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CHAPTER 23
Last Updated:
2025-01-17 16:36:54
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Forced To Be The Billionaire’s Bride CHAPTER 24
Marie needed a rest. She could still feel the weight of the encounter with Howard, his icy gaze and eerie words ringing in her head. She could sense the tension seething beneath her flesh.After his father left, Aaron remained silent, but Marie could tellhe was harboring a lot of conflict. She hadn't witnessed him so tightly wound and in control in a long time.Marie decided to go out for coffee because she needed a moment to collect herself. She walked to the tiny kitchen area, her heels clicking lightly on the shiny floors. Even though the company's office was large and contemporary with white marble and glass walls Marie still felt alienated.Despite being courteous, the staff avoided her as though she reminded them of something they didn't want to face. A few women were talking in the corner as she approached the coffee maker. They were probably a little too engrossed in their chatter and were laughing too loudly.Marie chose her coffee while trying to ignore them and concentrate
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Marie's heart pounded as soon as the three women froze. In an instant, the atmosphere seemed tense and everyone's gaze shifted to the voices. The person was Howard Sanchez. He radiates a raw power that adds to the oppressive atmosphere of the room. Standing at the kitchen area's entrance, he focusedon the women who had been encircling Marie moments before.The three women blinked in obvious surprise and before Marie could grasp what was happening, Howard's icy voice broke the stillness.He looked at the women, his jaw clenching, and “Is there a problem here”?They took immediate action retreating almost simultaneously. When the woman with the red lipstick opened her mouth to object, Howard ignored her."Leave" he ordered in a tone that would not budge.With glances back at Marie, the women exchanged awkward looks and filed out of the kitchen individually. Then Howard turned to face Marie staring at her with a cold ferocity that made her stomach turn.His voice was cold as he said "Co
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Aaron's expression mixed confusion and something darker, making Marie uneasy. He stood tall in the doorway, his piercing eyes darting between her and his father, who slightly smiled despite the abrupt interruption.Howard stood up straight and unfazed." Aaron, no issue at all. I just had a brief conversation with your beautiful wife.” Theedges of his smile curled as he paused for a moment. "A friendly discussion. You are aware of how it is."Aaron's eyes squinted, but he held his tongue. He entered the space and walked to Marie with a protective aura. Howard nodded slightly, almost dismissively, with that eerie smile still on his face.Well, Howard said as though nothing significant had just happened," I'll leave you two to it. Marie, I hope to see you at the next family meal. And be careful." He turned on his heel and left the room without saying another word. The air between her and Aaron was now heavy with an unspoken emotion, and Marie stood there with her heart still pounding.A
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Forced To Be The Billionaire’s Bride CHAPTER 27
Marie was sitting in her office, staring blankly at the papers strewn all over her desk, her back against the plush leather chair. She could almost feel the office's calm hum, but it didn't stop the storm that was building inside her head.The fluorescent lights outside buzzed softly, and she could see Aaron moving behind his desk, absorbed in whatever task he was working on, through the glass wall separating her office from Aaron's.A strange mixture of admiration and frustration rose in Marie'schest as she saw how confident and sure of himself his figure appeared. After observing him from the window, she slowly lowered her gaze to her hands in her lap.He had put his hand around her wrist earlier, and the memory was still vivid. Though it had only been a fleeting gesture, there had been a sense of connection. It was not the same. Firm, almost urgent, nothing about it was tender, even though he seemed to want to draw her closer to him and anchor her to him.Marie shifted uneasily in
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As she tried to focus on the reports before her, Marie sat at her desk, tiredly tapping the surface with her fingers. Her patience was wearing thin after a long day.Just like clockwork, Aaron's office door clicked open with a swivel. He stood straight and commanding, staring at her through the glass partition with a furrowed brow."Marie," he called, his voice piercing the stillness." Come over here."Before she forced herself to get out of her chair, she looked up at him and briefly met his eyes. Even though her legs were stiff, she walked toward him, her heart pounding more quickly as she expected his following words.Aaron was less than polite when he saw her. Instead, he pointed to the pile of files on his desk and narrowed his eyes.He pointed at the pile." I need you to take care of this," he said in a curt manner. "By the end of the day, sort through these, arrange them, and provide me with the information."Marie blinked as she tried to understand the unexpected amount of wor
