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188

Author: Insertwritername
last update Last Updated: 2025-08-31 13:07:55

The meeting was everything I expected it to be — long tables, stiff chairs, executives pretending to like each other. My ankle throbbed under the table, but I didn’t let it show. I kept my face calm, my voice sharp, and made it through every agenda point without slipping once.

By the end, a nurse checked on me. They wrapped my ankle again, gave me instructions about keeping it elevated and iced. I thanked them politely and returned to the cabin.

The day dragged into night. I changed into a black one-piece suit Isabel had forced me to pack and slipped into the pool behind the lodge. The water was warm against my skin, the steam rising into the cool evening air. I finally felt my body relax, the ache in my ankle easing with the weightlessness.

I wasn’t alone for long. One of the interns, a tall guy with messy hair and nervous eyes, stepped into the pool area with a towel slung over his shoulder. He spotted me immediately and froze.

“Ms. Ana,” he stammered. “Sorry, I didn’t know anyone w
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  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   final chapter

    My eyes shot open. The space was cold. My chest tightened, panic clawing up before I could stop it. Not again.I sat up quickly, clutching the sheet against me, scanning the room. The silence pressed heavy, only the faint hum of the city outside. My pulse raced. I shoved out of bed, pulling one of his shirts over my body, my bare feet hitting the floor hard.“James?” My voice cracked.No answer.I pushed into the hall, my throat tight. The worry grew heavier with every step toward the living room.Then I stopped.The entire space was covered in petals. Red, white, pink — scattered across the floor, the couch, the coffee table. A trail of them led straight to him.James stood near the window, his back to me, dressed in a crisp shirt, his hands shoved in his pockets. He turned when he heard me. The look on his face made my stomach flip. Relief. Joy. Something I hadn’t seen in him before.“What is this?” I whispered, glancing around at the petals.He walked toward me, his smile tugging w

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   200

    The door clicked shut after my parents left. Silence filled the apartment, heavy and suffocating. I stood there gripping the edge of the counter, my chest tight, my pulse still racing from everything that had just happened.James leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed, watching me calmly like he hadn’t just declared to Leo Rathore that he wanted his daughter.I turned on him sharply. “What the hell was that?”He lifted a brow. “The truth.”“You don’t just stand in front of my parents and—” I broke off, running a hand through my hair, pacing across the room. “You made it sound like we’re… like we’re—”“Together?” he finished for me, his tone even.“Yes!” I snapped, my cheeks burning. “You don’t get to decide that for me.”He pushed off the wall, closing the distance between us slowly. “I didn’t decide for you. I said what I wanted. I want you. That’s not changing.”I glared at him, my hands trembling. “You embarrassed me.”He smirked faintly. “Funny, your mother didn’t loo

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   199

    I stood frozen in the doorway, gripping the handle so hard my knuckles turned white. My mother’s eyes scanned me from head to toe, her lips parting slightly in relief. My father’s brows furrowed, his jaw set like stone.“Ana,” Bella said softly, stepping forward, her hand brushing my arm. “You’re alright.”“I’m fine,” I whispered, my throat tight.“We heard you left the retreat because of health concerns,” Leo said sharply, his gaze flicking to the wrapped ankle. “We came the moment we heard.”I swallowed hard. “It’s nothing. Just a sprain.”“Sprain or not, we were worried,” Bella said firmly, her hand squeezing mine. “We couldn’t get through to you, and when the coordinator called…” Her eyes softened, but her voice stayed steady. “We needed to see for ourselves.”Before I could respond, footsteps sounded behind me. James appeared in the doorway, towel draped over his shoulder, his chest bare and damp from the shower.Both of my parents froze.James’s eyes met theirs, calm but unflinc

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   198

    The smell of food woke me. For a second I thought I was dreaming, until I opened my eyes and saw light spilling into the bedroom. The space next to me was empty. The sheets still smelled like him, still warm from his body.I sat up slowly, pulling the blanket against my chest. My body was sore in the best way, my lips still tingling from his kisses. My hair was a mess, my thighs aching. Last night replayed in fragments—his hands, his voice, the way he held me like he’d never let go.A sound came from the kitchen. I frowned, slipping out of bed, one of his shirts hanging loose over me. The fabric brushed mid-thigh, the sleeves swallowing my hands.He was there.James stood at the stove shirtless, sweatpants hanging low on his hips, flipping something in a pan. His hair was damp, pushed back carelessly, his shoulders broad under the kitchen light. The sight stopped me in the doorway.“You’re staring,” he said without turning, his voice calm.I crossed my arms, leaning on the frame. “I’m

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   197

    The car ride back was quiet after what happened in the backseat. My body was sore, my hair still damp from the rain, my thighs sticky against the leather. James’s hand stayed on the wheel, his other resting on my leg like it belonged there. Every time he squeezed, my stomach tightened.When we finally pulled up outside my apartment, he didn’t wait. He got out, came around, and opened my door before I could.“I can walk,” I muttered, clutching my bag.He shot me a look, then bent and lifted me anyway. My arms wrapped around his neck without thinking, my cheek pressing to his chest.“You’re impossible,” I whispered.“You love it,” he said calmly, carrying me inside like it was nothing.The elevator ride was silent. My heart hammered against his shirt. He set me down only when we reached my door, watching me punch in the code before scooping me back into his arms and pushing the door open with his foot.Inside, the apartment was dim. He carried me to the couch and set me down gently. The

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   196

    The car was silent except for the steady rhythm of the wipers cutting across the windshield. James’s jaw stayed tight, his hand gripping the wheel, his focus locked on the road.I shifted in my seat, crossing my legs slowly. The tension pressed down like a weight. My eyes flicked to him, his damp shirt stretched across his chest, his hair messy from the storm, drops of water still sliding down his neck. He looked dangerous, too controlled, and it made me restless.Without thinking twice, I leaned closer, resting my hand on his thigh.His eyes flicked down, then back to the road. “Ana.” His voice was a warning.“What?” I asked innocently, dragging my fingers higher.“Don’t,” he muttered, his grip on the wheel tightening.I smirked, brushing my palm against the bulge pressing against his pants. His breath hitched, his knuckles whitening on the steering wheel.“Fuck,” he hissed, his head tilting back slightly before he snapped it forward again. “You’re insane.”“Maybe,” I whispered, sque

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