All Chapters of The Rich Man's Proxy Marriage: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

“If you dare touch her, I’ll chop off your hand.” Holden’s voice was low and dangerous as he glared at James.James froze. What the hell is happening?“James, don’t panic. Sit down and enjoy the show,” Henry Gu said, pushing up his gold-rimmed glasses. Behind the lenses, his cold black eyes curved with an amused glint.James swallowed his protests. He had feared Holden ever since he was a boy—disobeying him was not an option.Elena was in town for a business meeting, naturally accompanied by Yuna. After the last incident, Yuna wanted to personally ensure there were no mistakes this time—especially not from Elena.“Mr. Wang, the mistake last time was Elena’s fault, so I brought her to apologize properly,” Yuna said quickly the moment President Wang arrived.“An apology?” President Wang sneered. “Was almost getting mauled by that wolf dog just a joke to her? I nearly pissed myself!”The memory of the dog snapping its fangs near his groin still haunted him. He had wanted to kill Elena on

The cold air inside the luxury box sank the moment Elena stepped out of the bathroom.President Wang lunged toward her again, his face flushed with wine and lust, like a starving beast that had finally cornered its prey.But Elena did not back away.Her heartbeat was calm—too calm for a woman supposedly trapped. Holden’s presence behind her, hidden in the shadows, was the shield she pretended not to have.Tonight, she had decided to fight on her own terms.President Wang reached for her wrist.“Elena, don’t play hard to get. Come here—”But the moment his fingers brushed her sleeve, Elena shifted her body sideways with the grace of a dancer. His hand caught nothing but air.And then—CRASH!Something slammed heavily from inside the bathroom.Yuna, who had her ear glued to the door outside, jolted violently.She froze.Another sound followed—A low, heavy thud.A muffled groan.Furniture scraping.Yuna’s heartbeat skyrocketed.“What— what is happening inside?!”She pushed the door open

The drive home was suffocatingly silent.Holden’s hand rested on the steering wheel, knuckles tight, jaw even tighter. The faint glow from the streetlights carved shadows across his face—shadows of emotions he refused to name.Elena sat beside him, staring straight ahead, heart still echoing from the collision with her past.And yet…what shook her the most was not Adrian’s sudden appearance.It was Holden’s reaction.Possessive.Sharp.Undeniably affected.She shouldn’t care.She shouldn’t read into it.This arrangement had clear boundaries.But the words he spoke kept replaying:“Elena’s man.”Those weren’t the words of a man keeping things professional.Those were the words of a man claiming something that wasn’t his.She finally broke the silence.“You shouldn’t have said that.”Holden didn’t look at her.“Said what?”“That you’re my man.”“It was the truth.”Her breath hitched. “No— it was a reaction. You were provoked.”Holden shifted gears, his voice low but steady.“A man does

The video replayed in Elena’s mind long after the screen went dark.Yuna—terrified, bound, helpless.President Wang’s voice echoing like a serpent in the shadows.“Let’s see how far Holden Li will go…”The penthouse felt colder than ever, silence pressing against her chest from all directions.Holden slid his phone onto the table with controlled calm, but Elena recognized the storm beneath his composure. He stood completely still—too still—like a predator deciding when to strike.When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet.Too quiet.“Tell me what you meant.”Elena swallowed.Her pulse throbbed painfully at the base of her throat.“Holden… this isn’t the right time.”“Yuna was taken because of us,” Holden said sharply. “Because of me. And because of you. So yes—this is exactly the time.”His tone wasn’t angry.It was laced with something more dangerous—fear.Fear not of the threat, but of what she might say.Elena forced air into her lungs.Her fingers tightened around the edge of the

Elena didn’t shake when she stood.She didn’t flinch when the enforcer raised his gun toward her.And she didn’t look away from Holden even once—memorizing every line of his face as he lay unconscious on the cold rooftop.Her voice trembled, but her spine stayed straight.“If I go with you,” she said quietly, “you don’t hurt him. Or Yuna.”The man tilted his head, amused.“You’re braver than I expected, Mrs. Li.”“I’m not brave,” she replied. “I’m making sure the people I care about stay alive.”He chuckled.“A sentimental answer. President Wang will love you.”Elena swallowed a surge of nausea.“Move,” he ordered, pointing toward the rooftop access door. “Down the stairs.”Elena didn’t resist.But she didn’t lower her head either.Her eyes stayed sharp—calculating escape routes, measuring his steps, memorizing his weapon placement, the timing of his breathing.Holden’s training rubbed off on her more than she realized.And she wasn’t going to be the damsel in this story.Not anymore.