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Chapter 211

Author: Bamdel
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-06-03 17:18:22

Some habits don’t die quietly.

They claw their way back in—right when you think you’re finally free.

“I need you to breathe.”

My voice sliced through the silence like a thread pulling him back from the edge. I placed my hand flat against Alexander’s chest, feeling the thunderous pace of his heartbeat beneath my palm.

He stood rigid in the middle of our living room, eyes fixed on the TV where the news headline flashed over and over like a cruel mantra.

Global Innovations Scandal Deepens—Chen Empire Under Fire

The moment hung in the air, heavy as a verdict.

He didn’t speak.

His eyes flicked across the screen, scanning details his brain probably already memorized. The part of him trained to fix things, to control everything, was spinning up like a machine.

“Alexander,” I said again, firmer this time. “You need to breathe. Now.”

He blinked, like he was surfacing from underwater, and drew in a slow, shaky breath—but it wasn’t enough. His shoulders stayed locked. His fists clenched.

“I can
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  • The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride    Chapter 211

    Some habits don’t die quietly.They claw their way back in—right when you think you’re finally free.“I need you to breathe.”My voice sliced through the silence like a thread pulling him back from the edge. I placed my hand flat against Alexander’s chest, feeling the thunderous pace of his heartbeat beneath my palm.He stood rigid in the middle of our living room, eyes fixed on the TV where the news headline flashed over and over like a cruel mantra.Global Innovations Scandal Deepens—Chen Empire Under FireThe moment hung in the air, heavy as a verdict.He didn’t speak.His eyes flicked across the screen, scanning details his brain probably already memorized. The part of him trained to fix things, to control everything, was spinning up like a machine.“Alexander,” I said again, firmer this time. “You need to breathe. Now.”He blinked, like he was surfacing from underwater, and drew in a slow, shaky breath—but it wasn’t enough. His shoulders stayed locked. His fists clenched.“I can

  • The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride    Chapter 210

    Sometimes, the strongest thing you can do for someone is stay.Not fixed. Not fight. Just stay.I didn’t speak right away.Alexander’s whole body was tense beside me, every muscle coiled, jaw rigid. The glow from the phone still illuminated his face—sharp angles, haunted eyes.Another photo.Another threat.Another crack in our fragile peace.“I should’ve seen this coming,” he muttered.His voice was so quiet it almost blended with the hum of the rooftop lights. He turned away, like the distance could shield him from his own thoughts.“It’s not your fault,” I said gently.“That doesn’t mean it’s not mine to deal with.”He ran a hand through his hair, breathing like it hurt. “I should’ve handled this before. Found whoever’s been circling us and shut it down. But I got comfortable. I let myself believe—just for a second—that we could have a normal life.”His words gutted me.Because I *wanted* that life too.And we’d been so close to it. Close enough to taste it.“Look at me,” I said so

  • The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride    Chapter 209

    Some confessions don’t come out in arguments or passionate kisses.Sometimes, they show up in the space between silence and surrender.“I think I’ve loved you longer than I’ve admitted to myself.”Alexander said it so quietly, it almost disappeared into the rhythm of his breath.We were sitting on the rooftop, the city stretched beneath us like a living thing. His arm was around my shoulders, the air just brisk enough to make me lean into him. We hadn’t spoken for a few minutes. Just sat there watching lights flicker in distant apartments, wondering about other people’s stories while trying to make sense of our own.But when did he say those words?Everything stopped.“I used to believe love had to come with a plan,” he went on, not looking at me. “That it had to be structured. Logical. If I couldn’t measure it or predict it, it wasn’t safe.”His hand tightened on my shoulder.“But you…” He exhaled a shaky breath. “You didn’t fit into a single box. You broke every system I relied on.”

  • The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride    Chapter 208

    You don’t always see the cracks until the room is quiet.That’s when the truth slips through.“Talk to me.”Two simple words.But Alexander flinched like I’d struck a nerve.We were sitting in the back corner of the townhouse’s new library—our latest renovation project, but the warmth of dark wood and soft lamplight didn’t soften his jaw. He was gripping the edge of the armchair like the leather could hold his insides together.“I don’t want to ruin this night,” he finally said.“Then don’t keep pretending you’re fine.”His lips parted, but he didn’t speak. That hesitation, the shadow in his eyes—something was haunting him. Not something. *Someone.*His father’s final message.The hangar.The file.The ghosts we hadn’t quite buried.I moved closer, sitting cross-legged on the rug in front of him like a girl at storytime.Only this story wasn’t fiction.And it wasn’t mine.“It’s okay to be scared,” I said softly.“I’m not scared.”“Then what are you?”His throat moved. He looked down a

  • The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride    Chapter 207

    Some people break open.Others slowly unfold.Alexander always did both—with me.I didn’t expect him to say yes.Not when I held up the phone and read the coordinates out loud. Not when I asked, “Should we go?”But he nodded.Once. Steady. Certain.That was how I knew the walls weren’t just cracking. They were coming down—one jagged brick at a time.The morning after the message, Alexander stood at the foot of our bed, tie half-knotted, staring out the window like the skyline had answers he couldn’t reach.“I used to think vulnerability made you weak,” he said without turning.I sat up slowly. “What changed your mind?”He looked at me. “You.”We didn’t speak much on the drive.But it wasn’t the awkward kind of quiet.It was weighted. Anticipatory.He held my hand the whole time, thumb moving in slow circles over my skin like he needed the rhythm to keep him grounded.When we pulled up to the address—an old private airfield just outside the city—he didn’t flinch.I did.The place looke

  • The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride    Chapter 206

    Sometimes, it’s not the storms that define us.It’s the quiet after.When we’re finally still enough to hear what our hearts have been whispering all along.After the voicemail ended and the gravity of its words settled between us, I thought we’d immediately launch into detective mode.Laptop. Files. Conspiracy unraveling.Instead, Alexander did something I didn’t expect.He walked over, took my hand, and led me upstairs.Not urgently. Not with the clipped purpose he usually moved with when his world tilted.But gently. Deliberately.“What are we doing?” I asked.His voice was soft. “Taking a minute.”In our bedroom, the night air drifted through the cracked window, cool and quiet. The city’s pulse below barely reached us here, tucked away in our bubble of pause.He sat on the edge of the bed, pulled me between his knees, and just looked up at me like he was memorizing the shape of my face.“I can feel myself slipping into the old pattern,” he murmured. “Fix it. Control it. Don’t stop

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