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After the Auction, He Wants His Bride Back
After the Auction, He Wants His Bride Back
Author: Instant Enlightenment

Chapter 1

Author: Instant Enlightenment
"Miles, that Instagram story where you auctioned off your wife's first night must have racked up a few hundred likes by now."

My husband, Miles Kingston, tipped a smug smile and nodded. "Give or take."

"Aren't you worried Aria will find out and come after you?"

Miles snorted. "Please! I'll say I was joking. What's she going to do, throw a fit?"

His buddies clasped their hands in mock prayer and laid it on thick.

"Miles, you have real charm. Why else would Aria have pursued you? But what could she have done to make you so mad that you posted about selling off her first night?"

Miles raised an eyebrow, pleased with the flattery. "She was bragging to Chloe that we're getting married. Not marrying Chloe is the biggest regret of my life. If I don't put Aria in her place, she'll flaunt in front of Chloe forever."

He kept scrolling through his phone, then hooked a grin. "Found it!"

He held the screen up. "Pretty good, right? These are Aria's private shots. Look at those curves. Worth bidding on, don't you think?"

They whistled and hooted crudely.

I wanted to storm in and shut him up, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking. My throat felt blocked and raw, stinging with pain that wouldn't ease.

My engagement with Miles had been arranged when we were kids. Three years ago, when the Kingston family hit a cash crunch, Miles suddenly showed up in my life.

I fell for him at first sight and did everything I could to win him over until he finally agreed to be my boyfriend.

When I was with Miles, he would carefully pick out the fish bones for me, peel the shrimp, open the car door, and somehow always have my favorite dishes waiting before I even asked.

The attention to detail made everyone around us jealous.

Seeing how happy I was, my parents doubled down on their support for the Kingstons. They not only helped Kingston Group expand into the semiconductor market but also secured two major contracts for the company.

Before long, the wedding discussions shifted from casual talk to a set timeline.

But just a month before the wedding, a woman named Chloe Bennett showed up at my door, claiming to be Miles' one true love.

What had Miles done?

He crouched in front of me, his eyes full of panic and fragile innocence. "Aria, don't listen to Chloe. I only love you. Just don't let her know anything about us, okay? She'll make it a whole thing."

I believed him. I told myself Chloe loved Miles, but he never loved her.

But then, I posted our wedding photo on the social media and forgot to hide it from Chloe.

That night, Chloe posted a drunken, tear-streaked video, her eyes red and glassy, a single tear clinging to her nose. It was pitiful enough to evoke sympathy in anyone watching.

Around dawn, Miles' friends brought him back. He was so drunk that he could barely stand. I rushed over, asking what had happened.

One of them shot me a sideways glance and muttered, "He couldn't marry the woman he actually loves."
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  • After the Auction, He Wants His Bride Back   Chapter 9

    Miles rushed Chloe to the hospital. When the doctor finally came out with the baby, his expression was uneasy.The moment Miles laid eyes on the baby, the truth hit him like a hammer—there was no way it was his son.He spun on his heel and stormed out.When the anesthesia wore off, Chloe immediately looked for Miles. But when she found out that Miles knew the baby wasn't his, she fainted on the spot.Word spread through our circle like wildfire. Miles became a laughingstock, and he knew it.I thought he would never show his face to me again.But then, Chloe suddenly went online and accused me of switching her baby and reposting my assault video, even tagging my account for good measure.Strangers who knew nothing about me saw a pale, exhausted new mom pointing her finger at me and decided it had to be true.Soon, my page was flooded with curses and vile comments.Clips of my naked body, covered with only flimsy mosaics, spread across the internet. The insults grew like weeds.

