Semua Bab The Replacement Bride : Bab 31 - Bab 40

Hilary WindsorHe wasn’t awake, not fully. Sweat clung to his forehead. His breathing was shallow, frantic. I froze where I knelt down, watching a side of Bennett I’d never seen before. Scared and haunted.“Bennett,” I said softly, reaching for his hand. “It’s okay. You’re safe. It’s me.”His chest rose and fell too fast. He blinked, slowly returning to the room.I squeezed his hand. “You were having a nightmare.”He looked down at our hands like he didn’t know how mine got there. “Right,” he muttered. Then he slid out of bed, brushing past me. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”He walked into the bathroom without looking back.The door clicked shut.And that was it.I didn't know what to think about what happened. Maybe it was better this way.By morning, it was as if it never happened. He was back to dressing in silence, barely speaking, acting like nothing had cracked open in the middle of the night. No explanation. No apology.Just coffee and a tight schedule.A message came in

Bennett LandonI left the kitchen with my hands still warm from where hers had rested on my chest. That brief, accidental, unspoken moment had left more of a mark than I wanted to admit.But I couldn’t afford to think about that.Not when everything felt like it was closing in.The moment I got back into the guest room, I opened my laptop. The security footage had come in, synced from the house cameras.I clicked through the files, found the one marked with the timestamp from three nights ago—the same night Emily had shown up at the bar, pretending like it was fate. The same night she showed me that photo of Hilary and Liam.The footage loaded. High-resolution. Clear. Cold.7:47 PM.That was around the time Emily slid into the seat next to me.I hit play.Hilary appeared on the screen, walking toward her car with a folder in her hand. She looked distracted, her steps quick.7:49 PM.Liam showed up from the edge of the frame. Like he’d been waiting for her. Right on cue.She dropped th

Bennett Landon I gripped the wheel tighter than normal, my knuckles were turning white as I drove at the highest speed through the night. Nicholas Windsor. That son of a bitch, I wanted to see him face to face. I wanted him to say all those rubbish threats he has been sending to Hilary before me. I swear by everything I have I won't spare him. I would kill him with my bare hands. Anger was ranging inside of me the closer I got to the location the more angry I gotAs I got closer to the place, it was unnecessarily so quiet, it was abandoned. I parked two streets away, turned off the engine, and stepped out. Every instinct screamed caution. I started looking around for any trace of himI waited for a few minutes but there was nothing moving. There was no shadow, even a graveyard had more life than where I stood. My pulse thudded in my ears. He was supposed to be here.Finally, I couldn’t take it. I moved closer. My shoes echoed lightly against the cracked pavement as I approached the

Bennett Landon It wasn’t like I wanted to make such a decision without telling Hilary. But when my mother called earlier that morning, I lost my grip on the conversation. She had asked me which day I and Hilary had concluded for the family meeting. I wanted to tell her we haven't thought about it yet,but I didn't know if it was because I wanted the marriage to be held as soon as possible. Somehow, the word tomorrow had slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.Afterwards, I regretted saying such a careless word, I kept thinking about Hilary, that morning when the notification popped up on her phone. I’d seen the flicker of panic on her face but she had walked away before I could even say anything. I really wanted to apologize for putting her in such a position.I worked from home that day, though it was hard to call what I was doing “working.” because I barely looked at the files on my desk. My eyes kept wandering toward the stairs, waiting for the sound of her door opening.

Bennett LandonI didn’t think it was possible for Hilary to surprise me anymore, but tonight she proved me wrong. The moment Vivian’s voice came through the line, with that venomous tone as ever, I thought Hilary would crumble.For a second, I regretted pushing her into the corner she hadn’t asked for. But then something shifted about her. Her tone changed, she spoke out in a very calculated tone, I could hardly believe those words were hers. She handled Vivian like she had been preparing for this moment her whole life. Where had this fire been hiding?I sat there frozen, I was amused and in awe, as she flipped the tables on Vivian. I watched her bargain and threaten Vivian at the same time. It was like seeing another side of her emerge, I couldn’t stop staring. I was proud of her, impressed in ways I hadn’t expected. And if I was being honest with myself, there was something unsettling about how much I liked this side of her. When she finally ended the call, she looked… victorious. A