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Darker
Last Updated:
2024-12-30 07:39:17
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The bride's stand-In stella
Morning Light and ChoicesEvelyn stirred as the soft warmth of sunlight kissed her face, filtering through the open window. The golden rays danced across the room, casting delicate patterns onto the walls and the polished floor. She blinked slowly, her mind a haze of half-remembered dreams and lingering tension from the previous night. The weight of her new reality pressed against her chest, but for a moment, she let herself bask in the light.Sitting up, Evelyn stretched, the silky sheets sliding from her shoulders. Her gaze fell on the exquisite gown draped carefully over a nearby chair. It was breathtaking—a deep crimson dress with delicate gold embroidery tracing patterns along the hem and bodice. The fabric shimmered faintly in the morning light, exuding elegance and power.Before she could rise to examine it, the door opened, and the maids entered, their presence as quiet as a whisper. Behind them, Artemis followed, her fiery red hair swept into a sleek bun. She wore a black but
Last Updated : 2024-12-31The bride's stand-In Auction
The first thing she registered was the faint, insistent tug at the edges of her sleep—like invisible hands pulling her back from the comforting void of dreams. A soft knock. Then the creak of a door opening. Voices murmured, too hushed for her groggy mind to decipher. And then, before she could fully grasp where she was, hands—cool, efficient—wrapped around her arms and pulled her upright.Evelyn blinked against the dim morning light, her lashes fluttering as the world swam into focus. She was sitting now, though she didn’t remember how she got there, her body still sluggish with exhaustion. A glance at the ornate clock on the far wall told her it was barely past six-thirty in the morning.Too early. Far too early.She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could utter a word, someone was already tipping her chin up, assessing her face as if she were nothing more than a blank canvas. And then, just like that, the transformation began.She was not given a choice.They worked on he
Last Updated : 2025-02-06The bride's stand-In Disrupt
Evelyn was still reeling. The sheer weight of the moment, the staggering sum of money Michael had just spent, left her breathless. The murmurs in the room had yet to die down, whispers slipping through the cracks of hushed astonishment.One billion dollars. Just like that.The auctioneer, though visibly shaken, regained his composure. Clearing his throat, he turned toward Michael with a professional smile.“Congratulations, Mr. volkov."Michael barely reacted. A flick of his fingers. A nod. As if this was routine.And then—He turned.Without hesitation, without fanfare, without even looking at the masterpiece he had just won—He gave it away.“To Mr. Michael Volkov.”A murmur swept through the hall, this one different. Sharper. A ripple of confusion, intrigue, and something else—something darker.Evelyn’s breath hitched.Michael Volkov.She knew that name. Everyone did.A shadow in the world of power and wealth, Volkov’s presence was synonymous with control—an empire built on whisper
Last Updated : 2025-02-06The bride's stand-In Better?
When they finally arrived back at the mansion, the heavy, oppressive silence that had clung to the car ride seemed to follow them inside. Evelyn felt as though she were walking through a fog, each step weighted with the horror of what had just transpired. Her body was still trembling, her thoughts scattered like fragments of broken glass. The images of masked gunmen, the cold, calculated way Michael had handled the situation—it all replayed in her mind like a never-ending loop.She barely registered the grandiose interior of the mansion as she was led upstairs. The towering walls, the gleaming marble floors, and the opulence of it all felt so distant, so detached from the raw fear coursing through her veins. The servants were swift and efficient, almost too quick in their haste to tend to her. They didn’t ask questions, just led her to her room and helped her into bed.Her heart still raced, her skin clammy with sweat, and the faint taste of metal lingered in her mouth. She had barely
Last Updated : 2025-02-06The bride's stand-In Breakfast
The next morning arrived with a strange stillness, the sun’s rays casting an almost artificial calm through the large windows of the mansion. Evelyn had barely slept, her mind still replaying every moment of the previous night, each detail becoming more vivid with the passing hours. She stared at the ceiling, her thoughts tangled and restless, wondering if things could ever return to normal.When the soft knock on her door came, it startled her. Without waiting for a response, one of the maids entered, offering a polite smile before announcing that breakfast was ready.Evelyn rubbed her eyes, feeling a knot of unease in her stomach. She had hoped that the silence from Michael would somehow bring clarity, but it hadn’t. Instead, she felt more confused, more conflicted than ever. She couldn’t erase the memory of his cold calmness during the chaos, nor the way he had looked at her last night—like she was both a prize to protect and a pawn to control.Reluctantly, she rose from the bed an
Last Updated : 2025-02-06The bride's stand-In Tour
After Michael’s departure, the house felt even more suffocating. The stillness of the mansion pressed in on Evelyn, every corner of the large estate filled with opulence but also a sense of emptiness. She needed space, a break from the tension, and so she decided to wander. Her footsteps echoed softly on the marble floors as she moved down the hallway. The mansion was massive, each room seemingly more lavish than the last, but the grandeur only added to her sense of isolation. The walls were adorned with paintings that seemed to stare down at her, their expressions frozen in time. Some were dark, moody portraits, others bright landscapes, but they all seemed disconnected from her reality, as if they belonged to a different world entirely. She passed by rooms she hadn’t yet explored, their doors elegantly carved, leading to places she could only imagine. The house was like a maze, one she hadn’t yet figured out. The heavy silence enveloped her, and she instinctively moved to a window
