All Chapters of Forced Marriage With Heartless CEO: Chapter 41 - Chapter 46

~END OF FLASHBACK~The family of three plus Hanna made themselves comfy in Jean's modest sedan, then hit the road towards the big city. Jean had some chill tunes playing, setting a relaxed vibe in the car while Hanna gazed out the windows, watching the fields and countryside roll by. It had been a while since she'd seen streetlights.Unaware that for some, daily concerns were more about having their basic needs met and feeling secure in their homes rather than money or hatred, Hanna pondered the simple, kindhearted love this family seemed to share.She snuck a sideways glance at Flora, whose face was alight with awe and wonder at the bustling cityscape coming into view. In that moment, Hanna was struck by the wide-eyed innocence of a child raised amidst the fields.Mrs. Kemron had tagged along too, and she seemed just as gobsmacked by the city's modern visuals - the towering skyscrapers with their massive ad screens, the brightly lit buildings. Even though they'd seen it all before, t

Dane remained atop the mall building, his sharp gaze fixed on the suspicious events unfolding below. As is customary, Chris stood slightly behind him to his right while a couple of hulking bodyguards stood some distance away from them."Isn't that...?" Dane trailed off with a slight frown creasing his.Chris nodded. "Yes, sir."Dane hummed thoughtfully. "I'm curious about the identity of this female he happened to run into, and then abruptly left with such urgency."Chris gave another solemn nod, his gaze lowered deferentially. "Got it, sir."After a few more tense moments watching the drama play out, Dane turned on his heel and strode away, his entourage falling into step behind him.He climbed into the backseat of his Bentley while Chris took the front passenger seat, and they peeled away from the mall.As the city scenery flashed by outside the tinted windows, Dane couldn't shake the unsettling feeling of nostalgia the glimpse of that girl with the short black hair had stirred with

Scarlet felt the weight of immense shame pressing down on her.She averted her gaze from her brother's intense stare, unable to meet the internal fire that burned relentlessly in his eyes.Tears flowed freely down her cheeks in a torrent unlike anything she'd ever experienced before.She drew in a shuddering breath, steeling herself to finally confide in him about the depths of agony she'd endured during her time living alone in a constant state of distress and fear."The fact that I became his...his whore, it shattered me, Michael," she confessed in a broken whisper. "I never should have been tainted by that indelible stain, that filth. You can't possibly understand the weight of shame and disgust that oppressed me, that shook me to my very core."Her voice took on a haunted edge as she pressed onward. "I lived in constant terror that Lincoln would somehow find out, would start to question my purity. And that's a doubt any man in his position would be justified in having, isn't it?"