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Chapter 27: Hidden Plans

Auteur: Gabby
last update Date de publication: 2026-03-07 01:42:19

Amelia's POV

Two weeks after Alexander proposed on the beach, I woke up smiling.

It had become a habit. Opening my eyes and remembering that we were choosing each other this time. Not because our families arranged it. Not because we needed protection or alliances.

Because we loved each other.

The ring on my finger was simple. A single diamond that caught the morning light. Alexander had it designed specially, nothing flashy. Just perfect.

"Good morning, future wife," he said, rolling over to ki
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  • The Billionaire's Substitute Bride   Chapter 27: Hidden Plans

    Amelia's POVTwo weeks after Alexander proposed on the beach, I woke up smiling.It had become a habit. Opening my eyes and remembering that we were choosing each other this time. Not because our families arranged it. Not because we needed protection or alliances.Because we loved each other.The ring on my finger was simple. A single diamond that caught the morning light. Alexander had it designed specially, nothing flashy. Just perfect."Good morning, future wife," he said, rolling over to kiss my forehead."Good morning, future husband."We'd spent the past two weeks in a bubble of happiness. Planning a small ceremony. Choosing the guest list. Deciding on flowers. All the simple, normal things we'd never gotten to do the first time.Life after the trial felt like waking up from a nightmare.The verdict had been read. Ethan was convicted. Sentenced. Gone.For the first time in over a year, I could breathe without looking over my shoulder.That morning, I had an appointment. Dress sh

  • The Billionaire's Substitute Bride   Chapter 26: New Beginnings

    Amelia's POVThree months passed faster than I expected.My Phoenix Rising collection launched to incredible reviews. Critics called it my best work yet. Bold, emotional, powerful.Orders flooded in. More than I could fill.I hired ten new people. Expanded production. Opened a second studio.Lia Hart Designs was no longer just surviving. It was thriving.But the trial loomed over everything.Two weeks away now. Then one week. Then days.Alexander and I barely slept."Are you nervous?" he asked one morning over coffee."Terrified.""Me too."At least we were honest with each other.Agent Rodriguez called with final preparations."We'll go over your testimony one more time. Make sure you're ready for cross examination.""I'm ready.""Ethan's lawyers will try to rattle you. Make you look unreliable. Emotional.""Let them try."She was quiet for a moment. "You've changed since I first met you.""How?""You're harder now. Stronger. Less afraid.""I had to be.""I know. But don't lose yours

  • The Billionaire's Substitute Bride   Chapter 25: Going Public

    Amelia's POVThe news broke at six AM."Breaking: Sterling Group Releases Evidence of Massive Fraud Network."Every major outlet picked it up within minutes.Alexander had released everything. The offshore accounts. The money trails. The connections between Ethan and his criminal partners. Documents showing years of fraud, money laundering, and theft.It was all there for the world to see.My phone exploded with notifications before I even got out of bed."Did you see?" I asked Alexander.He was already dressed, coffee in hand, watching the news coverage. "I saw.""How do you feel?""Satisfied." He turned to me. "And terrified. We just declared war.""Good." I got up, moving to stand beside him. "Let them come."The media response was massive.Financial news channels analyzed the documents. Crime reporters connected dots. Business journalists called for investigations.Ethan's name trended on social media for hours.So did mine.People praised us for exposing corruption. Others accuse

  • The Billionaire's Substitute Bride   Chapter 24: Breaking Point

    Amelia's POVI woke up screaming. The nightmare had been so real. Ethan standing over me. Knife in hand. Smiling that smile I used to love.Alexander was already there, arms around me, whispering that it was okay."Just a dream," he kept saying. "Just a dream."But it didn't feel like just a dream.It felt like a warning.This was the third nightmare this week. Each one worse than the last."Maybe you should talk to someone," Alexander said gently. "A therapist.""I don't need a therapist. I need this to be over.""Amelia...""I'm fine." I pulled away, getting out of bed. "I just need coffee."I wasn't fine. We both knew it.Downstairs, Mrs. Cole took one look at me and started making breakfast without asking."You look exhausted, dear.""I am exhausted.""When's the last time you had a full night's sleep?"I couldn't remember.My phone rang. My business manager."We have a problem," she said.Of course we did."What now?""Three major retailers just cancelled their orders. No explana

