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Chapter 21
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2025-04-19 14:59:43I left Elijah in my almost-empty childhood room, following behind Ace Reynolds.
Yes, I chose a loveless marriage with Ace. Elijah charged after me, tears in his eyes, attempting to convince me to stay and begging me not to leave him behind. But, I was deaf to his pleas. My mom asked Ace to take care of me and Valerie hugged me tightly asking for the last time if I was sure I didn't want to go with Elijah instead. I didn't answer the question, I just assured her that I would be okay. Truthfully, I didn't know the answer to that question. I didn't know if I wanted to go with Elijah or stay with Ace. Neither did I know why I chose Ace instead of Elijah. I just found myself choosing Ace. And it had nothing to do with his threat earlier. To be frank, if I really hated the idea of staying married to Ace, I would have done the one thing to put an end to it
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Yeah, I would be doing it only because I was dying to experience it, not because I was in love with him. Perhaps, I should shut my eyes and imagine Elijah as the man when he does it? Ace had stepped out immediately; he settled me in and I had waited for him. Ace arrived past ten. I heard him speaking to someone on the phone. So, I immediately got off the queen-sized bed and followed his voice. His bedroom was on the first floor. He didn't shut his door, so I strolled in after him. His bedroom was twice as massive as my new one. But, I didn't have strength to adore its beauty as I had other important missions. I just want to experience sex once and for good and get it over with. Ace halted his conversation on the phone when he turned around to see me. He had change
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I slept. Totally spent with satisfaction, my lids closed on their accords and I lost track of time. In my dream, a tall dangerously good looking man was plowing into me eliciting moans of pleasure. When I opened my eyes, no one needed to tell me that I dreamt of sex with Ace right after having sex with him. "I didn't think you would wake up this soon. Not while having that wet dream anyway." I looked up to find Ace standing and looking down on me. His voice was husky, hoarse and tempting. He was dressed in only his pants without a shirt, the tattoos stood out and I could not stop looking at the quote. I sat up as his words registered in my head. I felt the soreness between my legs as I moved. It felt delicious that I had to remind myself. This man killed your father. It's a one time thing. You wanted to know what sex feels like and you have. "How did you know?" I stupidly asked him and men
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I gave myself no time to think as I dialed Elijah's contact. Maybe this was heaven's way of telling me that there was no point staying because why else would I suddenly find his number just immediately after getting a phone call? "Hello," Elijah's voice flowed out of the phone. I froze. My fingers felt cold and there was a pounding in my heart. My mother's conspiracy with Ace played in My head and then there was Isobel's advice. Wasn't there a hidden agenda here? One that they were keeping me out of? This was my life but everyone seemed to have a say in it and it was insane how they thought my best life would be led with a killer. "Hello..."I pressed the hang up button and fell on the bed. I was conflicted. But one thing was certain to me, I wanted to find out everything. To answer every question in my head. Why did Isobel choose to remain hidden? Why was she telling me to stay put in the marriage? And why did Ace kill my father?It felt like my head was going to float out of m
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The water felt hotter beneath his gaze and even now that his jaw worked endlessly reminding me that he was upset about me calling Elijah. I remained in a frozen position choosing my next words carefully. "What are you doing with my phone?" I asked hoping that would buy me enough time. Ace raised that perfectly arched brow and smiled. It wasn't the kind of rare smiles he showed me, this was sardonic. He pocketed the phone, cast my body one last lust filled look. "Come out of that pool," Ace ordered as he walked out of the pool room. I sagged and sank deeper into the water. He looked positively enraged. With the little time I had spent with Ace, I knew he was the type who handled his anger with calmness. He was deceiving.I took my sweet time getting out of the water, drying myself and dressing up. I even walked slowly back to the sitting room pretending that I forgot my way. "Where's he?" I asked Eva. She was pacing around th
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I already knew that Ace would not be by my side when I woke up. I patted the empty space before sitting up. I had slept on the same bed with him twice and he made sure to disappear before I woke. I took a shower, forcing the event of the day out of my mind. Then I changed into a cloth, I slept with that bedsheet the entire time. Eva was waiting for me with multiple delicacies laid out on the table and to my surprise, it wasn't just Eva waiting for me. Ace too. He was sitting at dining with his legs crossed while his attention was on his phone, he appeared to be scrolling, his dish remained untouched. He looked up immediately when I came into the vicinity. I shivered when his eyes took me in from head to toe and then back again as if to make sure I really wasn't injured. I was safe. I cleared my throat as I smiled at Eva, thanking her for the meal. She looked at the verge of hugging me, she was happy that I was safe. "I thought you would never wake and I
