All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

The office felt suffocating. Elara stared at the contract on her desk. A merger agreement she’d been reviewing for the past hour, but the words blurred together. All she could think about was Damian’s cold demeanor at breakfast, so different from the man who had kissed her last night.A knock on her door made her jump. “Come in,” she called, straightening her posture.Mia, her assistant, poked her head in. “Mr. Blackwood requests your presence in the conference room. The Chen merger team is here early.”Of course they were. Elara gathered her files, checking her reflection in her phone’s dark screen. Professional. Composed. Everything a corporate lawyer should be.The conference room was already full when she arrived. Damian stood at the head of the table, commanding the room’s attention as he always did. Their eyes met briefly as she entered, and for a moment, she thought she saw something flicker in his expression.“Mrs. Blackwood,” he said formally, “please walk us through the lega

Elara awoke the next morning wrapped in luxurious bedsheets, a contented sigh escaping her lips. The memories of the previous night—Damian’s hands tracing her curves, their bodies moving together in a heated rhythm, sent a shiver down her spine.She reached out, expecting to find him beside her, but the space was empty. Frowning, she propped herself up on one elbow, taking in the rumpled sheets and the discarded clothing scattered across the floor. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she spotted Damian’s silk tie, a silent reminder of their passionate surrender to temptation.The sound of the shower cutting off drew her attention to the ensuite bathroom. Moments later, Damian emerged, a towel slung low on his hips, water droplets glistening on his toned chest. Elara’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of him.“Good morning,” he said, his deep voice sending a jolt of electricity through her.“Morning,” she replied, unable to tear her eyes away as he approached the bed.

The next morning, Elara waited patiently as Damian got ready for work. She’d told him she wasn’t feeling well and would stay home to rest today. As he leaned down to kiss her forehead goodbye, guilt twisted in her stomach at the deception.“Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?” Damian asked, his dark eyes filled with concern. “I can work from home today if you need me.”Elara managed a weak smile, pulling the covers up higher. “No, you go ahead. I just need some sleep. I’ll be fine by the time you get back.”After Damian finally left, Elara sprang into action. She rushed through her morning routine, her hands trembling slightly as she applied her makeup. The pearl necklace Damian had given her caught her eye in the mirror, and she touched it gently, drawing strength from what it represented.She chose her outfit carefully. A tailored navy blue suit that projected both confidence and respectability. If she was going to confront Serena Blackwood, she needed every advantage she could get.—

Damian Blackwood stood in his empty office, staring at his phone for the hundredth time that day. No calls. No messages. No trace of Elara since yesterday. The evening sun cast long shadows across the marble floors, highlighting the emptiness of the space that had felt so alive just days ago when Elara’s laughter filled these rooms.A half-empty wine glass sat on the coffee table – Victoria’s lipstick staining its rim. The sight of it made his stomach turn. He grabbed the glass and hurled it against the wall, watching it shatter into a thousand glittering pieces. Like his life. Like his heart.“She’s not coming back, is she?” Victoria’s voice cut through his thoughts. She lingered in the doorway, fully dressed now in her designer suit, her expression unreadable. The confidence she’d worn like armor earlier had cracked, revealing uncertainty beneath.“Get out.” His voice was ice, each word precisely chosen and delivered with deadly calm. “And give me back that key.”“Damian, please. Let

The Vancouver lead had been another dead end. Maria Santos disappeared into the labyrinth of the city’s suburbs, leaving Damian with nothing but more questions and a growing sense of unease. Yet, it was the doctor’s name from the ultrasound that kept him awake at night, haunting him with its familiarity.Dr. Sarah Chen.He sat in his temporary Vancouver apartment, surrounded by papers and laptop screens.“Marcus,” he barked into his phone. “Find everything you can on Dr. Sarah Chen.”Within an hour, his security chief had compiled a preliminary report. Sarah Chen, now a respected OB-GYN in San Francisco, had maintained a low profile over the years. No social media presence, no public records beyond her medical license, and a modest condo purchase three years ago.Too low of a profile.“Sir,” Marcus’s voice crackled through the speaker. “There’s something else. Dr. Chen’s condo? It was purchased through a shell corporation. The same structure used by some of your mother’s smaller holdi