Semua Bab The Billionaire’s Forgotten Bride: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Amelia POVThe house was unnervingly quiet that night, its silence thick like velvet, muffling even the faintest sounds. I lay on my small, neatly made bed, staring at the cracked ceiling. Rebecca’s sudden kindness haunted me more than her cruelty ever did. Her smile replayed in my mind like a broken record, sweet but layered with something sinister beneath.I turned over, trying to escape my thoughts, when a soft knock echoed through the room. My heart jumped. It was late—too late for casual visits. Who was that?Before I could respond, the door creaked open slightly, revealing Maxwell standing there, his tall frame casting a shadow against the dim hallway light. His face was unreadable, but something in his dark eyes seemed… different.“Pack your things,” he said quietly, his voice lower than usual, almost hesitant.I blinked, pushing myself up on my elbows. “What?”“You heard me.” He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “You’re not sleeping here anymore. From now on, you’ll

Maxwell’s POVThe air in my office was thick with tension. The moment my secretary walked in, his usually composed demeanor faltered, and I knew something was wrong.“Sir…” His voice wavered as he fidgeted with the file in his hand. “The deal—”“Out with it,” I snapped, my patience already thinning.He swallowed hard. “We lost the merger to Wellington Industries.”Silence.For a moment, the weight of his words didn’t register. Lost? That was impossible. I have never lost, not before and not now. Every move and every negotiation had been executed with surgical precision. The board had practically handed the deal to me on a silver platter.Yet someone had managed to take it right from under my nose.A slow, simmering rage coiled inside me. My grip tightened around the pen in my hand until it snapped in half, ink splattering onto my desk.“Who?” My voice was dangerously low.The secretary hesitated. “Sir… I—I don’t know. But it had to be an inside job.”Inside job. A traitor.My jaw cle

Maxwell POVThe moment the call ended, I rushed to the hospital my heart beating fast as I pushed through the hospital doors, a suffocating sense of dread coiled in my chest. The sterile scent of antiseptic burned my nostrils, but it was nothing compared to the ice spreading through my veins.“Amelia Hayes,” I barked at the receptionist, my voice rough, barely restrained.The nurse glanced up, startled by my urgency. “She was brought in about an hour ago. Room 307.”I didn’t wait. My legs carried me down the corridor as soon as I heard the number, past the dim overhead lights and hushed murmurs of visitors and doctors. My pulse pounded in my ears, each step tightening the knot of unease in my gut.When I reached the room, my breath caught in my throat.Amelia lay on the hospital bed, pale against the stark white sheets. A deep bruise marred her left cheekbone, the purplish hue standing in sharp contrast to her skin. Her right leg was wrapped in a thick bandage, elevated slightly on a

Amelia POVLater that day, I found myself lost in thought, replaying the events from earlier.Maxwell had been gentle, almost… protective. The way he had carried me, the way his touch lingered—it made my heart race in ways I wasn’t ready to admit. I like it. The way he defended me in front of Margaret and Lisa made me feel butterflies. I had always seen him as a man forged from ice, cold and indifferent. But on a few occasions, I had glimpsed something else beneath that carefully constructed exterior. Something raw. Something human which he immediately masks beneath. As Rosa helped me shower and dress, I caught my reflection in the mirror. My pale skin still showed signs of exhaustion, but it was the deep blush on my cheeks that unsettled me the most.I didn’t recognize myself.Rosa, ever observant, let out a teasing chuckle. “That’s the second time I’ve caught you blushing today. Should I be curious?”I quickly averted my gaze, embarrassed that she had noticed. “I’m just… thinking

Amelia POVThe sharp beam of sunlight pierced through the curtains, dragging me from the depths of sleep. I groaned softly, instinctively trying to shield my eyes, but something warm and solid pinned my arm down.Blinking against the light, I slowly became aware of my surroundings—the familiar scent of Maxwell’s cologne, the soft rustle of sheets, and the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek.My heart skipped a beat. I was curled up against Maxwell, his strong arm wrapped possessively around my waist, holding me close.Memories from the previous night flooded back—the shared laughter, the lingering glances, the almost-kiss that had left me breathless.Heat crept up my neck as I realized just how intimately we were entangled. I needed to extricate myself before he woke up and found me clinging to him like some love-struck fool.Gently, I attempted to lift his arm, but his grip tightened instinctively, pulling me closer. My breath hitched, and I froze, not daring to move o