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Home / Romance / THE DISCARDED BRIDE: RISE OF THE ZARVAN HEIRESS / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of THE DISCARDED BRIDE: RISE OF THE ZARVAN HEIRESS: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1

ASTRID“I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”The cheers from the guests after the priest declared those words rang aloud in my head. It was the day I became Jakob Carlsen’s wife. I was overwhelmed with joy. Who wouldn’t? It wasn’t everyday you got to be the wife of the Chief Operating Officer of SolarTech Industries worldwide.I turned to look at Jakob, taking in the sweet lines of his handsome face. This man was mine forever. It was almost too hard to believe.However, the real problem landed when I moved in officially to his mansion. Our marriage lacked real affection for the first month, and each time I tried to make it work, he was either too busy. Or too tired.Every time I told my family, they asked me to endure it. When I told his family, they made up excuses for him, telling me to be patient and he’ll come around. I feared my happiness would be snatched from me too soon. My worries neared an end when he returned from work one day, more angry than

Chapter 2

ASTRIDIt was Mia, my look-alike cousin who had chosen to be the prodigal daughter.“Mia?” My aunt asked, blinking to see if it truly was her long-lost child that just walked in.My uncle had the same dumbstruck look on his face as he approached her. “Is that really you?”All the guests had their gaze sweeping from Mia — me, to the woman at the door whose name was also Mia. They spoke in small hushes.It felt like someone snatched the world right out from under my feet.I could see everything I managed to build slowly dissipate into thin air like ash thrown to the wind. Soon, I’d have to answer questions I never even prepared for.The voice of my aunt’s teary voice brought me back to the room. “Where have you been all these while? You were gone for the longest time, I thought I’d lost you.”Never had I seen such an expert manner of theatrics before.Mia cradled her mom’s face as tears slipped down her own. Then she stretched out a finger to me. “Ask her. She is the reason I could not

Chapter 3

ASTRIDJakob made sure the only thing I left with were the clothes on my back, now drenched by the falling snow. He took everything else away from me.The last look on his face remained, haunting me as I sat on the side walk. Cars blurred past and people moved quickly, but the only thought I had was of the sudden cruelty of the ones I called home. I never asked to be married to Jakob, yet somehow, they made me do it to satisfy their daughter’s selfish interests. Along the line, I fell in love with him before he proposed to me. It was me who fell first, and somehow managed to fall harder for him. By the time I truly made peace with it...everything vanished like a cloud of smoke.Gone. I splayed my blue fingers around my middle, trying to protect my baby from the blistering cold with the snow falling in earnest.Mustering the last strength I had, I picked myself up but doubled over immediately when a crippling wave of cramps struck. I leaned against a post, pressing my thighs toge

Chapter 4

ASTRIDHome was nothing like I imagined it to be. This was no home. This was probably a mansion in heaven. Never had I seen nothing so grand with walls stretching so high it almost resembled a fortress. Or the sprawling estate that extended for miles, more than the eyes could see. This was what he casually called home? What universe did I just walk into?As the car rolled to a stop, Arman found my eyes from the front seat. “How do you like your new home?”For a moment, I was tongue-tied. Another part of me was scared. Why were these people being kind to me and what did they want?I swallowed, nodding. “Why am I here? You said you were taking me home.”A smile broke out on his handsome face. “This is home. Wait until you meet the old man, my brothers and niece.” He made to get down but stopped and looked at me. “You have nothing to fear, princess. You’re safe with us.”Taking him at his word, I simply nodded.He jogged round to my side of the car and opened the door, holding a hand

Chapter 5

ASTRIDI stood frozen, the sting on my cheek from Roxana’s nails barely registering. All I could hear were the Patriarch’s words echoing in my skull.My daughter.My lips parted, but no sound came out. My tongue felt heavy, useless. All I could do was stare at the tall, commanding man standing before me. His silver-streaked hair was neatly combed back, his posture straight despite his age.The world tilted slightly as his eyes—sharp and ancient—held mine with an intensity that made my stomach twist.There was something in them. Recognition? Pain? Love? I couldn’t tell. But it pulled at a part of me I didn’t even know existed.Before I could force a single word through my dry throat, Roxana’s loud, bitter laugh shattered the silence.“Oh, this is rich!” she sneered, throwing her head back. “You’re really going to stand here and claim this nobody is your daughter just to cover for your useless son?” She pointed a perfectly manicured finger at me, her lips curled in disgust. “Look at he

