All Chapters of The Wrong Bride, His Revenge: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The road was narrow.We drove through the forest. Gregory drove. Rex sat in the front. I sat in the back with Lily on my lap. She was awake now, looking out the window at the passing trees. Barnaby was tucked under her arm.The trees were tall. The sky was gray. The air was cold."How much further?" I asked.Gregory pointed ahead. "The safe house is at the end of the road. A few more miles.""Is it safe?"He nodded. "I built it. No one knows about it.""Not even the investors?"He shook his head. "Not even the investors."Rex turned to look at me. "We need to rest. The children are tired."I looked at Lily. At her sleepy eyes. "We all are."Gregory parked the car. Cut the engine."We are here."I looked out the window. A lodge. Wooden. Large. Hidden in the trees. Smoke rose from the chimney. Lights glowed in the windows."It looks nice."Gregory smiled. "It is."We walked inside.The lodge was warm. A fire crackled in the massive fireplace. Beds in every room. Thick blankets. Food in

The cabin was quiet.Too quiet.I sat by the fire. The letters were spread out on the table in front of me. Anna's words. Anna's love. Anna's plan.Rex walked to me. Sat beside me."What are you reading?"I held up a letter. "This one. About the investors. About the program. About everything."He took it from me. Read it.My dearest Mira,If you are reading this, you have found the letters. You know the truth. You know about the program. About the investors. About Victor.Now you need to know the rest.There is a plan. A way to stop them. A way to end this.Follow the map. It will lead you to the evidence. The real evidence. The one they cannot destroy.Be careful. Trust no one. Not even yourself.I love you.Mother.Rex set down the letter. "A map?"I nodded. "There was one. In the wall. With the letters.""Where is it?"I pulled it out of my pocket. Old. Folded. Worn."Here."Rex took the map. Spread it out on the table."It looks like the city."I pointed at the center. "The wareho

The farmhouse was quiet.Too quiet.I sat by the window. The sun was rising. Pink and gold. Beautiful. But I could not enjoy it. Something was wrong. A weight in my chest. A feeling I could not name.Rex walked to me. Put his arm around my waist. His hand was warm."What is it?"I leaned into him. "I do not know. Something feels... off."He kissed my temple. "The investors are gone. The children are safe. We are alive."I turned to look at him. At his storm-cloud eyes. "Where is the contract?"Rex's face went pale."The contract?"I pulled away from him. "Yes. The marriage contract. The one I signed. With Isabella's name."He frowned. "What about it?"I walked to the desk. "I need to see it."He followed me. Opened the drawer. Pulled out a folder. Old. Worn."Here."I took it from him. My hands were shaking. I opened it.The contract. Four pages. Legal jargon. Signatures.Isabella's name. My handwriting.I stared at the page. "This is not the original."Rex stepped closer. "What?"I h

The farmhouse was quiet. I sat at the table. The contract was spread out in front of me. The forgery. The counterfeit. The trap that was not a trap. Rex walked to me. Sat beside me. "What are you thinking?" I looked at him. "I am thinking about the contract. About the words. No escape." He took my hand. "Do you want to escape?" I was quiet for a moment. "No." "Then why are you thinking about it?" "Because I want to understand. Why your mother did it. Why Catherine did it. Why Anna blessed it." He squeezed my hand. "Because they wanted to protect you." "By trapping me?" "By keeping you safe." Lily ran into the room. Barnaby was in her arms. "Mira! Rex!" I picked her up. "What is it?" She pointed at the contract. "What is that?" "A contract. It says I am married to Rex." She looked at Rex. "Are you stuck?" He shook his head. "No. I am free." She looked at me. "Are you stuck?" I kissed her hair. "No. I am free." She hugged me. "Barnaby says free is good." I smiled.

The farmhouse had settled into its evening quiet.The kind of quiet that wrapped around you like a worn blanket, soft and heavy. The fire in the hearth crackled and popped, sending shadows dancing across the walls. Outside, the last light of dusk bled across the sky in shades of amber and violet, bleeding into the dark.I stood at the window, my fingers tracing the cold glass. The garden was still. The roses Anna had planted years ago swayed gently in the evening breeze. Their petals were dark crimson in the fading light, almost black. I could smell them through the crack in the window frame. Sweet. Earthy. Bitter.I heard Rex before I saw him.The soft creak of the floorboards beneath his weight. The rustle of his shirt as he moved through the doorway. The steady rhythm of his breathing, slow and deliberate. He always breathed like that when he was trying to stay calm.His hand found my waist, warm and familiar. His palm pressed against the curve of my hip through the thin fabric of