RELUCTANT BRIDE FOR THE RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 161 - チャプター 170

AUTHOR POV Moonlight danced across the gentle swells of Los Pinos harbor as the pickup truck sputtered to a halt. Tessa and Clarissa tumbled onto the damp dock, adrenaline still coursing hot through their veins. The guard who had ferried them this far slipped away without a word, leaving them alone under the guardrail, the sea’s breath whispering promise and peril all at once. Clarissa steadied herself against a wooden post, chest heaving. Tessa pressed a hand to her side—every muscle in her body trembled from the night’s horrors. The harbor was deserted except for one car parked beneath the streetlamp, its headlights off and the engine purring softly. A familiar voice broke the night’s hush. “Get in.” Denzel stepped forward from the shadows, broad-shouldered and solid, his dark eyes glowing with relief and concern. He was dressed simply in a white T-shirt and jeans, but to Tessa he looked like a knight in midnight black armor. “Denzel,” Clarissa sobbed, rushing t

AUTHOR POV Clarissa sank into a woven chair. Denzel’s aunt served steaming bowls of chicken soup into their hands—rich broth and white rice, the warmth seeping into Clarissa’s bones. Tessa sat on the edge of a cushioned bench, spoon hovering. She took a sip. The soup was healing, somehow. She closed her eyes, letting the salty broth nourish her. Aunt Maria, the old woman, patted Clarissa’s shoulder and then Tessa’s , “No one knows you’re both here. And Denzel already told me everything I needed to know” Denzel nodded. “And no one will. Auntie will come with us to pick up Clarissa’s daughter and mother in the morning.” Clarissa’s eyes glistened. “Thank you… Aunt Maria.” Tessa set her bowl aside. “Ms Maria, thank you for helping us.” The old woman smiled. “We all must help one another. I hope my humble home is comfortable for you both.” Tessa offered a small smile. “It is very comfortable. We just… needed a safe place.” Maria’s gaze drifted to Tessa’s belly. “You have

AUTHORS POV “Hell no. I said I’d survive, not suffer.” They laughed together, two women broken and scarred by the world—but in that kitchen, in that tiny moment, they were just two sisters sharing a sliver of peace over a simmering pot of rice soup. The aroma of garlic and onions filled the cramped room, a fleeting comfort against the dread that clung to their bones. Murmured prayers to no one in particular rose like smoke.Deep down in Tessa’s mind, she wondered how long this new found peace would last and if she had her way, she will giver everything she can to a peace of mind that was truly hers. Suddenly, Tessa’s phone buzzed. She wiped her hands on her skirt and answered. “Hello?” she whispered. “Miss Tracy—sorry to bother you, but it’s urgent,” came Denzel’s hushed voice. In the background, she heard low voices and the faint wail of a siren. “News is spreading. Ferdinand’s body was found early this morning—and now there’s a bounty on your heads.”She did not know if s

AUTHORS POV Just when they thought they had found peace in their new settlement, Ferdinand’s men gave them a hot chase out of no where. At some point, Tessa was confused as to how the men were able to track them and she knew the only person to pull this kind of search pursuit was her husband pedro, she was beginning to suspect he was the one after her and not ferdinand. Because to the best of her knowledge, these men did not look so educated to track him so upclose, they just got to the old inn for Godsake. That night the crescent moon hung low in the sky, they had been running for hours and was exhausted, a pale silver blade piqued against the midnight blue—or so Tessa wished she could appreciate. Beside her, Clarissa slipped through the undergrown path, Sofia clutched in her arms, the baby’s soft whimpers muffled by the thick cotton of her mother’s dress. Tessa guided the way, her heart pounding with every snapping twig and rustling leaf. Clarissa was grateful that she had li

AUTHOR’S POV The taillights of Denzel’s car disappeared into the night, leaving only silence and dust in their wake. Tessa stood still on the edge of the gravel road, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as the wind picked up. The darkness around her felt thick, pressing in from the woods on either side like a suffocating cloak. There were no houses in sight, no signs of life—only the endless road stretched ahead and behind like a black ribbon cutting through nowhere. She turned in slow circles, unsure of which direction to take. Her legs were aching, her back heavy, and her heart throbbed with the raw sting of separation. She had told Clarissa it was for the best—but the cold night and silence whispered a different truth. Doubt settled in. Suddenly, the low rumble of voices broke the stillness. It scared her into a frenzy. “Look what we have here,” one of them said—a raspy male voice with the kind of slick amusement that chilled her spine. Tessa spun toward the sound