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Chapter 21: The Regency Shadow
publish date:
2026-07-10 11:11:04
Latest chapter
married for show CHAPTER 163
VALERIEI woke up in my own bed at the estate, feeling a strange, hollow ache in my chest that I couldn't quite name.Things were falling apart around me. My friendship with Maya was in tatters, Ben was distant, and the atmosphere in this house was suffocating. I had sneaked out of Nathan’s room early this morning. As much as I had needed him last night, a part of me felt terrible. Deep down, I knew I was using him—using his bed as a sanctuary to escape the mess I’d made with Ben. I couldn't bear to look at his bruised, gentle face in the morning light while carrying that guilt, so I just left.A soft knock sounded at my bedroom door before it pushed open. My mom stepped inside, looking effortless as always, holding a garment bag draped over her arm.I was sitting at the edge of my bed, staring blankly at the floor."Valerie?" my mom said, setting the bag on my vanity. "Darling, are you okay?""Yeah," I murmured, my voice small. "I'm fine."She crossed her arms, tilting her hea
married for show CHAPTER 162
VALERIEThe second we crossed back into town, the silence inside the car became unbearable.I couldn't stay in that passenger seat for another second. Watching Ben catch Elena’s eye in the rearview mirror was making my stomach turn into knots."Drop me off at the mall," I said suddenly, staring out the window as the high-rise shops came into view. "I need to pick up my mom's birthday gifts for tomorrow."Ben pulled into the drop-off lane, idling the engine. "We can wait for you in the lot if you want.""No," I replied, my voice flat, completely drained of its usual bite. "No thanks. I'll take a cab home."Ben turned in his seat, looking at me with a rare flicker of genuine concern in his dark eyes. "Val... are you okay?""Yeah," I lied softly, unbuckling my seatbelt. "I'm fine."I stepped out of the car without looking back, letting the cold air of the mall concourse sweep over me.Walking through the polished halls, I picked up the custom order I’d arranged weeks ago—a rare
married for show CHAPTER 161
ELENAThe location was a rundown industrial strip on the outer edge of town—a dusty lot filled with grease-stained concrete, modified street bikes, and group of guys smoking by the bay doors.Ben pulled the car into a shaded corner of the lot.Valerie glanced out the window, her lips curling into a look of pure disgust. "This is where you came to borrow money? What happened to an official bank loan?"I rolled my eyes, grabbing my purse off the floorboard. "Well, maybe because it was an emergency abortion and I couldn't risk my parents finding out, I had to use places like this... princess."Valerie scoffed, throwing her head back against the headrest, while Ria wrinkled her nose in the backseat."Stay in the car," I said firmly, looking between Valerie and Ben. "All of you. I'm going in alone to talk to him."I didn't want an audience. The last thing I needed was the guy accidentally mentioning who fathered that baby in front of Valerie or Ben.I pushed the heavy steel door op
married for show CHAPTER 160
BENI pulled the car up to the pump at the highway gas station, killed the engine, and leaned my forehead against the steering wheel for three solid seconds just to keep from losing my mind.The heat inside the car had been suffocating. Between Valerie constantly adjusting her side mirror to glare at the backseat, and Ria chattering in my ear about some obscure party back in Manhattan, my head was throbbing behind my bandage."I’m going inside to grab coffees," I announced, throwing my door open before anyone could offer to come with me.I marched into the air-conditioned convenience store, grabbing four iced coffees from the fridge and setting them on the counter. Before I could even pull out my wallet, the glass doors chimed open and the sharp click of high heels sounded against the linoleum.I turned around. Ria was standing by the ice machine, crossing her arms over her designer jacket.I rubbed the back of my neck, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. "Ria, what are you doin
married for show CHAPTER 159
VALERIEBefore the road trip was even on the table, I had an overdue bone to pick.I pulled up to Maya’s house, slamming my car door shut so hard the frame shook. My jaw was locked, my pulse hammering in my throat. I didn't even knock—I just pushed through her front door and marched straight into her living room, where Maya was sitting on the couch, looking pale, exhausted, and completely drained.She looked up at me, dark circles bruising the skin under her eyes, but I didn't care."Did you tell Nathan?" I demanded, standing over her with my arms crossed tightly over my chest.Maya blinked, taking a slow, raspy breath. "What are you talking about, Val?""You know exactly what I'm talking about!" I hissed, taking a sharp step forward. "Nathan called me at three in the morning asking if I kissed Ben! He knew, Maya. The only person on this entire planet who knew about that kiss was you. Did you run your mouth to him?!"Maya let out a dry, bitter laugh, shaking her head as she lea
married for show CHAPTER 158
VALERIEI woke up early, my mind still reeling from that devastating 3:00 AM call.I’d spent an hour pacing my bedroom floor, trying to figure out what to do. I pulled out my phone and texted Marcus’s friend to see if he had gone to check on Nathan. He texted back almost immediately, saying Nathan was fine—just hopelessly wasted from the night before and sleeping it off.Relief washed over me, followed instantly by cowardice. I wasn't ready to face him. Not yet. My mind kept connecting the dots in a frantic loop: Nathan knew I kissed Ben. How? How did he find out? Ben would never tell him. Which meant only one person could have spilled: Maya. She was the only other person who knew.Needing to drown out the noise, I threw on a swimsuit and went down to the estate pool. The sun was hot, cutting through the crisp morning air as I sliced through the blue water, lap after lap, until my lungs burned."Hey, Val."I broke the surface, wiping the water from my eyes as I slicked my hair b
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