All Chapters of Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

~~~~~Did he seriously just ask that? The man who’s spent the last month ignoring me, treating this fake marriage like a business deal? The same man who constantly reminded me of my duty, my so-called worth, and never failed to draw the line between me and his precious Diana? That same man is asking what now?I was pissed. “What do you mean by ‘conclusions’? Even a blind man could see it.”“Oh, really?” His tone was sharp, mocking.“Yes!” I snapped. “You were never really happy about going out with me today. I bet you were forced away from Diana because of me, and that must’ve annoyed the hell out of you. You’d rather be with her, wouldn’t you?” I stared him down, waiting for him to deny it. But no. Instead, he laughed.“Is that what this is about? Did my call with Diana earlier get under your skin, Mary?” He stepped back slightly, giving me some space—but his tone was anything but gentle.“What…” I began, fumbling for words.“Since when did Diana become an issue for you?” he a

~~~~Eric sighed hard, shaking his head in wonder. “Sure… I’ll come find out for myself,” he muttered, staring at the phone in his hand before standing up from the couch.“Hmmm, where are you going?” Diana asked suddenly, appearing out of nowhere, all dolled up and looking beautiful, but it did little to stir any emotion in him.“Oh… home,” he smiled, trying to sound casual.“Why?” she questioned, a hint of curiosity in her voice.He turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “Why...?”She moved closer to him, her movements slow and seductive. “You promised to stay with me the whole day. So you leaving means you’re breaking a promise,” she smiled sweetly.Eric sighed. There was a time when that smile meant something to him, but right now… the only thought swirling in his mind was the crazy woman named Mary.He was confused. How could someone he shared nothing with come to mean this much to him? Only a few days ago, things were different. Something was wrong. He shook his head. This i

~~~~Eric pulled Mary closer, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her tightly against him. Her chest pressed against his, and she could feel the heat of his body through their clothes. Mary's eyes fluttered, half-lidded, as the world around her seemed to slow down. His lips looked small from afar, but now that she was this close, she could see their fullness, their shape—perfectly sculpted, inviting.She could feel his breath against her skin, warm and steady, as he nudged his nose against hers. It was as if the space between them was no longer important; it was just the two of them, locked in this fragile moment. Their mouths met softly, lazily, as if the kiss was more of a question than an answer.Her eyelids grew heavy, the weight of them almost too much to bear. She wanted to open her eyes, to take in everything—the intensity in his dark eyes, the mess of his hairline that seemed to call out to her. She wanted to remember it, to savor it, becau

~~~~~Later that day, Eric stormed into my room, his eyes blazing red like a wildfire. I gasped in shock as he hurled his phone against the wall, smashing it into pieces.“What the hell, Eric? What happened?” I asked, my voice trembling with worry as I rushed to him.He was pacing back and forth like a caged animal, his fists clenched at his sides. “I can’t believe she’d pull this off! How dare that—” His words cut off as he trembled with uncontainable anger, struggling to find the words to express himself.“Eric?” I reached for his face, forcing him to meet my gaze. “Take a deep breath and calm down,” I said softly, though my heart raced at the sight of him like this.He was like a raging bull, veins bulging as his chest heaved. Gently, I took his hand in mine. “Come with me,” I said, leading him to the sofa.Once he sank into the cushions, I offered him a reassuring smile. “Better?” I asked, keeping my tone gentle.“Only if you kiss me,” he replied, a weary smirk tugging at his lips

~~~~From the very first time I saw this man, I knew him to be a man of his word.A man who never joked with promises or declarations, not unless he didn’t mean it,But with him, I had to question every word, every promise. After all, what could I really believe in a man who had been tangled in a web of lies and duty, especially when his heart still seemed to belong to someone else? I’d seen him care for Diana, and I wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the depth of that connection.But in this moment, standing before him, I couldn’t ignore the vulnerability in his eyes. The heaviness of his words hung heavy in the air, and for once, I wasn’t sure what to think. He was offering me something, but was it real? Or was this just another role he was playing?I reached for his face, my hands trembling slightly, not knowing if I was reaching for reassurance or if I was afraid of what he might say next.Slowly, I kissed him,