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Chapter 23

Auteur: Tory June
last update Dernière mise à jour: 2025-12-11 23:36:24

First Person POV – Lucia

I was dreaming of him.

Theo.

His hand was brushing against my cheek, soft and warm, the way he used to do before everything went dark. Before the hand that used to hold mine let go and let the world destroy me.

In the dream, he was still that version of him. Gentle. Familiar.

And I was still the girl who trusted too easily.

His lips were close.

He whispered something I couldn’t hear.

And then—just like that—his face shifted.

Ryan’s mouth replaced his. His touch replaced Theo’s.

The kiss we shared at the gala.

Real. Too real.

My heart jolted, and I sat up straight in bed, breath stuck in my throat.

“Wake up,” I muttered under my breath. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

It was an act.

A show.

Ryan kissed me because he had to. Because the media needed a headline that didn’t tear me apart.

Not because he wanted to.

Not because it meant anything.

So why was it still in my head?

Why did I feel like that kiss had touched something I hadn’t let anyone reach in yea
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  • The CEO'S Unexpected Bride   Chapter 27

    First Person POV – LuciaThe first thing I heard was the sound of water running.It was faint at first, like it was miles away. But the steady rhythm grew louder as I blinked my eyes open, squinting against the soft morning light streaming in from the open blinds.The bathroom light was on.The shower was on.And then it hit me.Last night.I pulled the blanket tighter around me, suddenly too aware of the silence, the mess, the storm that hadn’t just happened outside, but inside me. My body ached in that unmistakable way—my legs sore, skin hypersensitive, lips still tingling from how his had moved against them.I wasn’t just tired.I was completely… stripped.Emotionally.Mentally.Physically.I’d let Ryan in.Willingly.And not just into my body.The thought alone made my chest pull tight.I lay there for a second longer, still trying to process it all. My heart was somewhere between confused and embarrassed—nostalgic and stupid.And it made everything worse that I couldn’t stop thin

  • The CEO'S Unexpected Bride   Chapter 26

    Third Person POVLucia had barely stepped into the room behind Ryan when his voice came, sharp and waiting.“You think I didn’t see it?”She stopped near the door, her chest rising too fast. Her hands clenched at her sides.Ryan turned slowly, his jaw tight, the light from the overhead fixture catching in the sharp lines of his face.“You think I didn’t see him touch you?”Lucia swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.“It wasn’t—”“I’m not asking for explanations.” He took a slow step toward her. “I’m telling you: don’t let him do it again.”Her chest rose. “You don’t get to tell me that.”“Like hell I don’t.”“This isn’t—” her voice cracked, but she pushed through. “This isn’t real, remember? You said it. Over and over. This is an act. So why the hell do you care who talks to me or touches me?”Ryan stared at her, unmoving.When he spoke again, his voice was lower. Controlled. But the edge had sharpened. “Because I don’t want Carl in your ear. I don’t want you playing into whatever game

  • The CEO'S Unexpected Bride   Chapter 25

    First Person POV – LuciaFor some reason, the air felt even more tense the second Ryan’s eyes locked with mine.I stepped back from Carl almost instinctively. Just a few inches, but it was enough to make everything feel awkward and exposed. My back brushed the wall gently, grounding me.I didn’t even know what I expected.Ryan to lash out?To smirk and pretend he didn’t care?To walk away like he usually does, cold and unreadable?I stood there, frozen, still caught in the feeling of Carl’s fingers on my cheek, but even more caught in the weight of Ryan’s stare. I didn’t dare speak first. My mind was racing through a thousand things.. none of them helpful.. when Carl’s voice broke the silence.“Well, that’s one way to make an entrance.”Ryan didn’t blink. “Don’t touch her again.”Carl tilted his head like he hadn’t heard him right. “You’re acting like I did something wrong.”“You know exactly what you’re doing Carl,” Ryan said. His voice was low and even, but I could see the tight

  • The CEO'S Unexpected Bride   Chapter 24

    First Person POV – LuciaRyan’s voice was still in my head from last night—“I knew.” That simple admission had dug too deep.How much did he actually know?About my past.About my arrest.About the lies my stepmother spun to bury me.I’d spent years thinking it had all been locked away. The arrest hadn’t even made it outside the courthouse. No public statement, no press coverage—Evelyn made sure of that. It was a silent removal. A strategic one. I was asking too many questions about my mother’s death, and they needed me gone.So how did Ryan know?And worse… for how long?Had he known when we signed that contract? Had he known when he looked at me for the first time and said nothing?I was still deep in those thoughts when a knock came at the door. A light one.I stood, trying to blink away the fog in my head.“Come in,” I called.It was Isla.She gave a small nod. “Message from Mr. Graham. The stylist will arrive in fifteen. There’s an emergency dinner tonight. Hosted by his aunt.”“

  • The CEO'S Unexpected Bride   Chapter 23

    First Person POV – LuciaI was dreaming of him.Theo.His hand was brushing against my cheek, soft and warm, the way he used to do before everything went dark. Before the hand that used to hold mine let go and let the world destroy me. In the dream, he was still that version of him. Gentle. Familiar. And I was still the girl who trusted too easily.His lips were close.He whispered something I couldn’t hear.And then—just like that—his face shifted.Ryan’s mouth replaced his. His touch replaced Theo’s.The kiss we shared at the gala.Real. Too real.My heart jolted, and I sat up straight in bed, breath stuck in my throat.“Wake up,” I muttered under my breath. “What the hell is wrong with you?”It was an act.A show.Ryan kissed me because he had to. Because the media needed a headline that didn’t tear me apart.Not because he wanted to.Not because it meant anything.So why was it still in my head?Why did I feel like that kiss had touched something I hadn’t let anyone reach in yea

  • The CEO'S Unexpected Bride   Chapter 22

    First Person POV – LuciaThe awkwardness was instant.Thick.Heavy.Suffocating.Neither of us looked at the other. Not really. I could still feel the pressure of his hand on my waist. The taste of that kiss.. warm, unfamiliar, unsettling.. still clung to my mouth.And Ryan… he stood beside me, composed as always, like kissing your fake wife in front of an entire room of vultures was just another item on the agenda.Meanwhile, I was almost losing it.I stood there stiff, like a statue someone forgot to dust.Frozen.Shocked.Speechless.Then the room changed.Flashes from cameras. The scribbling of pens. I caught pieces of hushed voices.. then louder ones.. rippling through the crowd."The kiss that silenced the scandal!""Lucia Bennett proves her place in the Graham dynasty.""A convicted heartbreaker, or a misunderstood bride? Tonight, she stood tall."My name was changing in real time.It was surreal.I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.And then came the old man.Grandfather.H

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