Lahat ng Kabanata ng His Substitute Bride : Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

Finn’s POVWincing, I shot my eyes open only to snap it shut almost immediately as my hands slowly moved up to my head.I had woken up with the kind of headache that made me question every decision I had made in the last twenty-four hours.Starting with that damn half glass of tequila and ending with collapsing on the woman I was pretending not to love just because she wanted it to stay that way.Everything felt heavy, my limbs, my chest, and my thoughts. It was like my body was trying to punish me for letting my emotions get the best of me, for letting Liam’s words sink their claws right into my heart. Still holding my head, I blinked slowly as I tried to sit up. Thanks to the window blinds that were pulled down, else, I would have died several times already.My throat was dry and my brain was foggy but it only took a second for the blur to clear enough for me to realize that I was in the living room and also, the figure standing across the room had her arms folded tightly across

North's POVA few minutes later, I was walking Liam to the reception. The awkwardness between us had melted slightly and the tension had been replaced with a strange calm. His apology still echoed in my mind. Part of me wanted to believe it, another part still questioned everything. Trust didn’t come easy anymore, not with him. When we got to the reception room, I halted and then turned around to face him, folding my hands in front of me.“Thanks for stopping by,” I said. He gave a tight-lipped smile, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I meant what I said, I’m sorry for everything.”I didn’t answer because I didn’t need to. I had forgiven him, yes, but that didn’t mean I had forgotten.Just when I was going to say something else, the door flung open and time froze.Finn walked in, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the polished floor. His eyes locked onto mine, then immediately dropped to Liam who was standing beside me.There was a beat of silence, one that screamed l

Finn’s POV“Believe me Finn, if I know where North is, I’ll tell you right away.” Kora's voice rang in my head. Frustrated, I pushed my hand into my hair, placed my back on the wall and then let out a low sigh. Since my return, I had been walking the same stretch of hallway so many times that the marble floor should have worn thin beneath my shoes.The building was quiet except for the dull echo of my footsteps. North left home this morning and didn't return yet the scent of her perfume still clung to the air. It was sweet, defiant and impossible to ignore and every time I inhaled it, it hit me like a punch.I had tried calling her once, then twice until I lost count.Each ring that ended without an answer clawed another piece out of me and by the time the clock chimed ten pm, I had already dialed her number a dozen more times. Her voicemail taunted me with that cool, professional tone she used for clients; “You’ve reached North Kennedy Catering…” “Pick up, North,” I muttered, p

Chapter 47North’s POVI didn’t realize I had been pacing the floor until Elijah gently touched my arm and pulled me back into reality.“Just… think about it,” she said one last time, offering a soft smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.I nodded, though my stomach twisted like someone had tied it in a knot and pulled tight. “I will, I promise,” I replied absentmindedly. Still smiling at me, she squeezed my hand. “Thank you.” She muttered. With a voice barely above a whisper now, she said, “He is unraveling, North. And I’m starting to think you’re the only one who can piece him back together.”The words lodged somewhere between my ribs. They were uncomfortable and too heavy to swallow.“I don't think so.” I let out a mirthless laugh as I followed her towards the door.Now standing directly behind the door, she turned around and gave me a little smile.Returning her smile, I opened the door for her, and she stepped out, her perfume lingering behind her. It was warm, floral and too

North’s POVAll through the drive to Finn’s house, I kept replaying the conversation with Liam and the way his face fell when I pulled my hand away. The guilt sat low in my stomach like a stone. I hated that everything between us had become a landmine waiting to explode. But the only thing I hated more was the way Finn’s name lingered on my tongue every time I tried to explain myself, making it seem like he was the center of every decision I made.By the time I got to his mansion, the sun had dipped low, painting the sky in a deep and bruised blue. The house looked unnervingly quiet. No lights on, no shoes beside the door, no jacket carelessly flung over the couch like Finn tended to do.“Finn?” I called softly as I stepped inside but I was meant with a loud and deafening silence.I checked the living room, the hallway, even the guest room, but the house felt almost hollow. Pushing my hand into my hair, I exhaled and headed straight for the kitchen as I needed something to ground