Semua Bab A Substitute Bride For Mr. Voss: Bab 51 - Bab 60

♤Adrian ♤ I stepped out of the room after a couple of hours to get food for Astrid, who had fallen asleep. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I slowed down before reaching for it. I stared down at the caller ID for a second, debating whether to pick up or let it go to voicemail like I usually did. But no—if Gary was calling me, it could only mean one thing. He had something to say. He hadn't reached out to me since we ran into each other at the restaurant. Even though I was slightly suspicious of his silence, I didn’t have enough proof to confront him. I picked up and brought the phone to my ear. There was a brief silence. "Adrian," he finally said, and I frowned. "Why are you calling?" I asked, and he chuckled. "I'm surprised you picked up. Saved me the trouble of coming to you directly," he said, and I pressed my lips together. "The Dela-Rosas are coming to town with their daughter, Allison," he said, and I narrowed my eyes. "And you're telling me this because?" I asked, alr

♡Astrid♡I woke up with a start as the door bang open. I held my breath...waiting.Adrian rushed in, eyes darting around. His expression was wild and for the first time since we started this sham, I could see full blown panic in his eyes and fuck me, if that didn't make me start panicking.What the fuck was going on?His eyes settled on me. They roamed me so quick before he covered the steps to my bedside. I tried sitting up so I could look at him properly. "Are you okay?" He asked and I gave a short nod, a little confused myself. He tipped his head back and drew a deep breath."Oh Goodness," he whispered, before perching on the seat taking my hand in his. I stared at him, confused now more than ever.Okay? What the hell was happening?"Are 'you' okay?" I asked and he nodded, brown eyes meeting mine. The panic was still there but it was under control now.He licked his lips."Overheard nurse saying the patient in room 527 was having a seizure. Was it a false alarm?" He asked quietly

♤Adrian♤I glanced in the rearview mirror, turning into a side street as I put Axel on call. He picked up almost immediately.“Send some men to the hospital to protect my wife. A couple of cars are tailing me, and I’ve got a bad feeling she’s not safe,” I said, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. I sped up, eyes flicking between the road and the mirror as one of the black vans attempted to overtake me.I quickly swerved into its lane, narrowly avoiding a collision.“Goddamn it,” I muttered under my breath.“Yes, sir. Do you need backup?” Axel’s voice carried a note of urgency.“Go get my fucking wife,” I snapped before ending the call. These bastards timed this too perfectly.I didn’t know why they were following me, but something felt off—seriously off. And knowing Astrid was alone at the hospital made it worse. Her breakfast still sat on the back seat, untouched. I’d planned to deliver it, but then I noticed the cars tailing me.I slammed on the brakes, then refocused. I kne

♤Adrian♤I handed her a glass of water and watched as she took a sip. She tilted the glass slightly and glanced at me.“Thank you,” she murmured. I shook my head and walked to the other side of the bed, sitting down.“It’s nothing,” I replied quietly. She looked at me over her shoulder before turning away. Silence settled between us, not uncomfortable, but certainly not easy. Something unspoken lingered in the air.She stared at the glass in her hands, perched lightly on the bed.“About Derrick,” she began.“He’s been taken care of,” I interrupted, eyes fixed on the ceiling.She set the glass on the nightstand and turned to face me, folding her legs beneath her.“The police? Will he be tried?” she asked. I met her gaze. Curiosity—and something harder to define—swirled in her blue eyes. My lips lifted slightly, though nothing was amusing.“For now? No. He’s got a score to settle with me first. Once that’s done, the authorities can have him,” I said.A small smile tugged at her lips be

♡Astrid♡By the time Joan's baby shower came knocking, I was able to walk on my own. Not as fast, but I definitely wasn't wincing when I stood on my feet anymore.I stared at the mirror, careful not to hurt myself with the curling iron. The bedroom door opened, and Adrian walked in. I met his eyes through the mirror. He cocked his head to the side."Not done?" he asked, approaching me, and I pressed my lips together."Obviously," I muttered, and he hummed, holding my gaze through the mirror. Our relationship was still kind of strained, but it was better.Stakes were cleared. We had one common enemy now, and well, even if things didn’t work out between us, we could put our differences aside and achieve our goal. He was dressed in a blue suit, leaving the top two buttons of his white shirt open, giving a glimpse of his tan skin.Not gonna lie. Blue suited him, and it was a huge contrast from the normal black he wore.He’d brushed his hair to the side, and his eyes looked a lighter sha