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157

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last update Huling Na-update: 2025-08-18 23:56:00

The knock on my door never came. Instead, the second I stepped outside, James’s hand closed around my wrist. His grip was firm, not painful, but it pulled me forward before I could catch my breath.

“James,” I hissed, looking around. “What are you doing?”

He didn’t answer. He opened the car door with his free hand and nudged me inside. I fell against the leather seat, stunned, and before I could reach for the handle, he was in the driver’s seat. The car slid away from the curb with smooth precision.

“Where are we going?” I demanded.

Silence. His eyes stayed on the road, his profile lit by passing streetlights. Strong jaw, relaxed posture, fingers steady on the wheel. Like he had planned this.

I crossed my arms, glaring at him. “You can’t just drag me out of my house and not explain.”

Still nothing.

The car pulled up to a high-end restaurant, one I had only seen in magazines. The valet stepped forward, but James ignored him, parking himself. He got out, came around, and opened my door.
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  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   171

    The car pulled up in front of the restaurant, and my breath caught before I could stop it. It wasn’t just any restaurant. The entire building glowed in golden light, with glass walls that revealed a skyline view stretching for miles. Valets moved quickly to take the cars, guests in gowns and suits stepping out with effortless grace.I adjusted the strap of my clutch, forcing my expression calm. I wouldn’t let him see me flinch.James was already there, waiting at the entrance. His dark suit was sharp, his posture relaxed, his presence impossible to ignore. When he saw me step out, his eyes ran over me once, slow and deliberate.“You’re late,” he said evenly.“It’s two minutes past seven,” I snapped.His mouth curved faintly. “Late.”He held out his arm. I hesitated, then slipped mine through, my back straight. “You’re unbearable.”“Not tonight,” he murmured.Inside, the restaurant was alive with soft music, glittering chandeliers, and waiters in white jackets gliding smoothly between

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   170

    The team finally cleared out, leaving only the sound of the door clicking shut. I leaned against the table, trying to calm my breathing, while James adjusted his cufflinks like he hadn’t just turned my entire world upside down.He glanced at me, calm as ever. “We should make this official.”I folded my arms tightly across my chest. “Official? What do you mean by that?”His eyes stayed steady on mine. “You know exactly what I mean. Stop pretending this is some accident. After work tonight, you’re coming with me.”I raised my chin, forcing my voice into the cool, even tone I always used when I wanted control. “And if I say no?”He stepped closer, his voice low. “You won’t.”I narrowed my eyes, trying not to let my pulse give me away. “You’re very sure of yourself.”“I’m sure of you,” he said simply.I turned away, collecting the scattered papers from the floor just to put some distance between us. “Fine. If that’s what it takes to get you back to focusing on business, then I’ll go.”Whe

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   169

    The silence after was deafening. My breath still came uneven, my legs shaky where they dangled off the edge of the table. James hadn’t moved away, his hand still braced on my hip, his forehead leaning against mine like he was in no hurry to let go.I shoved at his chest weakly. “Get off me. We have to… we have to pull it together.”He kissed the corner of my mouth, calm as ever. “Already did.”“James,” I hissed, glaring at him as I slid off the table. My knees buckled, and he caught me before I could stumble, smirking when I swatted his hands away. “Don’t you dare.”He stepped back, smoothing his shirt, tucking himself in like nothing had happened. He straightened his tie, rolled his shoulders, and just like that, he looked every inch the untouchable executive again.I looked down at myself and cursed under my breath. My blouse was torn wide open, buttons scattered across the carpet. My bra strap hung loose on one side. My hair was a wreck, sticking to the sweat on my skin.“Oh my god

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   168

    The door clicked shut again and silence swallowed the room. My chest was still heaving, my fingers pressed to my temples like that would erase the way his lips had just ruined me.James didn’t move back. His eyes stayed locked on me, steady and knowing, like he had been waiting for this exact moment. The faint smirk tugging at his mouth made my stomach twist with anger and heat at the same time.“You’re shaking,” he murmured.I dropped my hands to the table, gripping the edge until my knuckles whitened. “I said this can’t happen.”He leaned in slowly, his voice low enough to crawl under my skin. “Then stop me.”Before I could think, his mouth crashed against mine again. Harder this time, desperate. My back hit the table edge as he crowded me, his hands rough at my waist pulling me flush against him. I pushed at his chest, but my fingers curled into his shirt instead, dragging him closer.“Damn you,” I breathed into his mouth.His teeth grazed my bottom lip as he whispered, “Say it aga

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   167

    The investor rehearsal was set for two o’clock sharp. By one fifty, the boardroom was full. Laptops clicked, papers shuffled, coffee cups rested half-forgotten on the table. I stood at the front, running through notes on the projector, my blazer buttoned tight, my expression calm.James walked in a minute before the hour, dark suit, relaxed stride, cool as ever. His presence shifted the room instantly. People sat straighter. Eyes followed him. He gave a short nod, then took the empty seat near the front, folding his arms loosely.“Let’s begin,” I said, clicking to the first slide.I moved through the pitch, my voice steady. The team answered questions. James added a statistic here, a projection there. Every time I spoke, I felt his eyes on me. Calm, steady, unrelenting. I ignored it.At slide seven, he raised a hand. “We’re skipping the human element,” he said. “Investors don’t just buy numbers. They buy people. Add it back in.”“We agreed it was filler,” I said.“We agreed to keep it

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   166

    The conference room was filled with quiet chatter and the shuffle of papers. I adjusted the stack in front of me, clicked my pen once, and looked around the table. James sat at the far end, perfectly composed, jacket off, tie loose. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes followed me whenever I moved.“Let’s start,” I said, standing at the head of the table. “Slide one needs more weight. We open with certainty or we lose them in the first five minutes.”The team nodded, typing notes. James leaned back in his chair, arms folded, watching me.“Slide four is out,” I continued. “We are not telling them what they already know.”“It stays,” James said, his voice even.I looked directly at him. “It’s filler.”“It’s foundation,” he replied. “Not everyone in the room knows the backstory. We remind them, we lead them.”“Waste of time,” I said.“Necessary time,” he countered.The room fell quiet. Isabel looked between us with raised brows.I set my pen down with deliberate calm. “Fine. It st

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