Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE ARRANGED BRIDE : Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

Amanda's P.O.V.The room was stifling. Dead air, deadening the silence, weighed upon me, like some unshed tear inside of me which refused to come out. I sat at my window, looking out into the sprawling gardens of Carl's mansion. My mind, however, had flown elsewhere.Disjointed pieces of something that were at the same time so strange and yet so familiar started as flashes sometime back: a sound, a woman's voice calling my name; the echo of laughter with this feeling of warmth and welcome that just didn't fit into this cold, calculated life Carl said was mine.My fingers dug in and scratched the nail deep across the skin. Would not those flashes let me be, hanging onto the edges of my mind tenaciously-never to let go and believe this version that Carl tried to sell so desperately as my life.I abruptly got on my feet-my chair scratching the floor with me. The unease inside had brimmed; I wanted answers.Carl's voice carried out to the hall outside my room, and I took a deep breath, pu

Kellan's POVMorning light filtered through my window, but it was barely noticed. In front of me, on the desk, my laptop sat with its screen full of all the documents and reports Thomas sent over in the last days: copies of bank accounts, police records, cameras at important junctions. The jigsaw of grains formed one enormous confusing puzzle.My phone rang right next to my head. I lifted it-the name across the screen glowed. It was Thomas.“What have you got?" I said, cutting to the chase.“We need to act fast, Carl is growing paranoid,” Thomas said. “We’ve noticed him destroying files, moving assets around. He knows someone’s digging into his business, but he doesn’t know it’s us.”Good. That gave us an edge, but not much of one. Carl was too calculating to let his guard down for long.*****I later met Thomas and the rest of the team that afternoon in a nondescript café on the outskirts of town: functional in as much as it was well out of the way of prying eyes, and even farther ou

Olivia's POVCarl's eyes, boring into my skin, his jaw snapped shut; fists bunched at his sides, unreachable and menacing, he stood between me and the door. I had been so very careful with feigned ignorance, and yet somehow he knew."You've been lying to me, Olivia," Carl said ominously in a quiet tone.I glowered back with puzzlement, but inside my heart had started going crazy, pounding loudly inside my ears. "What's it? I don't-""Enough," he snapped-the word whistling through the air like a whip. "You think I do not see the way you are looking at me now? The reluctant one, the defiance in your eyes? You are remembering who you are.”Instinctively I moved one foot backward, but behind my back was no place to go. "Even if I did," I said, and for some reason my voice wasn't shaking. "What does that matter? You have lied about everything to me, Carl-who I am, about my past-“Because you needed protection!" he cut in, voice rising. That manic edge gleamed once more in his eyes and my h

KELLAN’S POV The next morning, I sat on the edge of Alex's couch, my phone clutched in the firm grasp of my hand as if the strength of the hold could balance my thoughts spiraling out of order. The room, apart from the soft light coming from the table lamp, was shrouded in darkness. The creeping shadows at each corner were a reflection of unease crawling in my chest.What was left now was the riskiest of them all, and frankly speaking, I couldn't afford to waste more time. So I dialed the number that Brian had sent me - London head of Security - a man who, per Brian, had ties in with the Brooke family and who would deal in high stake situations.It rang a couple of times until I heard this firm, deep voice respond, "This is Gerald Mitchell.”‘Mr. Mitchell, my name is Kellan Easton," I started off hopefully-my voice wasn't breaking, "I'm calling because I have evidence regarding Carl Martins’ involvement in some illegal activities including but not limited to fraud, bribery, and unlaw

CARL'S POVI walked around the lounge with Amanda slumped on the couch in front of me, lifeless as a doll. My pursuit of reason was after a wriggle away while the noise of the sirens was growing outside-no less shrill to herald an empire crumbling away.It would have had to have been Kellan-that self-righteous jerk-just couldn't leave well enough alone, could he? I built it with my own hands, he had no right to take it away from me.A loud crash, and my thoughts are rent asunder by the flying open front door. First to storm in is a tidesurge of river-backed, armed officer, hard on the heels of Hardhead, the head of Security-firm as unshakeable granite."Carl Martins," he yelled, as if his voice should have carried around the estate. "It's time to know what's left of you. Back away from Amanda now and surrender yourself to authority."I raised my hands, and a smirk curled my lips. "Surrender? To what, precisely? Baseless accusations? You have nothing on me."Out came the head of Securi