighting.He was alive.But for how long?“Alpha to all units,” Darius growled into his earpiece, “entry on my mark. Hostile count is high. Primary objective, get Alexander out alive. Secondary level anyone who tries to stop us.”“Copy that,” came a chorus of calm, battle hardened voices.Behind him, the night swallowed his words.But not all of it.He turned briefly, his sharp gaze locking onto Sarah, who stood beside the black SUV Darius had arrived in. Her body trembled, her eyes red from tears, but she had not collapsed.She hadn’t fallen apart.And that, Darius admired deeply.“Can you drive?” he asked, voice hard but not unkind.Sarah blinked, startled. “What?”“If this goes south, we’

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