All Chapters of THE BILLONIARE UNWANTED SUBSTITUTE BRIDE: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Lily’s breath caught in her throat, her heart slamming against her ribs.Liam’s words hung between them, heavy and suffocating.You think you want to leave, but what if you don’t?Her pulse raced, every nerve in her body on high alert. His fingers still lingered against her jaw light, almost hesitant but the heat from his touch burned into her skin like a brand.She should step back.She needed to step back.But she couldn’t.Lily’s throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze. His silver eyes flickered in the dim light cold, calculating… yet beneath the ice, there was something else. Something raw.Something that made her heart ache.“You don’t know what I want,” she whispered, her voice barely steady.Liam’s fingers traced down to her chin, tilting her face up until she had no choice but to look at him. His eyes darkened, the shadows in them pulling her in like gravity.“You’re right,” he murmured. “I don’t.”A heartbeat passed."But I know you're scared."L

Lily sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the door Liam had walked away from. The air in the room still felt thick, charged with the weight of their last conversation. Her pulse hadn’t fully settled, and her mind refused to quiet.Every time she thought she had Liam figured out, he did something that made her question everything. He wasn’t just ruthless he was unreadable, unpredictable.With a frustrated sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to steady herself. She needed to stop thinking about him. He was a complication she couldn't afford.Her stomach twisted, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast.She stood abruptly, grabbed a cardigan from the chair, and wrapped it around her shoulders. Maybe a quick bite would help her focus.The hallway was dimly lit, the quiet stretching around her as she padded toward the dining room. The house felt too big, too empty despite its grandeur. It wasn’t like the home she had grown up in, small but warm. This place was a

Lily’s heart pounded violently as she stared at the document in her trembling hands. The inked words blurred before her eyes, but the meaning behind them burned like fire in her veins.Divorce Agreement.Her fingers tightened around the papers, the sharp edges digging into her skin. It felt surreal like a cruel dream she couldn’t wake from. Her breathing grew ragged as she lifted her gaze to meet Liam’s unreadable expression.He stood across the room, his suit crisp, his posture as rigid as steel. Those silver gray eyes, once filled with a cold kind of fascination, were now empty. Detached."Liam…" Her voice cracked. "What… what is this?"His jaw clenched, but he didn’t waver. "Exactly what it looks like."A wave of nausea rolled through her. She had braced herself for many things for his anger, for his indifference but this? This was a blade straight through her heart."You promised me time," she whispered. "You swore you’d give me a chance to prove myself, to prove that this marriag

Liam barely breathed as he stared at the message on his phone. His grip tightened around the device, his jaw clenching so hard it ached.Lily was with Adrian.Something inside him snapped.Without another word to Damien, he grabbed his coat and stormed out of his office. He didn’t know exactly where Adrian had taken her, but he had a damn good idea.And if Adrian thought he could take Lily from him, he was dead wrong.Lily sat across from Adrian at an upscale rooftop bar, the city lights stretching endlessly in the background. The air was crisp, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she could breathe."You look like you needed this," Adrian said, pushing a glass of wine toward her.Lily smiled faintly, fingers curling around the stem of the glass. "Yeah… I think I did."Adrian studied her for a moment. "Are you going to fight for him?"She exhaled sharply, staring down at her drink. "I don’t know. What’s the point? He’s already made up his mind."Adrian scoffed. "You reall

Lily barely slept that night. Even with Liam’s arms wrapped securely around her, her mind kept replaying Charlotte’s words."To take everything from you."The weight of those words pressed on her chest like a heavy stone.Liam’s father had been a ghost in their relationship a shadow lurking in the background, never fully present but always influencing Liam’s choices. Now, that shadow was stepping into the light, and it was terrifying.She turned slightly in Liam’s embrace, watching his face in the dim light. Even in sleep, his brows were furrowed, his jaw tight. He was fighting a battle even in his dreams.Lily reached up and brushed her fingers against his cheek. He stirred, his eyes flickering open."You should be sleeping," he murmured, his voice rough with exhaustion."So should you."Liam sighed, pulling her closer. "I don’t have the luxury of sleep right now."She studied him. "Tell me the truth, Liam. How bad is it?"His silence was answer enough."Liam...""It doesn’t matter,"