Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride: Kabanata 191 - Kabanata 200

The path back to camp was quiet, the sound of crickets filling the night. My clothes clung to me, heavy and damp, my hair dripping down my back. James walked beside me, his hand brushing mine every so often, like he couldn’t stop himself from touching me.As the lodge lights came into view, I quickened my pace. “We look ridiculous,” I muttered, clutching my towel tighter.“Let them stare,” James said calmly, his eyes glinting in the dark.I shot him a look. “Easy for you to say.”He smirked, his hand shooting out to catch my wrist before I could slip ahead. He tugged me back gently, close enough that my wet chest brushed his. His voice dropped low. “Stay in my tent tonight.”I froze, my heart thudding. “No.”His mouth curved, the faintest trace of amusement in his eyes. “That wasn’t a question.”“James,” I warned, pulling my wrist free. “I’m not sneaking into your tent like some secret.”“Good,” he murmured, leaning close. “I don’t want you to be a secret. Come anyway.”I opened my mo

I woke to the sound of birds outside the tent and the heavy weight of his arm across my waist. For a moment, I stayed still, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing against the back of my neck. His chest rose and fell slow, calm, as if nothing could touch him. My eyes fluttered open, the fabric of the tent swaying slightly in the breeze.Reality rushed back fast. I was in James’s tent. Everyone else was already awake.I tried to slide out of his hold, but his arm only tightened, pulling me closer. “Stay,” he murmured, his voice still rough from sleep.I pushed at his hand lightly. “We can’t. People will notice.”“They’ll notice anyway,” he said calmly, pressing his lips to my shoulder. “Might as well give them something to talk about.”My stomach twisted. “This isn’t funny.”“Who said I was joking?” His smirk brushed against my skin before he finally let me go.I slipped into my clothes quickly, dragging a brush through my damp hair. My reflection in the small mirror propped i

James tightened his grip around me, lifting me off my feet as if I weighed nothing. My arms looped around his neck instinctively, my head pressing against his soaked shirt. The storm pounded harder as he pushed through the trail, the mud sucking at his boots, but his stride never faltered.By the time we broke out of the trees, the camp came into view. Lanterns glowed faintly through the rain, shadows of people gathered near the lodge. The moment they saw us, the whispers started.James ignored them. His jaw was locked tight, his gaze fixed forward as he carried me across the clearing. My cheeks burned under the weight of every stare, but he didn’t slow.The coordinator rushed forward, her raincoat hood pulled low. “Is she alright?”“She’s done,” James said firmly, his voice cutting through the storm. “The trip is over. For both of us.”The group murmured in shock. Isabel’s eyes widened as she pushed to the front, her face pale. “What happened?”“She twisted her ankle worse,” James sa

The car ride back was quiet after what happened in the backseat. My body was sore, my hair still damp from the rain, my thighs sticky against the leather. James’s hand stayed on the wheel, his other resting on my leg like it belonged there. Every time he squeezed, my stomach tightened.When we finally pulled up outside my apartment, he didn’t wait. He got out, came around, and opened my door before I could.“I can walk,” I muttered, clutching my bag.He shot me a look, then bent and lifted me anyway. My arms wrapped around his neck without thinking, my cheek pressing to his chest.“You’re impossible,” I whispered.“You love it,” he said calmly, carrying me inside like it was nothing.The elevator ride was silent. My heart hammered against his shirt. He set me down only when we reached my door, watching me punch in the code before scooping me back into his arms and pushing the door open with his foot.Inside, the apartment was dim. He carried me to the couch and set me down gently. The

I stood frozen in the doorway, gripping the handle so hard my knuckles turned white. My mother’s eyes scanned me from head to toe, her lips parting slightly in relief. My father’s brows furrowed, his jaw set like stone.“Ana,” Bella said softly, stepping forward, her hand brushing my arm. “You’re alright.”“I’m fine,” I whispered, my throat tight.“We heard you left the retreat because of health concerns,” Leo said sharply, his gaze flicking to the wrapped ankle. “We came the moment we heard.”I swallowed hard. “It’s nothing. Just a sprain.”“Sprain or not, we were worried,” Bella said firmly, her hand squeezing mine. “We couldn’t get through to you, and when the coordinator called…” Her eyes softened, but her voice stayed steady. “We needed to see for ourselves.”Before I could respond, footsteps sounded behind me. James appeared in the doorway, towel draped over his shoulder, his chest bare and damp from the shower.Both of my parents froze.James’s eyes met theirs, calm but unflinc