All Chapters of The Wrong Bride, His Revenge: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

The fire had burned low.Orange embers pulsed in the hearth like dying hearts, casting long, trembling shadows across the wooden floor. The house was quiet, the kind of heavy quiet that settles after a storm has passed. Lily was asleep in her room, Barnaby tucked under her arm, her small chest rising and falling with each peaceful breath. Catherine had retired hours ago. Isabella and Katerina had gone to bed.Rex and I sat by the dying fire. His arm was around my shoulders, warm and solid. His thumb traced slow, absent circles on my arm, the rough calluses on his fingertips catching on the fabric of my sleeve.I leaned into him, my head resting against his chest. His heartbeat was steady beneath my ear, a slow, rhythmic thump that anchored me to the moment."What are you thinking?" he asked.I was quiet for a moment. The fire crackled. A log shifted, sending up a shower of orange sparks that danced and faded."I'm thinking about secrets," I said. "About all the ones we've uncovered. A

The morning light was pale and cold.I stood at the window, watching the mist curl around the garden. The roses were bare now, their petals fallen. Winter was coming. The air had a sharp edge to it, biting and clean.Rex walked to me, his footsteps soft on the wooden floor. His hand found my waist, warm through the thin fabric of my dress."You're up early.""I couldn't sleep."He pulled me close, his chin resting on my shoulder. "What were you thinking about?"I was quiet for a moment. The mist drifted across the garden, pale and silent."About the empire," I said. "About what Victor left behind."He tensed behind me. "What do you mean?"I turned to face him. "The investors are gone. The program is exposed. But Victor's empire is still out there. The money. The power. The connections."His eyes searched mine. "You want to dismantle it."I nodded. "Yes. I want to find every last piece of it. Every account. Every property. Every person who helped him. And I want to destroy it all."He

The morning light was soft and golden.I stood at the window, watching the snow melt from the garden in slow, dripping rivulets. Winter was fading, its icy grip loosening. Spring was coming. The first green shoots were pushing through the earth, tiny and fragile and full of stubborn hope. The air smelled of wet soil and something green, something new.I pressed my palm against the cold glass. The chill seeped into my skin, grounding me.Rex walked to me, his footsteps soft on the wooden floor. The boards creaked beneath his weight, a familiar sound I had come to love. His hand found my waist, warm and solid through the thin fabric of my shirt."You're up early."I leaned back into him, letting his warmth seep into me. "I couldn't sleep."He kissed my temple, his lips lingering. "What were you thinking about?"I turned to face him, stepping out of his embrace. The cold rushed in where his heat had been. I took his hands, rough and calloused, holding them against my chest."About the ch

The morning was cold.I stood at the window, watching the mist curl around the garden like ghostly fingers. The roses were wet with dew, their petals heavy and dark. The grass was damp, each blade glistening with moisture. The sky was gray, heavy with clouds that promised rain.Rex walked to me, his footsteps soft on the wooden floor. His hand found my waist, warm and solid."You're up early."I leaned into him, letting his warmth seep through my clothes. "I couldn't sleep."He kissed my temple. "What were you thinking about?"I turned to face him, my hands resting on his chest. "About the children. About the ones still out there."He pulled me close. "We'll find them."I looked up at him. "How?"He was quiet for a moment, his thumb tracing circles on my hip. "We follow the trail. We find the safe houses. We bring them home."I nodded. "Then let's go."Lily ran into the room, Barnaby bouncing in her arms. Her bare feet slapped against the wooden floor. "Mommy! Daddy!"I knelt down, ca

The morning was cold.I stood at the window, watching the mist curl around the mountains like pale fingers reaching for the sky. The safe house was small, hidden in the trees, but it felt like a cage. We had been here for three days. Three days of hiding. Three days of waiting. Three days of wondering who had betrayed us. The silence was suffocating, pressing against my skin like a second layer of clothing.The wood beneath my feet was cold, the chill seeping through the thin soles of my shoes. The air smelled of pine and damp earth, of wood smoke and fear. I pressed my palm against the glass, watching my breath fog the surface. The world outside was gray and muted, the colors bleeding into one another.Rex walked to me, his footsteps soft on the wooden floor. The boards creaked beneath his weight, a familiar sound that usually brought me comfort. Today it only made me more aware of how fragile everything was. His hand found my waist, warm and solid through the fabric of my sweater."