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Chapter 157
Last Updated:
2025-12-19 20:34:35
Latest chapter
The Auctioned Bride Chapter 161
Althea’s pov.I didn’t expect peace to feel this quiet.Not the fragile kind that comes after crying, or the numb stillness after chaos but something slower, warmer. Something that made mornings feel less sharp. Damien moved around the house like he belonged with me again, not hovering, not apologizing with every breath. Actually yes but Just… there. Present. Careful. Trying.And I let him.I let him brush past me in the hallway and linger a second too long.I let him hold my hand without asking what it meant.I let myself imagine a version of life where I stopped running.Where I stopped hurting.“Come with me,” he said that afternoon, eyes bright in a way I hadn’t seen in years. “There’s somewhere I want to take you.”I didn’t ask where. I already knew it would matter.The place was quiet…too quiet to be accidental. An old estate garden tucked behind wrought iron gates, ivy climbing the stone walls like secrets. White roses everywhere. My chest tightened when I realized why he chose
The Auctioned Bride Chapter 160
Damien’s povShe was warming up to me.Not in the fragile, broken way she had when she first arrived…guarded, sharp, calculating but in something softer. Something terrifyingly hopeful.Althea laughed more now. Small laughs. Quiet ones. The kind that slipped out when she forgot to hold herself together. She stayed close without flinching. She touched my arm when she spoke. She let her head rest briefly against my shoulder when we sat together in silence.Every one of those moments felt like oxygen.I had wanted this…her…for so long that it almost felt unreal. Like if I breathed too loudly, she would vanish again.“She’s trying,” I told myself.“She’s choosing you.”And God, I wanted to be worthy of that choice.That morning, I watched her from the kitchen doorway as she stood by the window, sunlight working in through her hair. She looked peaceful. For the first time since she’d come back, she looked like she was considering staying.“Althea,” I said softly.She turned. Smiled. “Yes?”
The Auctioned Bride Chapter 159
Althea’s pov“Thank you… for last night. For everything.”He nodded, not pushing, not fishing for reassurance. Just accepting the moment for what it was. That control….God, it did something to me.“I don’t know who I am anymore,” I admitted quietly. “Everything I thought was true…my past, my body, my emotions…it’s all tangled. Some days I feel like I’m made of borrowed pieces.”Damien reached across the table, resting his hand over mine. Steady. Warm.“Then stay,” he said simply. “Stay here. With me. We’ll untangle it together. No pressure. No games.”I searched his face for deception. For hunger masked as care. For control dressed up as kindness.I found none.What I found instead was patience.Something inside me softened. Cracked.Maybe this was cowardice. Maybe it was healing. Maybe it was just exhaustion.But since I ran, the idea of stopping…of not looking over my shoulder every second felt tempting.“I could stay,” I whispered.His grip tightened just slightly, like he was afr
The Auctioned Bride Chapter 158
Althea’s PovMorning light slipped through the curtains warming the edge of the bed where I sat. The house was quiet but for once, it didn’t feel oppressive. It felt… gentle. Like a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding had finally been released.I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, not because I was cold, but because everything felt raw. Exposed. Not in a frightening way. In a way that made my chest ache softly.Damien returned a few minutes later with a mug in his hand.“Careful,” he said gently. “It’s strong.”“Thank you,” I replied, accepting it. Our fingers brushed briefly. Just a touch. Nothing more.But he felt it too.He sat on the edge of the bed, keeping a respectful distance. That alone did something to me. The old Damien would’ve filled the silence with apologies, excuses, or desperate affection. This one just… stayed. Present. Calm.“How’s your head?” he asked.“Better,” I said honestly, taking a small sip. The warmth traveled down my throat, grounding me. “I’m
The Auctioned Bride Chapter 157
Althea’s povIt felt like my head was playing drums inside my skull.I groaned softly as my eyes fluttered open, my hand flying to my temple. The light filtering through the curtains was too bright, too sharp, like it was punishing me for last night’s decisions.The first thing I noticed was the floor.Clothes.My dress.His shirt.A shoe tipped on its side like it had been kicked off in a hurry.My breath hitched.I shifted under the sheets and that was when it truly sank in.I was naked.Completely.My heart slammed painfully against my ribs as I turned my head slowly toward the other side of the bed.Damien.Bare from the waist up, lying on his back, one arm tucked beneath his head, his chest rising and falling in an even rhythm. He looked… calm. Untroubled. Nothing like the chaos roaring inside me.My hand flew to my mouth as a sharp gasp escaped me.Shit.This wasn’t part of the plan.This wasn’t supposed to happen.A familiar pang of guilt curled deep in my stomach, tight and un
The Auctioned Bride Chapter 156
Althea’s PovNo one said a word on the drive back.The silence pressed against my ears, thick and heavy, the kind that made your thoughts louder than they should be. Damien kept his eyes on the road, his knuckles pale around the steering wheel. I stared out the window, replaying Valerio’s face over and over again…those eyes, the hurt he hadn’t even tried to hide.I hated that it still affected me.When we finally pulled into the driveway, night had already settled over the house. Damien parked, cut the engine, and turned to me like he wanted to say something…anything but thought better of it.Inside, the house felt too quiet. Too empty.“Is there alcohol?” I asked suddenly, my voice sharper than I intended. “What’s the end of a date without good wine?”He blinked, surprised, then smiled faintly. “Yeah. There is.” He gestured toward the dining area. “Sit. I’ll rinse the glasses.”I didn’t wait.I headed straight for the wine room, my heels clicking against the floor like a countdown. M
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