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Bella’s POV

I saw him the second I stepped off the elevator. He was standing by the front desk, talking to someone, but his eyes flicked to me the moment I walked into view. Of course they did. Leo always looked for me like I was something he owned, something he lost but still expected to find again.

I kept walking. Not too fast. Not slow enough to be noticed. Just… unaffected. That’s what I wanted him to see. Me, in control. Me, composed. Me, completely untouched by last night.

“Bella,” he called out behind me. His voice was calm, but there was a warning in it. Like he knew I’d ignore him, and he wasn’t going to let it slide this time.

I stopped near the lobby’s coffee stand. I didn’t turn. I let him come to me.

“Tell me the truth,” he said, just close enough for only me to hear. “Is it real? You and Ryan.”

His question startled me, and I furrowed my eyebrows. My heart racing in my chest but then I turned, slowly, arms folded, face blank. His jaw was tense. His eyes looked like they
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  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   143

    We didn’t talk much on the walk back. The night air had turned colder, and I could feel Leo’s arm tense every few minutes like he was still sorting through everything I’d said. I didn’t push. I was still trying to sort it out myself.The streets were quiet. Most of the shops were closed, and the glow from the streetlights cast long, stretched shadows across the sidewalk. Our footsteps echoed lightly between buildings. Leo walked a little closer to me than before, his arm brushing mine every few steps.When we reached the suite, he opened the door for me, then followed behind, locking it with a quiet click. I slipped off my shoes and hung up my jacket. He did the same.I turned to head toward the bathroom, but he stopped me gently with a hand on my wrist.“Hey,” he said softly.I looked up.He didn’t speak right away. Just stepped closer, brushing my hair back from my face with his fingers. His eyes searched mine, and for a moment, the silence between us felt fuller than any words coul

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   142

    The voice hit me before the recognition did. Bella?? Is that you?? I turned toward it instinctively, my hand tightening around Leo’s. My eyes landed on the woman across the street. She was older, white hair cut into a neat bob, dressed in a long coat. Her face looked frozen—somewhere between disbelief and fear.At first, I wasn’t sure. I blinked. Tried to place her.Then something clicked. Something deep in my chest.I knew that face."Oh my god," I whispered."Who is that?" Leo asked, his voice low, cautious.Before I could answer, the woman turned. She bolted. Just took off down the sidewalk like she hadn’t spoken at all.Leo started to move after her, but I stopped him."No," I said, grabbing his arm. "Let her go.""What the hell was that? Who was she?"I stood there, staring at the empty stretch of sidewalk where she’d vanished."She’s the woman who took me in. Right after my parents died."He turned to me fully, eyes searching my face. "You never told me anyone took you in."I sh

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   141

    Bella and I walked slowly, side by side, the quiet stretch of sidewalk lit by the soft orange of streetlamps. She kept one hand in her jacket pocket and the other loosely around my arm. I could feel her leaning into me just a little, not from weakness, just comfort. The kind that came from surviving something together.We turned a corner and passed a row of shops that were mostly closed. Their signs glowed faintly through the glass. A flower stall was still open, buckets of tulips and daffodils lined neatly along the curb. Bella paused in front of them."Smell that," she said, stepping closer. She leaned down slightly, bringing her nose to a bundle of white tulips. Her eyes closed for a second.I stood next to her, watching her face relax. "You want some?"She smiled and shook her head. "No. Just wanted to breathe something pretty."We kept walking. The night was quiet, just the distant hum of traffic and the occasional bark from a dog across the street. A block ahead, we passed a par

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   140

    Bella had finally drifted off. She was curled up on her side with the blanket bunched around her waist, one hand resting lightly over her stomach. Her breathing was soft, steady. I sat beside the bed for a minute, just watching her. Then I got up, grabbed my phone off the nightstand, and stepped quietly into the living room.I didn’t bother sitting down. I stayed near the window and called Dennis.He picked up on the third ring. "Leo?""Yeah.""How’s Bella?""She’s asleep. The doctor said it’s manageable. We’re fine now."There was a short pause on the other end."Thank God."I rubbed a hand across the back of my neck. "I need to ask you something.""Alright.""The photo. You—talking to Carla’s driver. What was that?"Dennis didn’t answer right away. I could hear faint static in the background. He was probably pacing."I didn’t think it’d come back around," he said finally. "That was from when you were missing.""Explain."He exhaled. "Back then, no one knew what had happened. You van

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   139

    The doctor’s voice was calm, steady—the kind they probably train for—but every word still landed like a blow to the chest.“There’s no threat to the pregnancy. Ms. Bella is stable. The bleeding was caused by something called a subchorionic hematoma.”I blinked, not understanding yet.“It’s a small collection of blood between the uterus and placenta,” he continued. “Fairly common in early pregnancy. Can be triggered by stress, physical strain… but it’s manageable.”My shoulders dropped an inch. Air rushed out of me before I even knew I’d been holding it. My lungs burned like I hadn’t taken a real breath in hours.“Is she in pain?” I asked, my voice scratchy from sitting in silence too long.“She was cramping lightly,” he said. “We’ve given her something mild to relax the uterine muscles. She’ll need rest—less emotional and physical stress—but with proper care, she and the baby should be just fine.”I nodded slowly. “Can I see her?”“Of course.”He motioned toward a hallway, then left m

  • The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride   138

    When I heard her call out from the bathroom, my gut twisted so fast I nearly doubled over.It wasn’t a scream. That would’ve made more sense. Screams are loud. Obvious.This was worse.Just a sharp, broken sound—like something slipped out of her before she could catch it. Like she was trying to convince herself it wasn’t real.“Bella?”I was already moving, chest tightening with every step. My feet barely touched the ground as I crossed the suite.She stood in the bathroom doorway, frozen, like she hadn’t fully registered what was happening.Her hands hung stiffly at her sides. Her legs slightly apart.She wasn’t looking at me. Her gaze stayed locked on the floor, unmoving.I followed her eyes—and then I saw it.Blood.Not a lot. But enough.A dull, dark stain trailing down the inside of her thigh.Enough to send something cold and hollow barreling through my chest.She still didn’t speak. Didn’t cry. Didn’t even flinch.And that scared me more than anything.“Hey,” I said, stepping c

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