บททั้งหมดของ THE BRIDE HE NEVER WANTED: บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

He called all the guards together.They came quickly, lining up in front of him. All except one, the guard who had been on duty at the side gate last night.Adrian’s voice was ice cold. “Who opened the gate for my wife last night?”The guards looked at each other nervously. No one spoke.Adrian’s eyes darkened. “I asked a question.”Still silence.Adrian gave the guards a sharp warning. “If I find out any of you helped her, I will destroy you and your families. Do you understand?”They all nodded, fear clear on their faces.After they left, Adrian went upstairs to my room again. He stood in the middle of it for a long time, staring at the empty bed.Then he picked up his phone and made a call.“Find her,” he said quietly. “Use every resource we have. I don’t care how long it takes.”He ended the call and looked out the window, his face hard.Three days later, they all returned.I wasn’t there, but Clara had risked everything to record parts of the family meeting and sent the audio to

I sat cross-legged on a small bed in the cabin, the small lamp casting a weak yellow light over the scattered papers. Emma has gone to work and doesn't usually come back till it gets dark. The room was quiet except for the distant sound of traffic on the highway. My hands trembled as I picked up the thick folder I had taken from Adrian’s study the night I left.These weren’t just random papers.They were the heart of the Laurent empire.I had studied business management in college. I knew what I was looking at. Balance sheets. Merger agreements. Confidential emails. Internal reports marked “Highly Confidential.” Shareholder lists. Offshore account details. Everything Adrian and his father thought was safely locked away.My eyes widened as I flipped through page after page.There it was, the Asian merger Victor had been fighting so hard to protect. The one they talked about at the family dinner. The documents showed exactly how they planned to manipulate the stock price, the hidden kic

Several weeks had passed since I escaped the mansion.I haven't heard from Clara in a long time, I really hope she's ok and she hasn't been caught. I didn't know what Adrian was planning or whether I should still be trying to run. But for the meantime I was still free.That freedom came with a heavy price. I couldn’t just hide forever. I needed to live. I needed money. I needed to become someone new, someone that wouldn't be recognized as Adrian's wife. No matter how small the resemblance is. One morning, I stood in front of the cracked mirror in the cheap wood made house. My long, dark hair hung down my back. The same hair Adrian used to grab when he was angry. The same hair Lia would compliment while smiling with fake sweetness.I didn’t want it anymore.“Emma,” I called softly.She came into the bathroom, holding a pair of scissors and a box of white hair dye we had bought the day before.“Are you sure?” she asked, meeting my eyes in the mirror.I nodded. “I can’t be Serena Laure

The unknown number flashed on my burner phone screen. My heart slammed against my ribs. For a second, I thought it was Adrian. My thumb hovered over the message, scared to open it.I took a deep breath and tapped the screen.It was Clara.“It’s me. New number for safety. Did you meet Nathan? Are you okay? Please reply fast. I’m worried.”Relief washed over me so strongly that my shoulders sagged. I typed back quickly.“Yes, I met him. He’s real. Thank you, Clara. Stay safe.”I deleted the messages immediately, just in case.Nathan watched me from across the table, his expression calm but curious. “Everything okay?”I nodded, slipping the phone into my bag. “It was Clara. Checking on me.”He smiled softly. “She’s brave for helping you. Not many people would risk that.”We sat in silence for a moment. The café was quiet now, only a few customers left. The warm lighting made everything feel almost normal. But nothing about my life was normal anymore.I looked at Nathan and decided to be

I couldn’t stop thinking about it.The nausea had come back stronger that morning. I had barely kept down the toast Emma made for breakfast. My period was now two weeks late. I kept telling myself it was stress. The running. The fear. The constant moving from place to place. It had to be stress.But deep down, I knew better.I sat on the edge of the bathtub in the small cabin bathroom, staring at the wall. My hands were shaking. Emma was in the kitchen making tea, but I could feel her worry even from here.“Serena?” she called gently. “Are you okay in there?”I didn’t answer right away. I closed my eyes and prayed. Please, God. Not now. Not this. I can’t be pregnant. Not with everything that’s happening. Please let it be something else.Emma knocked softly on the door. “I’m coming in.”She stepped inside and saw me sitting there, pale and trembling. She didn’t say anything at first. She just sat on the floor beside me and took my hand.“You think you’re pregnant?” she asked quietly.I