All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Contract Bride: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I returned to my room in a fog, my duffel clutched against my chest, Margaret's words echoing in my head like a warning bell: “Watch. Listen. Be smart.”The hall behind me felt like it loomed as a silent threat, every shadow now under suspicion. I slipped in and shut the door softly behind me, the click of the lock echoing way too loudly in the quiet.The bed was exactly as I had left it, the pillows still shaped beneath the blanket to take the form of a sleeping body. The illusion of safety. I hesitated, straining to hear any footsteps that might be heading in my direction, then carefully hid the bag behind the closet door and crawled back over to the bed, attempting not to disturb the setup too much. Every move was now calculated — deliberate. I climbed beneath the blankets and drew the blanket up to my chin, arranging the pillows just so that it looked exactly the same.My heart was still racing from the encounter in the hall. I wasn't certain what scared me more — Adrian, Margare

The sunlight morning streamed in through the tall windows, golden and untroubled by the secrets it betrayed. I was in the doorway of the dining room, hair tousled, heart still tender from the previous night, and halted when my eyes came to rest on Adrian.He sat at the head of the table, scrolling through something on his tablet. A crisp white shirt hugged his shoulders, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He did not look up immediately, but when he did, a slow, almost suspicious smile spread across his lips."Good morning," he said."Morning," I whispered. I settled into the seat beside him. The silence lingered there a moment, two, comfortable but heavy, as though we were both still figuring out the transition between us.Then he asked, "How was your night?""I want to see Oliver. "Adrian blinked, then set down his mug. "You want to go to the hospital?"I nodded. "Yes. I need to see him. I haven't seen him since after the operation. "He didn't say anything for a moment. Intently look

Adrian hadn't come to my room in days.Infact, ever since that afternoon by the river, when he shut down and brushed off my question with a vague answer as if I'd asked him something I should never have asked, we'd barely spoken more than a few words to each other.The silence between us had become a fortress, one that I had vowed not to be the first to breach.So when I heard the soft knock on my door, I almost didn't answer. I thought it was Margret so I decided to be quiet and just let her leave. But then I heard his voice."Val? Are you decent?"I muttered something that could possibly have been heard as yes, although I wasn't sure it was audible. The door creaked open, and Adrian came in slowly, eyes darting around the room as if he expected it to be different. Well, I was audible after all.I stayed curled up on the bed, arms around my knees, eyes dry from too much thinking.He looked tired. He always looked tired lately. His brows drawn low, his shoulders tense like he carried

Valentine's PovI put the flip phone back in the small pouch and closed the box shut once more, my heart still pounding in my chest. My hands shook slightly as I pushed it back beneath the bed, covering it over as though it had never existed. That old corner of my life, the one I had hidden so well, was now burning once more. I could feel it in my bones, like the first tremor before an earthquake.I stood up, straightening the squeezed part of my pajama bottoms, and stepped out into the hall. The corridor was quiet, the light easing down from the kitchen in a gentle hum. It smelled of freshly brewed coffee, maybe a hint of cinnamon toast. My belly rumbled, but I wasn't really hungry, only tireed and dehydrated. I walked downstairs in my bare feet, each step sounding a little too loudly in my ears.Adrian leaned against the kitchen counter, his back turned away from me, sleeves rolled up, mug in his hand. He looked normal. Calm. Like nothing had happened last night. He didn't look like

Adrian's PovThe sun through the half drawn curtains heated nothing except my skin.I hadn't slept. Not exactly. My eyes had closed, but my mind wouldn't relent. It couldn't stop spinning in circles around the number. They are just digits but somehow, it figured out a way to undo everything.I wiped a hand across my face and breathed out hard. My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Without hesitating, I snatched it up."Talk to me," I barked into the receiver."Sir," the voice on the other end of the line replied, professional and smooth. I recognized it immediately, Jules, one of my best analysts and the guy from yesternight. The man could follow a rat's heartbeat through a wall if you provided time and the proper equipment."Well?" I prompted.There was a hesitation before he replied. "The number came back empty, sir."I stopped cold. "Empty?""Yes, sir. It's been cleared. No call register records, no owner information, not even a provider origin. It's ghosted.""GHOSTED?" I repeated,