  • The Billionaire's Substitute Bride   Chapter 23: The Warning Shot

    Alexander's POVThe FBI took Isabelle into protective custody within three hours of my call.They also froze Ethan's offshore accounts before his criminal partners could access the money.Twenty million dollars, gone in an instant.Now we waited for the fallout."This was the right move," Agent Rodriguez said over the phone. "We've been trying to track these accounts for months.""And the people Ethan owes money to?" I asked. "What happens when they realize it's gone?""We're monitoring their activity. If they make a move, we'll know."That wasn't reassuring.After I hung up, I found Amelia in her studio, sketching despite everything."How do you do that?" I asked.She looked up. "Do what?""Stay calm. Keep working. Like we're not waiting for criminals to retaliate.""I'm not calm. I'm terrified." She set down her pencil. "But if I stop working, I'll fall apart. So I keep going."I understood that. Work was the only thing keeping me sane too."The FBI has Isabelle," I said. "They've f

  • The Billionaire's Substitute Bride   Chapter 22: Lockdown

    Amelia's POVThe mansion became a fortress overnight.Guards patrolled the grounds in shifts. Security cameras covered every angle. Motion sensors on every window. Reinforced doors. Panic buttons in every room.I couldn't leave without a security team. Couldn't take a walk in the garden without someone watching.It had been two weeks since Isabelle's attack, and I was going insane."You need to eat," Mrs. Cole said, setting down breakfast I didn't want."I'm not hungry.""You haven't eaten properly in days.""I'm fine."She gave me that look. The one that said she knew I was lying but wouldn't push.After she left, I stared at the food, my stomach in knots.The house phone rang. I ignored it. Probably another journalist wanting a comment about Ethan's upcoming trial.My cell phone rang next. Adrian.I hesitated, then answered."How are you holding up?" he asked."I'm trapped in my own house. How do you think?""That bad?""Worse." I moved to the window, looking out at the guards patro

  • The Billionaire's Substitute Bride   Chapter 12: The Final Invitation

    Amelia's POVThe invitations arrived on heavy cream cardstock, delivered by messenger at dawn.I stared at mine over breakfast, unable to believe what I was reading."Fashion Week," I said aloud. "They want Lia Hart Designs at Fashion Week."Alexander looked up from his coffee. "That's major.""Tha

    last updateDernière mise à jour : 2026-03-17

  • The Billionaire's Substitute Bride   Chapter 9: The Betrayal Within

    Amelia's POVThe person in handcuffs wasn't a stranger.It was Marcus, one of Adrian's assistants. The quiet one who'd been helping with production schedules and factory coordination for weeks.I'd seen him dozens of times. Never thought twice about him.And now he was standing in Alexander's offic

    last updateDernière mise à jour : 2026-03-17

  • The Billionaire's Substitute Bride   Chapter 14: The Show Must Go On

    Amelia's POVFashion Week day arrived with gray skies and a knot in my stomach that wouldn't go away.I stood in front of the mirror while a stylist fixed my hair, trying not to think about the threatening message from last night.“Tomorrow, you burn with it.”Alexander had tripled security like he

    last updateDernière mise à jour : 2026-03-17

  • The Billionaire's Substitute Bride   Chapter 18: Safe House

    Amelia's POVThe penthouse felt like a luxury prison.Forty floors above the city, floor-to-ceiling windows showing a view most people would die for, and I'd never felt more trapped.We'd been here for three days.Three days of Alexander working around the clock while I paced the apartment like a c

    last updateDernière mise à jour : 2026-03-17
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