THE BILLIONAIRE'S RELUCTANT BRIDE

EVANGELINESunlight streamed through my bedroom windows, birds sang in the garden, and everything looked perfect for what should have been the happiest day of my life.Instead, I felt like I was preparing for my own funeral and staring at the devil whose gaze remained blank, reflecting nothing unlike mine which showed confusion and terror in equal measure.I held my phone toward his face, waiting for him to read the message's contents, but he stalled, continuing to stare at me with cold, unfeeling eyes that seemed to look straight through me as if I were nothing more than an inconvenience.The threatening message had arrived that morning, just hours before the ceremony. Words with chilling warning that said "End this marriage or face the consequences!"The letters seemed to burn into my retinas every time I closed my eyes, a promise of violence that made my hands shake uncontrollably."Answer me. Are you the one who sent this message?"I repeated my question for what felt like the hund

EVANGELINE"Welcome to your new home," Cordelia exclaimed, linking her arm with mine and pulling me inside as soon as we arrived.The house I'd once visited as a guest had now become my permanent residence.The thought should have been exciting, instead it felt like entering a beautiful prison - one with no hope of escape.The mansion was even more imposing at night, its Gothic architecture casting long shadows in the moonlight. Windows glowed like eyes watching my every move, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being observed, judged, and found wanting.I followed Gael with my eyes as he crossed past me with wide strides, climbing the stairs to the upper floor.He made no effort to hide his anger at the situation, his shoulders rigid with barely contained hostility."Don't mind him," Cordelia whispered to me. "He's always moody after social events. He'll settle down."I wished I could believe her optimism, but I knew better. This wasn't about social anxiety - this was about a

EVANGELINEI opened my eyes with heaviness stretching through every joint in my body and stared at the clock on the wall.It was nearly five in the morning.It was still very early, and the sun hadn't risen yet.I straightened my upper body and left the bed, stepping quietly across the floor.I needed to return to my room now. I didn't want anyone to find that I'd spent my first night as a married woman with Cordelia. I wouldn't find an excuse to explain that away.The hallway was dark and silent as I made my way back to what was now supposed to be my bedroom, feeling like an intruder in my own home.I inspected the area carefully before entering with slow steps and glanced at the bed.My brows furrowed in surprise. The bed was empty.Where had he gone?I pressed my ear to the bathroom door to check if he was inside, but no sound came from within.I walked to the dressing room and peeked inside only to find it was also empty.That left only one option: the room behind the door I couldn

EVANGELINEThe drive into town was a welcome relief from the tension of the house.Cordelia kept up a steady stream of cheerful chatter, pointing out local landmarks and sharing stories from her childhood. Her genuine warmth was like a balm to my wounded spirit."That's where Gael and I used to get ice cream every Sunday after church," she said, pointing to a small parlor with cheerful blue awnings. "He always got vanilla, no matter how many flavors they had. Said he didn't like surprises.""He hasn't changed much then," I murmured.Cordelia glanced at me sideways. "Actually, he has. He used to be much more... open. Adventurous, even. He was the one who convinced me to climb the old oak tree in our backyard, even though Mom had forbidden it. He was the one who taught me to ride a bike, who stayed up all night helping me with my school projects."The picture she painted was so different from the cold, hostile man I knew that it was hard to believe we were talking about the same person.

EVANGELINEBZZZZ. BZZZZ. BZZZZ.The sharp buzzing pierced through my restless sleep, dragging me back to consciousness.My eyes flew open, immediately assaulted by the harsh morning light streaming through the windows.Pain shot through my neck, a vicious reminder of the awkward angle I'd fallen asleep in on the sofa.Everything ached. My left arm had gone completely numb, trapped beneath my body for hours. The leather had left angry impressions across my cheek, and my mouth felt dry and bitter.BZZZZ. BZZZZ.I fumbled through the cushions until my fingers found the vibrating phone, squinting at the screen through bleary eyes to see it was a call from an Unknown number.Just a string of digits that meant nothing to me.My thumb hesitated over the answer button. Every instinct screamed at me to let it ring through to voicemail.Who calls at six forty-seven in the morning? Nothing good ever came from unknown numbers at this hour.But something nagged at me. What if it was an emergency?