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CHAPTER 35- DAMAGE CONTROL
Veröffentlichungsdatum:
14.08.2026 04:42:06
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THE HEIR'S UNWANTED BRIDE CHAPTER 39- A NAME FROM THE PAST
VIVIENNE'S POV "Two days," I said. "You told me two days." "I know what I told you." "It's been five." "And I've spent all five confirming a name change filed under seal in a jurisdiction that doesn't like handing out records to people who aren't blood relatives. You want fast or you want right. Pick one." "Tell me what you have." "A legal name change. Nineteen years ago, filed in a district court outside the city, sealed at the time, unsealed on a technicality about eleven years back. Petitioner was a minor, sponsored by an adult guardian not listed as a blood relative." "A name change to what." "Damien Chen." I sat down. "Changed from what," I said. "That part's still sealed. Different filing, different judge, harder door. I can get it. It costs more." "I don't care what it costs." "You keep saying that." "Because I keep meaning it." "There's something else," she said, her voice dropping a register. "Whoever sealed that filing the first time had resources. Real ones.
THE HEIR'S UNWANTED BRIDE CHAPTER 38- DIGGING DEEPER
VIVIENNE'S POV"Chen Industries archive request. Line two." I said "That's me.""Name on the account?""Not important. I'm paying triple your rate for discretion, so let's skip that part."A pause on the other end. Then a sigh, the sound of someone deciding the money was worth the irritation."Fine. What do you need.""Everything on Damien Chen. Pre-Chen Industries. Before nineteen years ago. Whatever's buried, I want it dug up.""That's a big ask with no name to search off.""That's the point. There's nothing to search off. I need you to find why."Another pause, longer this time."I'll call you back."She hung up before I could say anything else.My phone rang again forty minutes later."I can get you records access," she said. "Court filings, old registries, some archived press. It's not cheap and it's not fast.""How not fast.""Days. Maybe longer, depending what's actually there to find.""Fine.""One thing. If there's a reason nineteen years of a man's life doesn't exist on pap
THE HEIR'S UNWANTED BRIDE CHAPTER 37- THE HAND BEHIND THE LIE
CELESTE'S POV"Say that again.""There's video, Celeste. Not just the photo. Forty seconds, taken from across the street, and someone's cut it to look worse than it is."Phone on speaker, Damien pacing, hand dragging through his hair."Worse how," Damien said."Angle makes it look like she's leaning into him. She's not. She's reaching past him for the car door. But nobody's going to watch it twice to check.""Where did it come from.""Same account as the photo. The metadata, the device, the upload history. It's all Vivienne.""You're sure," Damien said."I'm sure enough to bring it to your mother by nine a.m.""That's four hours from now.""Then get dressed," Damien said, and hung up.He didn't look at me. Already moving, already three steps ahead."Damien.""What.""You're not even going to sit down for a second.""No.""Say something before you walk out that door."He stopped. Just for a breath."She tried to end us with a photo she staged herself," he said. "I'm not sitting down fo
THE HEIR'S UNWANTED BRIDE CHAPTER 36- WORSE THAN A PHOTO
CELESTE'S POV"Sir, this way, quickly."Security moved us before the glass doors finished swinging shut, a hand at my back, another at Damien's shoulder. The noise from the street dulled to a murmur behind us, still audible through the marble lobby."Damien—""Not here.""You froze out there.""I said not here, Celeste."The hotel manager crossed the lobby toward us, tall, grey suit, headset still hooked over one ear, his face arranged into the particular calm of a man who'd already decided something."Mr. Chen. A word, if I could.""Not now.""It's about the room reserved for the press debrief. Given the footage claims, the board's asking whether—""Whether what.""Whether it's appropriate for Mrs. Chen to be present for the internal call. Given the nature of the allegations.""You mean whether I did it," I said. "You can just ask me. I'm standing right here."The manager's eyes flicked to me and away again, back to Damien, like I hadn't spoken at all."Mr. Chen, I only meant—""Look
THE HEIR'S UNWANTED BRIDE CHAPTER 35- DAMAGE CONTROL
DAMIEN'S POV"Mr. Chen, is it true?""Celeste, look here, just one shot!""Is the marriage over, Mr. Chen?""Mr. Chen, did you know before this morning?""Celeste, over here, just one word!"A reporter shoved the photo above her head, turned it toward the cameras.I didn't look at it. I'd seen it four times already. Celeste's phone. Adrian's phone. The car screen on the way here.A lie with good lighting."Sir, we can take you around the side," a security guard said, falling into step beside us."No," I said. "We go through the front.""Mr. Chen, that's not—""Through the front.""Keep walking," I said, hand at the small of her back."They're not going to let us just walk past them.""I know.""Damien.""Keep walking.""Mr. Chen, over here!""Celeste, is there any truth to it at all?""Mr. Chen, does your silence mean—""We're not silent," I said. "We're walking.""Celeste, can you confirm or deny the affair?"The word hit the air between us. I felt her breath catch.I didn't let mine
THE HEIR'S UNWANTED BRIDE CHAPTER 34- THE LIE THEY TOLD THE PUBLIC
CELESTE'S POV "Celeste. Pick up. Pick up, pick up, pick up." My phone buzzed against the nightstand. Nadia's name, third time in a row. Six in the morning, grey outside the curtains. "Nadia, it's six in the morning." "Have you looked at your phone." "I'm looking at my phone right now. I'm talking to you on it." "Not the call. The internet. Open something. Anything." "What's going on." "Just open it." I sat up. Damien's side of the bed was empty, the sheets already cool. "Nadia, you're scaring me." "Good. You should be. Open your phone." I opened it. Four seconds to find. A gossip site's front page, a dozen reposts under it, my name sitting in a headline next to a word I never expected to see beside it. Me and Adrian on the office steps. His hand on my shoulder. My head tipped toward his. Both of us laughing. The noodle bag between us cropped clean out of frame, so it just looked like two people standing very close in the dark with nowhere to be. "That's not what it look
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