Chapter 6

ASTRIDKian’s hand remained gentle on my arm as he led me down the long hallway, but I could feel the tension radiating off him. Somehow I’d allowed him to lead me away. I’d listened to his advice about needing rest and didn’t resist when he took my arm, but I wasn’t at peace.The beautiful red walls of the mansion blurred in my vision as fresh tears threatened to spill. My heart wouldn’t stop racing. Everything felt like a trap I had willingly walked into.“Astrid, please calm down. This isn’t the time to make such rash decisions,” Kian said softly, his voice steady. “You’re simply upset right now. This is your home, whether you remember it or not.”I stopped walking abruptly and pulled my arm away from his touch. My chest heaved as the words burst out.“I’m not ready to listen to any of this.” My voice trembled with a mix of fear and anger. “Just because I can’t remember doesn’t mean you all get to erase who I was before that. I had a life. I had parents. You can’t just stand here

Chapter 7

ASTRIDI didn’t stay drowning for long. A soft knock came a minute later. With Soraya gone, and the weight of her words pressing down on me like a physical weight, all I wanted to crawl away and let my tears flow. But the knock persisted. To the point it was impossible to ignore. I wiped my face and opened the door. Kaveh stood there as if I hadn’t slammed the door in his face. He still had that patient look about him. I couldn’t stand to look at it. Leaving the door open I moved away and stood by the four-poster bed, wrapping my arm tightly around myself. No matter how large the room was I was acutely aware of him, the way his tall frame filled the doorway, the way his eyes stayed on me like it could see everything. The scratch on my cheek from Roxana still stung faintly, a reminder of how this so-called “home” was hostile.I shifted awkwardly, avoiding his steady gaze. “What do you want?” My voice was quieter than I intended. “You don’t need to fuss over me. I’m not a child.”

Chapter 8

ASTRIDI woke up with a start, my heart already pounding before my eyes fully opened. Sleep had been a battlefield of weird dreams and fragmented voices I didn’t recognize.Everything faded once my eyes adjusted and I sat up slowly, wincing as every muscle protested from the hollow ache in my belly. I took a breath as it passed, showered and got dressed. I had nothing here. No clothes that belonged to me. So I slipped back into the same silk outfit from yesterday. I had a mind to request clothes, but I didn’t want to be in their debt in any way or form.My hands trembled as I smoothed the fabric down. After all, it was just for today and I wouldn’t see them again. I was going home. The thought bloomed warm in my chest as I descended the sweeping staircase, the flat shoes silent on the carpet.The moment I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw Kaveh in the foyer, speaking in hushed tones with Kian. He was dashing in a navy suit and Kian was more casually dressed in a shirt and sl

Chapter 9

ASTRIDMy eyelids felt like they were glued shut with lead. I tried to open them, but the world remained dark, heavy, and distant. Voices cut through the fog of my mind—loud, angry, clashing like thunder in my skull. They were fighting. The brothers.“You absolute fool, Kaveh!” Arman’s shout exploded, raw and furious. “She nearly died again because of you! We finally have her back after years, and you risk everything because she throws a tantrum? I told you! I warned you she wasn’t ready!”Kaveh said nothing in his defense. His silence somehow felt more than any words. I could picture him with his jaw clenched, eyes dark, taking every blow without flinching. The intensity in Arman’s voice made my stomach twist. Underneath the anger, there was genuine fear in there. His concern for me would be touching if he wasn’t shouting and making my headache worse. “You think staying quiet makes you noble?” Arman continued, his voice rising to a dangerous pitch. “It makes you reckless! She ran

Chapter 10

KAVEHThe engine hummed steadily beneath us as I gripped the steering wheel tighter because even though she had easily agreed, a part of me was still wound and restless. Astrid sat in the passenger seat in a dress that was twice her size, the only thing I could get on short notice. I made a mental note to stock her wardrobe and filed the thought away. Right now, all my attention was on her.Her body was rigid, gaze fixed on the passing city lights as evening fell. I could see the way she fought back tears—jaw clenched, eyes glistening but refusing to spill. She looked fragile, like a single wrong word could shatter her completely. Guilt gnawed at my insides, sharp and unrelenting, but I swallowed it down. Apologizing again would be weak. A man in my position didn’t grovel. I had given her my word, taken her to that cursed street, and watched her unravel. That mistake would not be repeated again and it couldn’t be absolved with useless words.The rest of the ride passed in heavy si

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