Last Updated : 2025-02-06The bride's stand-In Deal
The entire conversation was suffocating—at least, it was for Evelyn. She sat in rigid silence, every muscle in her body coiled tight as she prayed that Michael wouldn’t expose the truth. That he wouldn’t tell them they had never consummated anything. That she was still a virgin.Every time he so much as parted his lips, her breath hitched, her fingers curled against the fabric of her gown, and her heart clenched in apprehension. But each time, he withheld the truth, letting the conversation flow without disruption. Relief would flood her, only to be replaced by another wave of tension the moment he spoke again.The maids had done their work well earlier, adorning her in a gown that matched the soft blue of her large, watery eyes. Her red hair cascaded in perfect curls around her shoulders, framing her delicate features. To the outside world, she must have looked like a porcelain doll—flawless, fragile, untouchable.But inside, she was anything but.Though the discussion proceeded smoo
Last Updated : 2025-02-10The bride's stand-In Evelyn
The world skittered to a halt. Evelyn’s body was paralyzed again. This always happened when she heard this name. When it came to that man, her fear always got the better of her.“Princess!” the maid grabbed onto her shoulders and had to shake her firmly for her to come back to her senses.Evelyn whipped her head to look at Michael, clenching her fists to stop her fingers from shaking. She could not show him this cowering side of her anymore. Unlike her, who was almost being rendered useless by her panic and fear, Michael was calm and unbothered as he leaned there, his position not moving from before. She opened her mouth to speak but shut it close again even before a word managed to get past her lips.She was about to beg him to take her away. She wanted to tell him they should leave this place together or at least have him just escort her out of the palace to a safer place that Brandon could not reach. But then she remembered—she could not ask anything from this man. She must not beg
Last Updated : 2025-02-10
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The bride's stand-In Happy ending
"You can't remove that yet! Not unless your doctor says it’s okay to do so." Michael’s voice was firm as he stood beside Evelyn, watching her with a gaze that allowed no room for argument.Before she could reply, the door swung open, and a woman in a white coat stepped in. Her sharp eyes landed on them, catching the tail end of Michael’s words."Actually… it’s perfectly fine for her to remove it," the doctor interjected with a calm smile. "Sir."Evelyn lifted a brow, shooting Michael a knowing look. Her eyes practically shouted, See?Michael let out a slow, heavy sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if fighting an unseen battle. "Fine," he muttered. "But let the doctor do it." His voice was still firm, but he stepped back, allowing the doctor to proceed before he turned and exited the room.By the time everything was settled and Evelyn was ready to leave, she saw Michael speaking with the doctor, his tone low and controlled. When she shifted to stand on her own, he was there in an
The bride's stand-In exactly
Michael couldn’t relax. Even after Lorna had given her diagnosis, even after the room had settled into silence, his body remained taut with tension.His reaction earlier had been… unexpected. Shocking, even. He hadn’t anticipated it—not the panic, not the overwhelming force of emotion that had slammed into him the moment he saw her tears. Evelyn had done it again. She had shattered whatever semblance of control he thought he had over himself.It was infuriating.To think that just seeing her cry could shake him so deeply… that just the touch of her cold skin had sent something dangerously close to fear spiraling through him. Fuck. He was in too deep. This woman had thoroughly and utterly ruined him.Now, he didn’t know what to do.Didn’t know what to say.He could only hold her. Could only pull her into his arms, press her close, and hope that his warmth seeped into her body. Because anything else—any words, any action—felt like it would only make things worse.He didn’t want to see h
The bride's stand-In Vulnerable
The moment Evelyn turned her back to him and walked away, the dam that had been holding strong all this time finally crumbled. Her tears, long restrained, gushed forth like a deluge of rain.It had been so long since she had allowed herself to cry outside the suffocating confines of her darkened room. She had trained herself to never shed tears in the presence of others. Crying made her feel exposed, fragile—something she had fought against for years. Especially in front of her father and Brandon Haze, she had refused to break. No matter how deep their words had cut, no matter how much pain they had inflicted upon her, she had never given them the satisfaction of seeing her crumble. Silence had always been her weapon, a shield stronger than any steel. And she had wielded it perfectly.But with Michael… everything was different.She did not understand why, but around him, it was unbearably difficult to hold back. She had thought she could at least hold in her emotions until she reached
The bride's stand-In Evelyn