  • After the Auction, He Wants His Bride Back   Chapter 8

    I turned my head, refusing to look at him.But then, he dropped to his knees, grabbed my hand, and pulled it toward his face as if to make me slap him."It's all my fault! Aria, I'm a jerk! Hit me! Please, hit me!"I yanked my hand back. "That's enough, Miles. Even if I hit you, I still wouldn't forgive you."He fumbled in his pocket, pulled out an amulet, and held it up. "Aria, look! I've carried this all these years. You made it for me yourself, remember? I love you!"He loved me?I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths to calm down, and then shouted at the man kneeling before me. "So what if you love me? Do you forget what you did to me?"I unlocked my phone, scrolled to the videos my so-called friends had sent, and hurled it at him."Look at them, Miles! Look at what I went through! Count how many men laid their hands on me! If my mom hadn't advised me to keep a pair of scissors under my pillow, I might not even be alive right now!"The recording was filled with whistles

  • After the Auction, He Wants His Bride Back   Chapter 7

    While Miles returned to his lavish life, Chloe had been overseas, clinging to an old man's arm, her face heavy with makeup as she begged for scraps of attention.From across the ocean, she scrolled through Miles' updates until the regret consumed her, and then she booked a flight back.Her first move was to show up at my door. But when I didn't take the bait and confront Miles, she turned to his buddies instead.Their families had once been on par with the Kingstons, but now that Kingston Group was about to go public, envy took root in their hearts.Chloe was well-versed in handling men. One by one, she seduced them and pulled them over to her side. Together, they staged the whole act to deceive Miles.They told Miles how deeply Chloe loved him, saying she was forced to have an abortion and went overseas because of him.Hearing that, Miles was racked with guilt.Then, they fanned the flames, hinting that the real hand behind the Kingstons' downfall was the Sterlings.Miles beli

  • After the Auction, He Wants His Bride Back   Chapter 6

    Miles stared at me coldly. "Your family nearly drove mine into bankruptcy. So what if I take it out on you? When you Sterlings teamed up with others to ruin us...""Miles Kingston!" It was the first time I had used his full name in a long while. "I already told you! My family didn't do that!"A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Of course that's what you'd say! I—"Right then, the doorbell cut him off.Zeke glanced at me, tightened his grip on my hand as if guarding me from Miles, and pushed the door open with me at his side.A familiar figure stood at the door. "Ms. Sterling, this is from Mr. Sterling...""Ms. Monroe, what brings you here?" Miles rushed over, his earlier swagger gone. He bent slightly, reaching out his hand.Rebecca Monroe straightened and exchanged a few polite words with him. Then, Miles asked Rebecca why she was here.Rebecca pointed at me. "This is our CEO's beloved daughter. I'm here to deliver something to her..."I could practically feel Miles turn to st

  • After the Auction, He Wants His Bride Back   Chapter 5

    Dad was never the type to cry.I lifted my head and looked at the man who had carried our family on his back his whole life."I'm really okay. Dad, you shouldn't blame yourself. Miles would have come after me no matter what. Even if nothing had happened to our company, what about next year or the year after? We weren't going to outrun it."It was better to see Miles for what he was and cut my losses before it was too late."Mr. Sterling, I'm here," a familiar voice called from the doorway.Before Zeke Carver stepped inside, the rich smell of something sweet drifted in with him."Zeke," I said, pushing up a little. "What bakery is it today?"He laughed as he came in and lifted a paper bag like a prize. "You've got a sharp nose! I picked this up from the corner shop down the street. The pastry chef studied abroad, and everyone says their mousse is amazing."With Zeke there, Dad could finally take a break from keeping an eye on me.I watched Zeke head into the kitchen for plates

  • After the Auction, He Wants His Bride Back   Chapter 4

    The sharp sting of disinfectant burned my nose. I blinked awake, and at the sight of two familiar silhouettes, my throat closed up as the tears came on their own."Aria, let's move to another city," Mom whispered, her eyes red and swollen. She looked at me like I might shatter if she breathed too hard.Dad stood rigid beside her, his jaw tight, but the glassy sheen in his eyes gave him away. He forced the words out through gritted teeth. "That bastard! I'll kill him for what he did!"Memories from last night came crashing back to me. The feel of their touch filled me with disgust, but I swallowed it when I saw the worry on Mom and Dad's faces."Okay. I've been thinking about trying someplace new anyway. When should we go?" I said lightly, as if nothing had happened."Aria..."Just then, the door opened, and Miles walked in.Dad's temper exploded. A vein throbbed at his temple as he strode forward and slapped Miles across the face. "You bastard! We were blind to trust you with ou

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