All Chapters of Married by Mistake, Loved by Design: Chapter 21 - Chapter 28

Monterrey, Mexico – 8:04 p.m.Alejandro Herrera had been to countless galas, awards nights, and investor dinners. He had walked red carpets, negotiated million-dollar deals, and delivered speeches in front of hundreds.But nothing — not even the day he took over Herrera & Sons — made his hands sweat the way this evening did.The garden outside Valeria's apartment complex was quiet, lit only by a string of fairy lights he’d personally hung in a mad, last-minute decision. A small table with two chairs sat under a blooming jacaranda tree, lavender petals gently carpeting the stone floor. And in his trembling hand was a velvet box.He checked his watch. 8:05 p.m.She wasn’t answering his calls. Hadn’t for a week. Since the truth about her identity exploded in the media — “Billionaire Heiress Hiding in Plain Sight” — Valeria had vanished.Alejandro had tried everything. He’d driven to her mother’s care facility only to find out she’d paid the remaining bills in full and moved her to a priv

Paris – Late AfternoonThe silence in the car was heavy, not uncomfortable but potent—like a string pulled taut between two people who’d hurt each other more deeply than they’d ever intended.Valeria looked out the window, the city blurring past. Paris had never seemed so soft, so forgiving. Or maybe it was her heart, bruised and raw, starting to beat again.Alejandro’s fingers flexed on the steering wheel. He hadn’t taken his eyes off the road, but his voice was low, calm, deliberate.“Why didn’t you tell me about the legal mix-up?” he asked.Valeria’s breath caught.“I wanted to,” she admitted. “But every time I tried, you made it clear I was just a pawn in a business deal. A beautiful, replaceable prop.”Alejandro winced. The words stung because they were true—at least, back then.“I was scared,” she continued. “Scared that if I said something… it would all collapse. That I would lose even the illusion of being wanted by you.”He finally looked at her, just for a second, but it felt

The countdown had begun.With less than two weeks to the wedding, the Herrera estate buzzed like a beehive. Staff rushed up and down the corridors. Event planners barked instructions. Garment bags flowed in like river currents—white silk, champagne tulle, ivory lace.But amidst the chaos, Valeria stood in the center of it all—dazed, overwhelmed, and holding a piece of pistachio cake between her fingers like it was a life raft."I can't believe this is happening," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the classical quartet rehearsing on the balcony. "I'm marrying Alejandro Herrera. And not as a decoy."Mirabel leaned over the tasting table, popping a chocolate truffle into her mouth. "Babe, you’re marrying the country’s most eligible bachelor. It’s giving Cinderella, but with espresso and legal contracts."Valeria blinked. "Do you hear yourself?""I do. And you should too. You’re glowing.”“I’m sweating.”“From love.”Valeria rolled her eyes, but the warmth spreading through her

The morning sun filtered through sheer ivory curtains, casting a soft glow over the hotel suite. Valeria sat in front of the mirror, her heart racing as her makeup artist dabbed foundation onto her already pale face. The scent of peonies and jasmine—her chosen bouquet—filled the air, but it did little to soothe the tremor in her chest.This was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Yet, after what happened the night before, everything felt like a lie waiting to explode.She hadn’t slept. Not after Alejandro’s ex, Camila, had shown up at the bachelorette party uninvited, with a smug smile and a folder of photos she threatened to leak.“He’s not who you think he is,” Camila had whispered in Valeria’s ear, just before being escorted out by security. “You’ll regret saying yes.”Valeria had laughed it off at the time, pretending to be unfazed. But all night, her mind spiraled—what if there was truth in Camila’s warning? What if everything she’d started to believe about Alejandro—the