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Notwithstanding the tiredness in her bones, Marie had meticulously completed Aaron's requested reports, accurately piecing together every detail.She knew she would experience another disappointment if she failed to meet his expectations. As she returned the files to his office, she hoped he would finally recognize her efforts.The soft click of the door closing behind her felt louder than ever as she knocked and stepped inside. Aaron was searching through a bookshelf at his desk with his back to the light.She walked over to Aaron's desk, laid the folder in front of him, and whispered," Here's the updated file, Aaron."Aaron reached for it, hardly looking at her, and flipped the file open as Marie watched him from a distance, hoping to gain recognition.She could feel the tension that seemed to seize every interaction between them. Aaron silently turned the pages for a moment without answering. His jaw tensed, and his brows knitted."This is wrong." He muttered, his voice brimming wi
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For a considerable time, the only sound in the room was their breathing, and Howard's eyes remained fixed on them.The tension was higher than before. Finally, Aaron withdrew just a little, his lips lingering close to hers. He said nothing and avoided looking at her. He held her arm tightly, worried that she might slink away.Marie's mind was racing to process what had just happened,causing her to breathe shallowly and her chest to rise and fall quickly. Her emotions had just been roused, and she was unsure of how to respond or what to do with them.Still standing at the door, Howard kept observing them, his face unreadable. Aaron spoke in a measured, low voice. With a sudden calmness as if nothing had happened, he said and stepped an inch away from her."Father, I'm so sorry."Howard took a while to reply. He moved into the room a little more, his eyes darting back and forth between them. A hint of amusement was visible in his eyes, but it was accompanied by surprise.“What’s going
Last Updated : 2025-01-25Forced To Be The Billionaire’s Bride CHAPTER 31
Immediately after the door clicked shut, Aaron released Marie and gently pushed her away as if trying to restrain the intensity of his feelings.The tension that had previously existed between them lingered as his eyes met hers, crystal clear and icy. Aaron yelled, his voice barely controlled with rage, "Do you know what you just did? I promise you will be required to return everything if your stupidity causes you to break this contract. Everything—the house, the money…" Anger welled up inside Marie. Aaron's words felt like a kick in the face to her, who was already tense from what had just transpired. Aaron said quietly but firmly, “My dad can't see us fighting. We must continue to act as though we are. Do you understand?" The words stung Marie, but she swallowed hard enough to nod. Her voice was restrained as she said softly," I understand."For a moment, they stood silently, the pressure of the moment bearing down on them. Aaron sighed slightly in frustration while continuing to
Last Updated : 2025-01-27
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Marie felt sick to her stomach when she woke up. The dull ache throbbed through her body, and she moaned as she slowly sat up. A reassuring gesture that had always calmed her hands automatically went to her stomach bump, but today it didn't help. It felt strange.Susann, who had been sitting close by, saw her stir and hurried over to join her. She put a delicate hand on Marie's arm while her eyes were worried.She said in a worried tone, “How are you feeling?” Marie swallowed forcefully, attempting to ignore the vertigo that was weighing her down. “Not great”, she muttered in a feeble voice. “I feel... unwell. What happened, and why am I here?” A stray hair fell from Marie’s forehead, and Susann’s face softened. Her eyes were full of sympathy as she said softly, “You passed out in the kitchen, remember? We have you here to recuperate. You were not doing well.”Susann went on using a steady but worried tone. “You have food poisoning," the doctor had said. He prescribed medication to
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The only sounds in the bedroom were Marie's steady breathing and the slight hum of the rain hitting the windows. Although the storm outside had subsided, Aaron's inner turmoil persisted, growing more intense in quiet than ever before. He sat next to her, staring at her sleeping form with his fingers loosely laced together and his elbows resting on his knees. Slow, shallow breaths caused Marie's chest to rise and fall as she lay motionless. She no longer had the flush of pain that had hit her earlier; instead, she was paler and had a faint gleam of perspiration on her forehead.With a slight parting of her lips, her dark lashes spread out like shadows across her cheeks. She appeared to be the only thing that was pure in the midst of all this chaos, even now after everything had happened. Aaron couldn't take his eyes off it.He felt a sharp aching pulse of relief in his chest. She didn't get hurt. Despite the doctor's conclusion that she wasn't expecting the baby anytime soon, the baby
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Aaron’s heart pounded in his chest as he ran down the hallway, barely registering the sound of the mansion's front door slamming shut. He had been torn like a lightning strike by Susann's emergency call, and his mind was racing with the worst-case scenarios. He whispered to himself, “Marie…” as he pushed open the master bedroom door.His gaze instantly fell on her. Her body, pale and limp against the soft white sheets, was still unconscious. Her skin had a thin coating of perspiration. As he knelt next to her and gently brushed a damp lock of hair away from her face, his heart lurched.His voice was tight just above a whisper as he asked, “Is she okay?” Susann stood next to him with her arms crossed over her chest. Her face was pale, and she had worried eyes. “Aaron, the doctor is en route. He'll understand what's happening.”Aaron took some time to respond. He kept his gaze on Marie, observing her chest's gradual rise and fall. He had a nagging suspicion that something was wrong...
