All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride: Chapter 181 - Chapter 190

The morning light was sharp, spilling across the glass walls and into the bedroom. I stirred against the sheets, blinking into the brightness. James’s arm was draped heavy across my waist, his chest pressed against my back, his breath steady against my shoulder. For one dangerous moment, I let myself sink into it. His warmth. The quiet. The illusion of something normal.Then reality tugged.I slid out from under his arm carefully, sitting on the edge of the bed. My hair was a mess, the oversized shirt slipping down one shoulder, but all I could think about was how I needed to leave before I got in too deep.James stirred behind me. His hand shot out, wrapping around my wrist before my feet even hit the floor. His voice was low, still rough with sleep. “Where do you think you’re going?”“Home,” I said, tugging my wrist free. “I should start getting ready.”He sat up slowly, his hair falling into his face, eyes narrowing at me. “Hell no.”I turned, startled. “Excuse me?”“You’re not lea

I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, clutching my clutch like it was the only thing holding me upright. My apartment was quiet, too quiet, but I needed that silence to keep from breaking. I kicked my heels off and stumbled to the couch, collapsing into the cushions.For a long while I sat there, staring at the wall, my hands trembling in my lap. Every word replayed in my head. Rachel’s smug face. James’s silence. My slap landing against his cheek. My chest tightened all over again.A sharp knock jolted me out of the spiral. “Ana?” Isabel’s voice called, bright and full of energy. “Open up!”I groaned, dragging myself off the couch. I cracked the door open, and Isabel pushed her way in without waiting. She was grinning, her phone in hand.“Well, well,” she teased. “I was wondering why you didn’t come home last night. You look like someone had a very good time.” Her eyes scanned my messy hair, the shirt I hadn’t changed out of. “Don’t even try to deny it. Spill. What happene

By the time I got home, Isabel was already in my bedroom with half my closet thrown across the bed. She had a suitcase open and was holding up a silk camisole like she was about to crown me queen of something.“Absolutely not,” I said, crossing my arms.“Absolutely yes,” she fired back, tossing it into the suitcase. “It’s a retreat in the woods, not a convent.”“It’s business,” I snapped. “There will be presentations, meetings, workshops. Not whatever you’re imagining.”Isabel grinned. “And in between the boring parts, there will be free time. Nature walks. Campfires. Wine. You’re telling me you won’t need something sexy for that?”I sat on the edge of the bed, pushing a pile of dresses aside. “Sexy is the last thing on my mind right now.”She raised a brow, plucking a lace bralette from the drawer. “Oh really? Because from what I remember, someone came home last night looking like she had been kissed senseless.”My cheeks burned, and I busied myself folding a blazer. “Don’t start.”“

James carried me all the way up the trail, ignoring my protests, ignoring the whispers behind us. By the time we reached the lodge, my face burned from embarrassment and fury. The moment we stepped inside, he pushed the door of an empty cabin open with his shoulder and set me gently on the edge of the bed.I immediately shoved his hands away. “I told you I didn’t need help.”“You couldn’t walk,” he said evenly, straightening. “Stop pretending.”“I wasn’t pretending,” I snapped. “I was managing. There’s a difference.”His brows lifted faintly. “Managing your pride, maybe.”I glared at him, clutching the sheet over the bedspread like it could shield me from the sting in his words. “Don’t talk to me about pride, James. Not after what happened.”He exhaled through his nose, pulling a chair closer. He crouched down, his eyes scanning my ankle. “It’s swollen. Let me look at it.”I tried to pull my leg back, but his grip was steady, his fingers firm around my calf. “Stop,” I said sharply.“R

“James!” I shouted again, my voice echoing down the empty hallway.He stopped at the end, his shoulders tense, then turned sharply. His eyes burned into mine, raw and furious.“What the hell was that?” I demanded, storming up to him. Water still dripped from my hair, soaking the towel wrapped around me, but I didn’t care. “You just humiliated both of us in front of everyone.”“You think I care about them?” he snapped, his voice rising. “I don’t give a damn who saw. I care about you sitting in a pool smiling at some kid like—”“Like what?” I cut him off, my chest heaving. “Like someone who doesn’t have to answer to you? Newsflash, James, I don’t. Not after everything.”His jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. “You keep acting like I betrayed you when you don’t even know the full story.”“Because you won’t tell me!” I fired back. “You let that woman walk into your apartment and announce she was your girlfriend. You stood there silent. What the hell was I supposed to think?”