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Awake
publish date:
2026-06-28 15:43:55
Latest chapter
The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride Awake
The penthouse was quieter than usual, sunlight streaming through floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the city skyline. Four weeks had passed since the warehouse. Four weeks since the gunshot that had torn through Aria’s side, since Selena’s arrest, and since Adrian had held her bleeding body in his arms whispering promises she could barely hear.Aria sat on the wide leather sofa, a soft throw blanket draped over her lap. The wound had healed into a tender scar, still pulling slightly when she moved too quickly. Doctors had called it a miracle, no major organs hit, just muscle and flesh that would mend with time. But the real scars ran deeper: the nightmares that woke her gasping, the phantom ache of ropes around her wrists, the memory of Selena’s cold smile.Adrian emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray with herbal tea, fresh fruit, and the pain medication she hated taking. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing the corded muscles of his forearms, and the shadows under his eyes
The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride Blood And Iron
Aria’s shoulders burned from the awkward angle of her wrists bound behind her. The rope had chafed her skin raw, and every shift sent fresh fire up her arms. The damp concrete floor seeped cold through her sundress, and the gag had been removed only minutes earlier, leaving her mouth dry and tasting of fabric and fear. The single bare bulb that now hung from the ceiling cast harsh shadows across the abandoned warehouse room—cracked walls, rusted pipes, and a heavy metal door that looked like it hadn’t been opened in years.She had no idea how long she’d been here. Hours, at least. Her mind kept drifting back to Adrian’s face in his office, the warmth of his kiss, the way his thumb had stroked her wrist as if he could sense something was wrong. She clung to that memory like a lifeline.Footsteps echoed from beyond the door—sharp, deliberate clicks of heels rather than the heavy boots of her earlier captors. The door groaned open, and a woman stepped inside, flanked by two armed men. Ar
The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride Missing
The late afternoon sun filtered through the tall windows of their apartment, casting long golden strips across the hardwood floor. Aria stood in the doorway of Adrian’s home office, twisting the strap of her small crossbody bag between her fingers. She had changed into a simple white sundress that skimmed her knees, her dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail that swayed when she shifted her weight.“Adrian?” she called softly.He looked up from his laptop, the sharp lines of his face softening the moment his eyes landed on her. “Hey, beautiful. Done with your emails already?”She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Mostly. I just… I need to run out for a bit. There are a few things I want to pick up from the store. Ingredients for that pasta you like, and maybe some fresh flowers for the table. I won’t be long.”Adrian leaned back in his chair, studying her. Something in her posture made him pause. “You sure you’re okay going alone? I can come with you. Or send someone.”Aria
The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride Lingered Touches
The days blurred into a tense routine that tested every ounce of Aria’s patience. Selena’s “temporary” stay stretched beyond the promised few days, her presence infiltrating every corner of the house like an unwelcome shadow. She moved with the confidence of someone who had never left, dressing in elegant outfits that mirrored the style she once wore as the intended bride. Mornings brought her down to breakfast early, humming softly as she arranged fruit platters or poured coffee with a domestic flair that made Aria’s skin crawl.Adrian, for his part, remained distant, buried in work calls and meetings, but Selena found ways to insert herself. She lingered in the hallway outside his study, “accidentally” brushing against his arm when he emerged. “You look tense, Adrian,” she would say, her voice a silky murmur, her fingers grazing his shoulder under the pretense of adjusting his collar. “Let me help with that.”Aria watched it all from afar at first, biting her tongue. But the touches
The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride Moving in
The morning light filtered softly through the heavy curtains, casting a golden haze over the bedroom. Aria stirred slowly, nestled against Adrian’s chest, his arm draped possessively around her waist. For the first time since Selena’s return, the knot of anxiety in her stomach had loosened. His words from the night before still echoed in her mind*You’re my wife. You’re the only one I want.* The memory of his body claiming hers, fierce and tender all at once, sent a faint flush creeping up her neck. She shifted closer, breathing in his familiar scent, letting herself believe, just for a moment, that they could face whatever came next together.Adrian’s fingers traced lazy patterns along her bare back. “Morning,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep. He tilted her chin up and kissed her deeply, unhurried, as if reaffirming every promise he’d made in the dark.Aria smiled against his lips. “Morning.”They lingered in bed longer than usual, the outside world forgotten. Breakfast was brough
The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride Me And You
Aria barely slept that night. Even wrapped in Adrian’s arms, with his steady breathing warm against her hair, the doubts gnawed at the edges of her mind like shadows that refused to fade. Selena’s smile. The casual way she had said “for the meantime.” The history that hung between them like an unspoken claim. By the time the first gray light of dawn filtered through the curtains, Aria had slipped out of bed, careful not to wake him.She wandered into the adjoining sitting room of their suite, the one with the wide windows overlooking the garden. Curling up on the chaise lounge, she pulled a throw blanket around her shoulders and let the tears come. Silent at first, then shaking sobs that she muffled against her knees. Everything she had tried to bury the night before rose up again. The fear that she was just a placeholder. The insecurity that Adrian’s reassurance, no matter how firm, couldn’t fully erase the original arrangement.She didn’t hear the door open.Adrian stood in the door
The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride Not Just An Arrangement
“I have something to tell you.”Aria’s heart skipped.There was something in Adrian’s voice that made her sit up a little straighter on his lap. It wasn’t cold. It wasn’t commanding. It was… careful.That alone made her nervous.She searched his face, trying to read him. “You’re starting to scare m
The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride A Different Morning
The next morning felt… different.Aria woke up slowly, her eyes blinking open as soft light filtered through the curtains. For a moment, she didn’t move. She just lay there, feeling the warmth around her.Then she realized.Adrian.His arm was still wrapped around her waist, holding her close even
The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride Don't Go Far
Aria woke up slowly.At first, everything felt heavy. Her body, her head, even her eyes. It took effort just to open them.The room was quiet. Warm. Still.She shifted slightly, and that was when she realized—she wasn’t alone.Something solid was behind her.An arm wrapped around her waist.A stead
The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride Stay Still
The room was too quiet.Aria lay on the bed, still and pale, her breathing soft but uneven. One of her hands rested loosely by her side, fingers slightly curled like she didn’t have the strength to move them.Adrian stood a few steps away, watching.He hadn’t moved since the doctor started examinin
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