Semua Bab Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride: Bab 141 - Bab 147

~~~~Now that I took a minute to really process what I’d just heard, I was still in complete shock—confused, disoriented—like the truth had been hand-delivered by the devil himself.Eric? Her guardian?Not just a fling. Not some jealous ex or business rival. No. He was the one pulling the strings all this time. The man who’d held her together, quietly managing her millions, covering her failures, making sure she didn’t crash. And yet… somehow, I was the villain in her story?“Why didn’t he ever tell me this?” I whispered, more to myself than anyone. My voice barely made it out. I wasn’t angry. Not even hurt. Just… tired. Tired of peeling back layer after layer like it was Christmas in hell. And let’s not forget—I had my own secrets, too. Secrets about this marriage… and my family still didn’t know.I let out a slow breath and lifted my head. Eric and Diana were talking again. She was crying now.I turned to Eric. His face was unreadable—cold, almost detached. But maybe that’s just wha

~~~~Once we were inside the room, I sat him down gently on the edge of the bed. His skin was clammy, his body burning up like a furnace. Without wasting time, I began peeling off his clothes, layer by layer, until he was down to just his underwear.“Do you think you can move?” I asked, crouching to meet his gaze.“Yes… I can manage,” he replied, but the moment he tried to stand, his knees buckled beneath him. I caught him before he fell.“Yeah, I figured.” I exhaled, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Come on.”With his weight leaning heavily on me, I led him into the bathroom and helped him into the bathtub. He sank into it with a weary groan, his skin steaming slightly against the cool porcelain.“Do you want me to bathe you?” I asked gently, kneeling beside the tub.A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Not unless you’re planning to join me.”

~~~~I didn’t know how long I had been asleep, but when I opened my eyes, the sun had already gone down. The room was dim, dipped in gold and shadows. I reached over to the nightstand, grabbed my phone, and checked the time—5:30 PM.Seriously? What’s taking the doctor so long? Should I call Nora again? I questioned myself. But before I could decide, I heard voices—agitated and echoing faintly from outside.Sighing, I glanced at Eric’s face. He was still fast asleep, his expression soft like a child. I didn’t want to wake him, so I gently lifted the arm he had draped over me and placed it beside him. Then I pulled the covers up to his chest and tiptoed to the door.With one last glance at him, I opened it and slipped out quietly.As I moved closer to the stairs, the noise became clearer. From the top of the staircase, I could see Carol—head bowed, tears streaming down her cheeks—as she tried to explain

~~~~~~I woke up to a loud knock on the door that could wake the dead. Groaning, I glanced at the bed—Eric was still sleeping, peaceful as ever.Sighing, I got up and made my way to the door, already preparing the sharp words I had for whoever dared to interrupt this moment. But to my surprise, it was Carol, standing there with a tray of food like a cheerful ghost.“Good morning, Madam,” she greeted with a smile.My expression didn’t change. “Yes?”“Oh... I brought your breakfast. Or would you prefer I take it to the dining room?” she asked politely.Yawning, I rubbed my temple. “No... Thank you,” I muttered and stepped aside, letting her in. “Isn’t it a bit too early for all this?”She chuckled softly. “Oh no, Madam. It’s almost noon.”“What?” My eyes widened, and I rushed to check the clock. True to her word, it was nearly 12 PM. Eric was still out cold.I dashed to the bed and placed my hand gently over his nostrils,