All Chapters of Married To The Cruel Billionaire : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

SELENEI stayed quiet even after Adrien stepped out of the room. The door clicked behind him, soft but heavy, like it left a weight in the air instead of taking one with it. I didn’t answer him, not a word, not a nod. He spoke, I stayed still. That was how things worked between us now.But the moment he was gone, everything inside me tightened. My chest, my stomach, my throat—like my body finally understood what he’d said. Dinner. With his family. Out there, in public, beside him, pretending everything was fine or at least under control.I didn’t want to go. That was the simple truth. I didn’t want to sit beside him or be seen as something he owned. I didn’t want to deal with his family’s eyes or questions or the quiet stares that always followed when people didn’t know what to make of me. But refusing him—no, that always turned into something worse. Not yelling or hurting. Just more pressure. More silence. More ways of reminding me how trapped I was.I sat on the edge of the bed for

*********The moment Adrien and Selene walked out, the space they left behind felt too open.The glass doors slid shut behind them, soft music from the main dining hall drifting back in. People laughed at nearby tables. Waiters moved between guests with quiet steps. Wine glasses clinked. Life kept going.At their table, everything stopped.Adrien’s chair sat empty at the head. Selene’s beside it.For several long seconds, no one spoke.Mireille Voss was the first to move. She slowly placed her napkin down, her fingers tight around the cloth. Her face stayed calm, but the tension under it was clear.“Well,” she said at last, her voice smooth but cold underneath, “that was… unexpected.”Across from her, Celeste Vale let out a small, forced laugh. “Adrien has always been dramatic,” she said quickly. “He probably just needed a moment.”Richard Vale leaned back in his seat, his jaw tight. “A moment doesn’t make a man walk out on his family.”No one rushed to answer that.The empty space Ad

THIRD PERSONOlivia lay on the couch with her phone loose in her hand, half bored, half restless. The TV was on but she was not watching it. Her thumb moved on its own, scroll after scroll, story after story. Nothing held long enough to matter. Her other hand rested on her stomach, not soft, not gentle, just there. It was kinda a habit now.Then a photo stopped her.She frowned first. Just a small pull between her brows. Then she sat up slowly.It was Selene.Not old Selene. Not the tired, quiet Selene she pushed past in memory. This Selene stood in soft lights, hair smooth, face calm. A man stood beside her. Tall. Clean. His hand rested at the small of her back like it belonged there.Adrien Voss and his wife, Selene Voss, leaving E3 after a private family dinner.Olivia read it once.Then again.Then a third time.Her mouth went dry. Her chest felt tight in a way she had not felt in a long time.“Lucas,” she said.Her voice sounded thin.Lucas was across the room, sitting on the edg

SELENEI couldn’t believe he just dumped that whole “company board luncheon” thing on me like it was nothing. One second I was dozing off peacefully with my magazine, and the next, Adrien was in my room talking about buttons, kisses, and acting like we were the world’s happiest couple.A luncheon?At nine?As husband and wife?I wanted to scream. But instead I sat on the edge of my bed and exhaled slowly.“Of course,” I muttered under my breath. “Of course he would throw this on me last minute.”I was pissed. I wasn’t even hiding it. My body felt tight with annoyance, like every bone was arguing with me. But then I remembered the contract. Everything about this marriage—fake or not—came with expectations. Appearances. Duties. Performances.This was part of it.“Just see it through,” I told myself. “You agreed to this mess, so just get through tonight.”Still annoyed, I forced myself up and dragged my feet to the bathroom.The hot water calmed me a little. I washed slowly, trying to re

SELENEThe words hit me like someone slapped me across the face.How did it feel to have Adrien inside me?I didn’t even realize I’d stopped breathing until my throat burned. I stared at the woman through the mirror, trying to process if I heard correctly or if my mind was just playing tricks on me.But no—she stood there with a smug smile, like she’d been waiting to drop that line all her life.“Excuse me?” I finally managed to say. My voice didn’t rise, but it came out tight. Firm. Shocked.The woman raised a brow, almost impressed with herself. “Oh? That reaction was cute.”She stepped closer, her heels clicking lightly on the tiled floor. Her perfume was strong—sweet with something bitter underneath. Everything about her screamed confidence, practiced and polished. Fake in the way that made you wonder how long she’d practiced being this person.She tucked a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear and said it like she was introducing herself at a fancy brunch.“I’m Naomi. Adrien’s