Semua Bab The Billionaire's Hidden Bride : Bab 21 - Bab 30

I didn't get much sleep the night after his visit. My thoughts were too jumbled to untangle as I tossed and turned. Marcel's smirk and his icy, calculating eyes were always visible when I closed my eyes. He had made it plain that he would not retreat and would not take a break until he had regained control. What did he want, though? What was his advantage over my mum? How did any of this relate to me?I could no longer maintain my act of ignorance. I was in the middle of something that was going on underneath the surface. The game had already started, whether I liked it or not.I realised by morning that I couldn't afford to watch helplessly. The composed exterior I had been maintaining for the previous few weeks was beginning to falter, and I needed to take action before I was overwhelmed by everything.I gazed out at the city skyline from the kitchen window. The storm that swirled inside me seemed to be much too bright for the world. I snapped out of my reverie when my phone buzzed

Even after Sophia had left, I could still hear the door slamming, as if her poisonous words were still haunting the room. As I glanced down at the pile of documents she had left behind, my hands began to shake. Every word on the page shouted deceit, manipulation, and a complex web of lies for which I was unprepared. I had been participating in a game that I was unaware I had joined. Now, though? The regulations were different now. Something inside of me stirred for the first time since entering this world of riches, power, and deceit—an ember of defiance, a refusal to break beneath the weight of it all. Sophia was going to get a harsh surprise if she believed she could ruin me. With the city lights extending infinity in front of me, I slammed the papers onto the table and marched to the window. I had had enough of being a pawn; solutions were waiting somewhere. I discovered Williams in his study the following morning, his crisp suit immaculate as usual, but his face etched wit

The penthouse's curtains let in sunlight, which filled the space with gentle golden tones. I watched the city below come to life as I stood by the window. This moment, a brief respite from the storm, felt oddly serene despite the chaos all around us."Did you get any sleep?" There was silence until Williams spoke.He was leaning against the doorway with his shirt unbuttoned at the collar and his tie undone when I turned around. His typically polished manner gave way to something more human and vulnerable."Not really," I said with my arms crossed. "I'm thinking about too much."He approached me with purposeful strides. "I don't hold you responsible. It was unexpected last night."Unexpected?" I arched an eyebrow. One way to put it is that. Williams, there was a murder in front of us. It's not like you can simply brush that off.He came to a halt next to me, staring at the skyline. "You handled it better than most people would, even though I know it's overwhelming."I couldn't contain

My mind was racing, and the rhythmic sound of the rain beating on the penthouse windows did little to slow it down. With a glass of whisky in his hand and an unreadable face, Williams sat across from me and looked at the picture we had found the previous evening.In a low voice, he finally stated, "We need answers." "And I have finished waiting for them to reach us."Grasping the folded envelope in my lap, I nodded. I kept thinking about the note's dire warning: The enemy is inside. Never put your trust in anyone.I spoke more firmly than I felt when I said, "I think it's time we dig deeper into my adoption." “If the Harringtons are involved, something has never added up.”Williams's dark eyes met mine as he leaned forward. "Then, we didn't realise how long they had been playing this game."We went to see Mr. Graves, a retired lawyer who had handled my adoption, the following morning. His modest house stood in sharp contrast to the wealth and influence I had recently been dealing with

It felt oppressive to be in the sterile, cold living room of my adoptive family's home. I sat rigidly on the velvet couch, feeling as though the walls, lined with sterile portraits and antique furniture, were closing in on me. Charles, my adoptive father, was standing across from me, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his piercing eyes staring right through me. Evelyn, my adoptive mother, was standing next to him, wearing her usual mask of fake worry."Freda," said Charles, calmly but with a hint of menace, "this is not a request. It is a duty to the family.My knuckles were white as I held onto the couch's edge. "I’m not doing it."Evelyn sighed, as if I were a whiny kid who wouldn't do her chores. "You don't realise how serious this situation is, darling. The Harringtons have the ability to either ensure or ruin our future. You have a special chance to guarantee our family's position among them."Your family," I snapped back. "Not mine."Evelyn flinched, but Ch