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The car screeched to a halt as I shook Martin imploring him to wake up. He stirred and spluttered blood out of his mouth. Even in that state, he draped his body over mine trying to protect me. "Let me call for help...h-hang in there..." I encouraged him frantically searching for my phone. I was trying my best not to allow the panic to envelop me. I know that the key in such a situation is to stay calm even though we were being attacked and the attackers were probably coming for me. My hands shook as I struggled to reach for my purse where my phone was. Martin groaned again and I held him tighter trying to stop the bleeding with my tiny fingers but I knew it wasn't working so I just focused on getting my phone. I should have called the police but on second thought, Ace might be the best person to call. My bloody finger was still shivering while scrolling through the contact when the car door flung open. I froze and clung to Martin who tried to get up to
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Each time Ace was in the same vicinity as me, I always felt it before I saw him. The distinct smell of his cologne was unmistakable and the way my body reacts to his presence. Goosebumps appear on my skin and I feel warmth travel up my spine.But I had never been so happy for my body's way of telling me he was around. Because it meant help, that I won't be kidnapped and used against Ace. The scar faced man had a hand on my back ready to push me in when we all heard a scream, we turned around simultaneously. The scene before me was... wholesome for a lack of better word. Ace stood in the middle of the alley, five dead men littered on the floor, one was in his arm and he had a knife lodged in his throat. Though Ace wasn't alone, he had come with only a man and together they brought five men down. He looked bloodied. Like the devil as his white shirt was splattered in blood and his face set in a furious frown. The darkness of the alley did nothing to allevi
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I crawled beside him curling up into a ball as the image of the dead driver and Martin struggling for his life played in my head over and over again. I had been so close to being kidnapped. Or even killed because that was the goal, I was supposed to be the pawn that gets used against Ace. I clamped my hands against my midsection, hugging myself. I came to Ace room because I wouldn't be able to sleep without another human's warmth. It's nothing big, just me seeking comfort. I told myself. I did not hear the sound of Ace ending the call until he slid next to me and replaced my hand with his, he drew me so that my back was against his chest and his warm breath on my ear. The continuous image of the blood gradually dissipated. I sighed as I leaned closer enjoying the feel of his heartbeat that my back detected. It was even, like a lullaby but I didn't sleep. No matter how hard I tried to sleep it was impossible, thoughts floated in my head like a chaos that
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The car ride was suffocating. Not because of the silence—there was none. Valerie was talking non-stop, mostly to herself, mostly about how insane this plan was.“I just wanna go on record,” she was saying, shifting in her seat beside me, “that this is the single most ridiculous, most reckless, most absolutely batshit idea we have ever had.”“Noted,” Esther said, not even looking up from her phone. “For the third time.”Ace sat on my other side, staring out the window like he was miles away. I could feel the tension in him, the tightly coiled energy like he was waiting for something to explode.Dawson, from the driver’s seat, let out a low chuckle. “You say that like we’ve never done anything worse.”Valerie threw her hands up. “Oh, I don’t know, Dawson. Walking into a literal psychopath’s trap with nothing but sheer arrogance and wishful thinking? Yeah, this one definitely takes the cake.”I pressed my hands together in my lap, m
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Silence stretched across the room like a noose tightening around my throat. Ace leaned back against the couch, his bruised face unreadable, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. He was pissed. And he was waiting.Waiting for me to speak. To explain.I opened my mouth, but Valerie beat me to it.“What the actual hell happened to your face?” She stormed forward, her voice rising in pitch. “And why the hell does your phone have the same damn text as Brielle’s?”Ace’s gaze flicked to her, then back to me, his expression as calm as ever. Too calm.“You shouldn’t have come.”My fingers clenched into fists. “Yeah, well, I did.”“You shouldn’t have needed to.” His voice was deceptively soft, but the weight behind it made my stomach twist.Esther exhaled sharply. “Okay, let’s not do the whole cryptic mafia thing right now, Ace. Julia knows what we did. She texted Brielle. She texted you. And clearly, you didn’t j
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We drove in silence. Valerie kept both hands clenched on the wheel, her fingers practically digging into the leather. Esther lounged in the back seat like she didn’t have a care in the world, scrolling through her phone. I stared out the window, my mind racing. We had done it. The money had been moved. We should’ve been celebrating. But all I felt was unease. “So,” Valerie finally spoke, voice tight. “Where exactly are we going?” “My place,” I answered. “At least until we figure out if anyone’s onto us.” Valerie let out a short, humorless laugh. “Oh, they’re onto us. Did you see that backtrace? We had, what? Three minutes before they found me?” “But they didn’t,” Esther said coolly, still focused on her phone. “You wiped the trace. No one’s knocking down your door.” “Yet,” Valerie muttered under her breath. I turned to her. “Val—” “No.” She shook her
