Semua Bab HIS FORBIDDEN SURROGATE BRIDE : Bab 21 - Bab 30

Anastasia's POVThe house had settled into its usual quiet by the time dinner was served. Outside, the city shimmered beneath the evening sky, thousands of lights stretching endlessly into the distance. Inside, only the soft clink of silverware and the faint melody from the dining room speakers filled the silence.I had always imagined that eating dinner with someone every night would eventually become ordinary.It hadn't.Every meal with him felt like a negotiation neither of us admitted we were having.Some nights we discussed business, other nights we argued over strategy.Occasionally, he would deliberately provoke me simply because he found my reactions entertaining.Tonight, however, he was unusually quiet.I watched him over the rim of my wine glass. He wasn't distracted. If anything, he seemed focused. That expression usually meant he had already reached a decision long before the conversation began. Which meant I probably wasn't going to enjoy whatever came next. He placed hi

Anastasia's POVThe tension between Damien and me had become impossible to ignore. It lingered in every glance that lasted a second too long.Every conversation that ended with silence instead of words, every accidental touch that neither of us seemed eager to pull away from anymore.We had never talked about the kisses.Perhaps because acknowledging them would force us to acknowledge everything else that had changed between us, and neither of us seemed ready for that conversation.Or maybe we were both afraid of the answer. By the time I returned from my meeting, the afternoon sun had already begun sinking behind the skyline.The business luncheon had gone better than expected. Despite Brandon's recent smear campaign, two of my former associates had quietly expressed interest in working with me again.It meant Brandon's influence wasn't absolute. People were beginning to question him, and that alone was progress. The front door opened before I reached it. One of the maids greeted me

Anastasia's POVThe evening was unusually cool.A gentle breeze drifted in through the open windows of the sitting room, carrying with it the scent of freshly watered flowers from the garden. The curtains swayed lazily, and the fading sunlight painted long golden streaks across the polished wooden floor.The house was quiet.I sat alone on one of the large cream colored sofas with a cup of tea growing cold in my hands, though I hadn't taken a sip in several minutes.My thoughts refused to settle. They kept returning to the same two people. Brandon, and Damien. Brandon's latest moves had become increasingly reckless. Every of his attack carried the same message.‘I'm coming.’It should have frightened me. Instead it made me angry. Because I knew Brandon well enough to understand exactly what he was doing. He wasn't acting out of confidence. He was acting out of desperation.Still, desperate men were often the most dangerous.I leaned my head back against the sofa. Unfortunately thinkin

Anastasia's Pov The air in the grand ballroom of the Moretti estate was thick the gossip and the clinking of glasses stopped the exact second the double doors opened.Every face in the crowd looked up.my spine was straight and my shoulders were back as I walked down the stairs in my silver dress. Next to me, Damien walked, At the bottom of the staircase, the crowd parted. Brandon stood at the edge of the floor, freezing instantly.The champagne glass in his hand tilted, liquid sloshing near the brim. The color drained from his face until his skin looked pale. His eyes widened, fixing on my face, then darting down to the diamond necklace around my neck."Anastasia?" Brandon said, his voice carrying across the immediate circle of guests. "What are you doing here?"Damien stopped at the base of the stairs, shifting his body to block Brandon's view of me. His voice was low and heavy."She is here with me, Brandon. Control your tone before you speak to my wife.""Your wife?" Brandon’s jaw

Anastasia's PovThe heavy double doors of Damien's villa closed behind us. The click of the lock shut out the distant sound of the city.I walked slowly into the main living room.I sank onto the velvet sofa. My hands were still shaking from the adrenaline.My mind kept replaying the image of the police dragging Brandon out of the boardroom in handcuffs.Damien walked over to the bar cart.He poured two glasses of ice water and He walked back across the room and handed one glass to me."Thank you, Damien," I said, my voice quiet in the still room.."For everything today. I couldn't have faced him in that room without you by my side.""You don't need to thank me, Anastasia," Damien replied with His dark eyes were fixed completely on my face."He deserved exactly what happened to him today. He earned every single bit of it." The front door opened suddenly. The heavy wood hit the stopper with a dull thud. Serena stepped into the living room. Her face was tight with gravity.She walked qui