Evelyn fell silent. The lump in her throat tightened when he mentioned a condition. Her anger toward him hadn’t vanished—she had simply forced herself to swallow it down. But now, hearing that he was about to set another rule, another ridiculous demand, had her emotions surging once more.However, what Michael said next rendered her mute.Snow White?She hadn’t expected him to bring up the wolf, let alone sound so sour about it. Why did he seem irritated now? Hadn’t he helped her save the poor creature? So why was he suddenly acting like he despised Snow White?A quiet hesitation lingered in the air. But eventually, she nodded.If this was all he wanted, then fine. It wasn’t like he was asking for much—not letting Snow White sleep in their bed? That wasn’t so bad. It still meant she could cuddle the wolf anywhere else. Perhaps Michael just had an issue with wolf fur in his sheets.“Fine… I’ll keep him off the bed,” she relented, her voice clipped. “Now, talk. Explain.”She didn’t want
The bride's stand-In whatever you want
Micheal just stared at her in silence. The words she had spoken moments ago seemed to echo in the air between them, heavier than before. Evelyn had dropped her gaze, almost as if afraid to meet his eyes again, and now leaned her forehead against the wolf curled in her arms. It was as though she were trying to shield herself, wrapping around the creature like he was her only anchor.The sight of it made something dark and unfamiliar stir within him.Her small shoulders trembled faintly, her fiery hair spilling over the wolf’s thick white fur. The contrast was striking—like blood on snow, something pure being swallowed by something far too heavy, too painful. And yet, she clung to the animal with a quiet desperation, as if letting go would mean losing the only thing grounding her in this moment.Micheal pulled back slightly, his movements slow and measured. He didn’t want to startle her. Not when she already looked so fragile. Not when he could sense something in her that felt too close
The bride's stand-In Possesive
Michael stood frozen at the threshold of the dimly lit bedroom, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the floor. His grey eyes, sharp as a blade’s edge, landed on the scene before him, and something inside him coiled tight—dangerously tight.Evelyn lay curled on the massive bed, her body wrapped around something—or rather, someone.Snow White.The large white wolf, with his thick fur and unsettlingly intelligent eyes, lay beside her, his breathing slow and steady. But Michael barely spared the animal more than a glance. His focus was on her. On the way her delicate fingers were buried in the wolf’s thick fur. On the way her body pressed so trustingly, so intimately, against the creature’s warmth. And worst of all, the way her face—so serene, so utterly content—was nestled against its back.Michael’s expression did not change at first. He was too stunned to react.Seconds passed. Then, his lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line.His jaw ticked once. Then twice.A slow, simmerin
The bride's stand-In rion
As soon as Evelyn pulled open the cage door, she stepped back, her fingers gripping the doorknob tightly. Just in case Snow White decided to lunge at her, she wanted to be ready—ready to dart out and call for Rion and Raven to help put the wolf back inside its cage.Her heart pounded, echoing in her ears like a war drum. Snow White remained inside the cage, his pale eyes watching her with an unreadable expression. He wasn’t moving, wasn’t baring his fangs, wasn’t doing anything she had feared he might do.Evelyn swallowed, uncertainty gripping her. Had she made a mistake?Then, slowly, the wolf tilted his head. The movement was so small yet so deliberate that it almost seemed… questioning.Somehow, that made Evelyn feel guilty.She let out a soft breath and, instead of standing there frozen, crouched near the open door. She extended her hand, palm facing up, voice gentle as she coaxed him. “Come here, baby…”For a moment, the air hung still between them.Then, to her shock, Snow White
The bride's stand-In Touch
The wolf stilled at her touch.Evelyn had hesitated before finally gathering the courage to extend her hand and brush her fingers against its snowy white tail. The soft texture surprised her—it was thicker and woolier than she had expected, a mix of coarse and silky strands that seemed to shimmer under the dim lighting.Holding her breath, she waited for a reaction. She thought the wolf would jerk away, snarl, or even bare its teeth at her for daring to touch it. But none of that happened. It remained completely still, unbothered. Almost… indifferent.Cautiously, she stroked its fur again, this time moving her fingers in a slow, gentle rhythm. Still, there was no response.Her tense shoulders finally eased a little. If the wolf had been aggressive or hostile, it would have made that clear by now, wouldn’t it? Or was it just too exhausted to react? Was it still in pain from its injuries?“Hey… Snow White, baby?” Evelyn murmured, softening her voice, instinctively trying to comfort the
The bride's stand-In plan
A distant howl broke through the silence of the night.Evelyn paused, her fingers tightening around the blanket draped over her lap. The sound echoed through the castle walls, low and mournful, stirring something deep inside her.Wolves.It shouldn’t have been surprising. The Reigns estate sat atop a forested hill, surrounded by sprawling wilderness. The occasional howl wasn’t uncommon. And yet… this was the first time she had truly heard one since she arrived.Her mind immediately flashed back to the snow-white wolf they had rescued.She had forgotten about it completely in the whirlwind of everything that had happened. The secrets. The lies. Michael locking her away like a prisoner. But now, hearing that call in the night, she couldn’t help but wonder.Where was the wolf now?It must still be healing, right?Michael had assigned a medical team to tend to it—an elite one, no doubt. They would have done their job well. The wolf had to be getting better by now. Right?A sudden urge gri