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Valerie wasn’t answering her phone.I paced outside her apartment, my nerves on edge as I hit redial. The cold Boston air bit at my skin, but I barely felt it. My fingers tightened around my phone, my patience running thin.Esther’s words replayed in my head: She doesn’t have to lie. She just has to hack a few accounts, move some numbers around, and make sure all the blame falls on the Nightwind’s enemies.Simple. In theory. But Valerie wasn’t built for this. She wasn’t a fighter, wasn’t a criminal. She was the girl who made terrible jokes when she was nervous and wore her heart on her sleeve. And here I was, about to drag her into my mess.The door finally swung open. Valerie stood in the doorway, wearing an oversized hoodie and pajama pants covered in cartoon frogs. Her auburn curls were a tangled mess, her gray eyes half-lidded with exhaustion.“Bri?” she yawned. “It’s—” she glanced at her phone screen “—almost midnight. What’s going o
The Substitute Bride of the Ruthless Mafia Boss Chapter 50: Brielle's POV
Chaos erupted like a gunshot in the dead of night.The moment Dawson lunged forward, a switch flipped, and the warehouse became a battlefield. Shadows moved, bodies collided, and the sharp echo of fists meeting flesh filled the space.I barely had time to react before Ace grabbed my wrist, yanking me back against him. “Stay close,” he murmured, his breath hot against my ear.Valerie’s panicked voice rang out, “This is so much worse than I thought it’d be!”Esther, ever the professional, sidestepped an attacker and slammed her knee into his stomach. “Then stop talking and do something useful.”Julia remained still, her smirk never faltering as the chaos unfolded around her. She was watching—assessing. Like a queen seated on a throne, waiting to see if her kingdom would fall or flourish.Her gaze met mine, and she lifted her chin. “Brielle.” Her voice was calm, almost amused. “I don’t know why you’re fighting so hard. This is inevitable.”I clenched my fists. “You’re delusional.”She ar
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I barely felt the cold night air as I stormed out of Julia’s mansion. My mind was spinning, my chest tight. Ace’s words played on repeat—I’m not leaving.It didn’t make sense.Dawson walked beside me, silent but radiating frustration. Esther trailed a few steps behind, muttering curses under her breath.The second we reached the car, I turned on my heel. “Did you see his face?” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “He was lying.”Dawson yanked open the car door. “Yeah, no shit.”Esther leaned against the hood. “He looked drugged. Or hypnotized. Or—” she waved a hand, “—something unnatural.”I crossed my arms. “Julia did something to him.”“She’s always doing something,” Dawson muttered.Esther frowned. “It wasn’t just Julia. There was hesitation. Like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.”That made my stomach twist. “Then we have to get him out of there.”Dawson rubbed his temples. “We will, but we can’t charge in blind.”I clenched my fists. “We don’t have time to be carefu
The Substitute Bride of the Ruthless Mafia Boss Chapter 43: Brielle's POV
I gripped the steering wheel tightly as Dawson sat in the passenger seat beside me, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. Esther was in the backseat, tapping impatiently on her phone. The tension in the car was thick, suffocating even. None of us wanted to admit what we were all thinking—if Julia had Ace, then we were already too late.But I refused to accept that.“We’re checking the bar first,” I said, breaking the silence. My voice was steadier than I felt.Dawson exhaled sharply. “You think she took him from there?”“Where else would he have been?” I shot back, gripping the wheel tighter. “He wouldn’t just disappear without a fight. Something had to have happened after I left.”Esther hummed from the back. “I still think we should be looking at Julia’s new husband’s place. The Nightwind Mafia has the resources to keep Ace locked up.”I clenched my jaw. “We’ll get there. But first, the bar.”No one argued after that.---The bar was nearly empty when we arrived, a few scattered patrons
The Substitute Bride of the Ruthless Mafia Boss Chapter 42: Brielle's POV
I knew exactly where to find him.The bar was dimly lit, the scent of whiskey and leather thick in the air. Shadows stretched long across the room, the low hum of conversation buzzing in the background. Ace was where he always was—behind the bar, half a glass of bourbon in his hand, watching the room with that sharp, unreadable gaze.His eyes flickered to mine the moment I stepped inside, and for a second, I hesitated.I wasn’t sure why I had come. Maybe it was the way he got under my skin, the way he always seemed to know what I was thinking before I even said it. Or maybe I just needed something—something real, something solid—when everything else felt like it was slipping through my fingers.Ace didn’t say a word as I approached. He just lifted his glass, took a slow sip, and watched me over the rim.“You’re late,” he finally said.“I wasn’t aware we had an appointment,” I shot back, sliding onto the barstool in front of him.His lips curved slightly, but it wasn’t a smile. “You al
The Substitute Bride of the Ruthless Mafia Boss Chapter 41: Brielle's POV
I wasn’t supposed to be here.That much was obvious.The hallway was dimly lit, the faint golden glow from the sconces casting long shadows against the polished wood. My footsteps had been light, careful, every nerve in my body telling me to turn around and go back.But then I heard them.Dawson’s voice, low and edged with something unfamiliar. Isobel's softer, more vulnerable than I’d ever heard before.I knew I should leave. This wasn’t my business.But I stayed.Pressing my back against the wall, I positioned myself near the slightly open door, the gap just wide enough for their voices to slip through.“I can’t do this,” Isobel whispered. “I keep telling myself that, but then…”Dawson let out a slow exhale. “Then what?”“Then I see you,” she admitted, her voice barely above a breath. “And everything I try to bury comes back.”A silence stretched between them, thick and charged.“You think I don’t feel the same way?” Dawson’s voice was lower now, almost dangerous in its intensity.I