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Susann's silk robe was pulled tight around her as she made her way through the dim hallways to the kitchen. There was an eerie calm about the mansion tonight that made her chest tighten with something she couldn't replace.Although she didn't know what had gone wrong earlier, she had a feeling. There was an oppressive silence as if a storm had swept through the house. Just in time to hear the scream, she arrived at the kitchen hallway.It was like a blade cutting through the air. High. Angular. Identifiable.Marie.Susann's breath caught in her chest as she froze at the doorway. The tray she was carrying clattered noisily to the floor, broken by the impact of the porcelain. Her hands suddenly pushed open the kitchen doors with a violent lurch of her heart.Her heart raced with cold panic at what she saw. Marie lay on the floor, her hands gripping her stomach as she fell close to the counter. Now every breath she took caused her baby bump's gentle curve to heave.Sweat was dripping fro
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It was too silent in the mansion. The cold tiles beneath Marie’s feet grounded her more than she liked as she padded down the hallway. Aaron's words kept repeating in her mind, and she had her arms crossed tightly across her chest, more out of nervousness than cold.She had to do something before the weight in her chest got too much. She turned on the warm lights above and walked to the kitchen. The room was immaculate—a pristine shell concealing the decay underneath—because it was cleaned every day just like the rest of the house, not because anyone used it.Reaching over to the counter, Marie filled the kettle. To her senses, the sound of the running water was like static. After gently putting the kettle back down, she leaned both palms on the counter's edge and let out a slow exhale.I was described as a distraction. The memory made her stomach churn. Aaron had expressed his anger in a very quiet way, but there had also been a wounded and dangerous look in his eyes. When he decla
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The far-off crash sounded like a gunshot in the middle of the night, echoing down the hallway. When Marie heard the muffled sound of wood splintering, she had just arrived at the end of the hallway. Her fingers tightened around the folds of her robe as she stopped, her breath caught in her chest.There was silence after another thud. A tense rather than peaceful silence filled Aaron. She made no hesitation. Turning on her heel, she rushed down the corridor. When she arrived at his room, her bare feet hardly made a sound on the marble floors. Her hand hovered over the doorknob as she paused at it.A shiver went down her back. She gave a soft knock. “Aaron?” Not responding. Slowly opening the door, she saw the chair near the far wall broken in two.“Aaron?” she repeated a little softer this time as she entered and shut the door.He didn't move right away. His fists were clenched at his sides, his head was slightly bowed, and his shoulders were tense. Papers scattered on the floor, a br
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With such force that the walls shook, Aaron rushed into his room and slammed the door shut behind him. Through the void of the enormous mansion, the sound reverberated like thunder.He was pacing with his shoulders stiff and his fingers twitching at his sides as if they were searching for something to rip apart as soon as the lock clicked into position. He had his jaw clenched, his teeth grinding in unspoken rage. He felt angry—an unstoppable storm. The lamp by his bed flickered from the disturbance in the air as if even the light itself was uncertain whether to remain, and the shadows in the room seemed to grow longer with each step he took. The oak bookshelves, the velvet curtains and the chilly steel-framed pictures of people posing as a family all seemed to belong to him. Howard. Aaron was furious, and his footsteps echoed his anger like war drums on the hardwood floor. No longer was his heart thumping in his chest out of fear. That had long since burned out. Now he sensed somet
Forced To Be The Billionaire’s Bride CHAPTER 104
Aaron’s breath came in sharp, ragged bursts as he strode through the long dark hallway, his steps heavy. His father's remarks were reverberating in his mind like a vicious taunt, and he was consumed by a storm of rage. “You’re nothing without me.”. . . His knuckles turned white as his fists clenched so tightly his nails digging into his palms. It seemed as though the mansion itself was attempting to ensnare him in its ruthless, frigid clutches because the air around him was heavy and oppressive.He was hardly aware of the dim glow of the wall sconces as the hall stretched out in front of him with dark wooden panels reflecting it. He could hear and feel nothing but his own rage hammering unrelentingly.He could still hear his father's voice in his ears. . . “You’re toying with me.” With a start, he halted his boots scuffing the shiny floor. His chest was heaving, and his breath was harsh as he struggled to maintain his balance. Tonight his father had said far too many things, but th
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The smell of whiskey filled the dimly lit study, clouding the space with a strong, almost oppressive odor. Howard sat behind his desk, he swirled the amber liquid in his glass while staring into the depths of the drink.A firm and pointed knock was heard on the door.Howard called “Come in” in a steady, low voice that showed no signs of the storm that was building inside.Aaron entered as the door squeaked open. His stance was straight, his face tight with annoyance, and he stood tall. Howard closely observed him, his keen eyes scrutinizing each nuance and facial movement. Aaron was very much a reflection of himself; he was obstinate, strong-willed and self-destructive.“Aaron, sit. We must have a conversation.” Aaron, however, did not move. His body was tense as he stood there staring at Howard’s face. His voice was tight as he said. “I'm not here to sit. I'm here to know why you called me.”The corner of Howard’s mouth curled into a thin smile as he raised an eyebrow. Savoring the
