บททั้งหมดของ The Substitute Bride : บทที่ 81 - บทที่ 90

_"When did you find out?"_ Blaze blurted out after a deafening silence fell between him and Liam. He’d just filled him in on everything he’d found regarding the supposed mission he’d been sent on. _"Find out what?"_ Liam asked, his tone nonchalant. Clearly, he had zero interest in whatever his brother was trying to fish out of him. _"You know, for someone who’s so calm and collected even in the middle of a storm, you’re terrible at playing dumb."_ Blaze shot back. _"You know exactly what I’m asking about, Liam. Why don’t you just spill it?"_ _"It’s not like it matters in the first place,"_ Liam replied. _"So why? Why should I tell you? And what are you even going to do with it?"_ _"Hell yes, you have to tell me! It’s Chloe we’re talking about here!"_ _"Can’t you see it? Ever since you started playing this ignorance game, everything’s gone haywire. They branded you the enemy, brainwashed Chloe into believing you were the reason for her downfall, and now she’s labeled you the enemy

The moment Blaze stepped out of Liam's office, he finally answered the call that had interrupted their conversation. The tension he had carried throughout his discussion with Liam shifted the second he heard Chloe's voice on the other end. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. Three years. Three whole years since they had last spoken properly. Three years since Chloe vanished from everyone's sight. Three years since the city branded her a murderer. Three years since Liam nearly tore the city apart looking for her. And yet hearing her voice now felt strangely familiar, as though no time had passed at all. Blaze found himself leaning against the corridor wall as Chloe awkwardly greeted him. Beneath her calm tone, he heard something unusual. Uncertainty. For the first time since her return, Chloe sounded uncertain. The Chloe currently dominating headlines, winning awards, and commanding the attention of millions suddenly sounded like the same young woman he had know

At exactly 9:00 p.m., a private jet touched down on the airport tarmac. Three people stepped off. Among them was a woman in joggers and a sweatshirt, the hood pulled up over her seaweed-colored hair. Her feet were in white, comfortable sneakers that made almost no sound as she walked. Two sleek, luxury cars were already waiting, doors open. The woman’s melancholic violet eyes lifted to the night sky as the wind moved through her. She let the hood fall. The cold night breeze kissed her face, like it was welcoming her back to society. _Is this what freedom feels and tastes like?_ After spending years in a house on the outskirts of town, far from civilization, family, and friends. She was finally free to come home. But not entirely free. Being set free with terms and conditions wasn’t freedom at all. And if coming to terms with their agreement was the price for her full freedom, then she would pay it. Even if it meant ruining someone to get it. But for the sake of her chi

The hallway had become a graveyard of sound. Daisy’s scream still echoed faintly off the walls. Hilda’s hand was pressed over her mouth, eyes wide with horror. The brunette bodyguard stood frozen, every muscle locked, sweat sliding down the back of his collar. And in the center of it all stood Chloe. Blue dress. Black heels. Soft waves framing her face. A gun pressed to her own temple. Calm. Terrifyingly calm. “Put it down, Miss Chloe,” the bodyguard said carefully, his voice low, hands slightly raised. “This isn’t you. Let’s talk.” Chloe tilted her head. “Talk?” she repeated softly. “That’s what you all said three years ago. And where did talking get me?” No one answered. Her eyes didn’t shake. Her hand didn’t tremble. For the first time in years, the people around her weren’t deciding what she could handle. She was. “I want answers,” she said, each word precise. “Real ones. Not ‘stay inside.’ Not ‘we’ll explain later.’ Not another lie wrapped in protection.” Sh

The afternoon sky darkened steadily as thick rain clouds gathered above the filming location. What had begun as a normal shooting day had transformed into one of the most difficult days Chloe had experienced since returning to the city. Only a few hours earlier she had stood before dozens of reporters, answering accusations she did not deserve. Now another blow had arrived. One she never saw coming. After completing two scenes successfully, Chloe had retreated to the set prepared for the final shoot of the day. The scene required rain. It required heartbreak. It required betrayal. Ironically, reality was already providing more than enough of those emotions. Dressed in costume and waiting for the weather to cooperate, Chloe sat quietly beneath a temporary shelter while crew members adjusted cameras and lighting equipment. The first raindrop landed softly against her shoulder. Then another. And another. Recognizing the signs, she instructed Hilda to notify the cre