All Chapters of THE CEO'S SECRET WIFE: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Patrick's POVI walked back and forth across the living room, my fists pushed through my hair, my head a mangled jumble of anger and fear. Becky's life hung in the balance, and I didn't know how to save her. Five million dollars. Where was I going to get that sort of money?I couldn't remove it from my business—not without financial disaster. The Hilton Group was already in the doldrums, and to withdraw at short notice would shake up the investors so that it would fold altogether.Patrick, we have to do something," my mother wept, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest as she sat on the couch. Her normally placid face was now etched with raw horror. "We can't just sit here and let those fiends carry Becky away.""I know, Mom," I growled. "But we need a plan. And right now, I don't have one.". My head pounded. I had attempted everything, and time was short. My phone rang again then. Unknown caller. I grabbed the phone on the table and brought it to my ear. "Who is this?"A low, muff

Giselle's POV I woke up with a throbbing headache. There was moisture in the air, and I could smell the stench of sweat and something metallic, a metallic taste. My body ached from lying on the cold concrete floor, my wrist still bound by rough rope. All around me was dark, the single faint flickering light creating shadows that constantly danced on the walls I had no recollection of where I was. Then it all came rushing back.The shots. The masked men. The van. I had been kidnapped. I fought against swallowing the terror churning in my throat and tried to sit up, my body twisting in agony. In the corridor outside, I could discern a muttered series of voices—low, gravelly, impatiently insistent.I was not alone. The door creaked open, and two men walked in. One was muscle-bound, with tattoos slithering up his arms. The other was lean, his cold eyes looking at me like a predator."Rise and shine, princess," the tattooed one sneered. I looked at them. "What do you want?""Money," the le

Giselle's POVThe rumble of the private plane was the only sound that filled the cabin as I stared blankly at the dry glass of water on the table in front of me. My body drained, I flagged, fatigue keeping me stuck like lead, but my mind would not quiet. There were too many things that swirled around in my head and would not be silenced. I was free.They'd let me go after my dad had paid an extortionate ransom. They'd let me go like I was just another business transaction. But it wasn't over—not by me. Not when I'd stood them down.And barely when I'd caught sight of one of them. Grace. A girl that I'd once stroll the school corridors with. A girl once that belonged to us.How did she end up here? I had paid them and her crew to leave me alone, but that did not in any way translate to safe. Once a person had crossed the point of no return to illegality, they struggled to reverse direction. And now, another complication had been added to my life.I winced and massaged my temples. Miss

Giselle's eyes POVThe sun had streamed in behind the open drapes, its heat penetrating my skin as I stirred in bed. The new bedding, lavender-scented, was twisted on me, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I had slept. I blinked a few times to clear my vision, and then recalled where I was Nicholas' bedroom.His aftershave lingered in the air, and I moved my head to catch sight of a glass of water and fruit platter on the bedside table. Typical Nicholas. Always thinking of me. I breathed out slowly. The past two days had been one enormous blur, my kidnapping, rescue, deception by my own father, and now this upcoming Miss World contest. But for the moment at least, I was safe.I was going to sit up when the door slowly opened and my brother Nicholas entered, concern and relief etched on his face."Good morning, sleeping beauty," he teased, resting against the doorframe. I smiled mockingly. "Good morning, pesky brother." He smiled and sprang up onto the bed next to me

Giselle's POVI woke up to the gentle trill of birds chirping outside my window, the sun shining through lace curtains. I stretched softly, inhaling quietly, my own body aching from the intense swim competition last night with Nicholas.Last night had been a ridiculous, laugh-filled night—exactly what I'd needed to drive the hurricane that had been raging in my life out of my mind. But as I rolled over and looked up at the ceiling, reality slowly filtered back into my brain. The Miss World pageant in Miami in two days.The kidnappers were bribed, but the knowledge that Grace—my old classmate—was one of them still lingered at the back of my head. What was she doing there? And what could I possibly do for her and the rest so that they would never go back to being criminals?I let out a deep sigh and rolled over, picking up my phone. My notifications were filled to capacity, news outlets still buzzing with news of my abduction and release, messages from work and friends asking to call me