Semua Bab The Wrong Bride : Bab 21 - Bab 30

It felt like the ground had disappeared beneath her.Irene stood frozen, still breathless, her body pressed against the memory of what had just happened. Her lips tingled. Her thighs ached. Every nerve still buzzed from the heat of Ryan’s touch.She couldn’t believe it.What had she done?She glanced sideways. Ryan hadn’t moved either. He straightened his coat with calm, practiced hands, but his jaw was clenched tight. He wouldn’t look at her.They both reached for the elevator button at the same time. Their fingers brushed.She jerked hers back instantly, like she’d touched fire. He didn’t even flinch.His face turned colder than she’d ever seen it.He pressed the button. The doors opened with a quiet ding.She hesitated.Then she stepped out on wobbly legs, half-expecting him to follow, to say something—anything. But he stayed behind, silent, as the elevator doors closed again.Alone.She let out a shaky breath she didn’t know she was holding.Her limbs felt like jelly. She walked s

Back at the hotel suite…Irene stood still, taking in the familiar space with a new kind of heaviness. The suite was warm, softly lit, and quiet — but none of it calmed the storm still churning inside her. Her body ached. Her bandaged hands throbbed with every movement.“You should take a warm shower,” Ryan said, his voice low, steady. “It’ll help.”She didn’t respond right away.When he turned to look at her, his expression had softened. “Giselle,” he said gently, “Go. You’ll feel better.”She gave a silent nod and walked toward the bathroom.The moment the door shut behind her, she pressed her back to it and closed her eyes. Her legs were trembling. Everything felt too much and not enough.She opened her eyes and caught her reflection in the mirror.Smeared makeup. Tangled hair. Her ruined dress that once felt elegant is now nothing but a reminder of everything that had gone wrong.She pulled off Ryan’s coat, setting it aside carefully. Then she reached for the zipper of her dress,

They arrived back at the Carrington estate under a dark velvet sky, the city lights long faded behind them. The air was colder here — not from the weather, but from the weight of everything waiting for them. The life they’d left behind in France was already starting to feel like a dream.Chairman William and Jenny were waiting in the grand foyer, the kind of reception that should’ve felt warm. It didn’t.“I’m so sorry for what you went through,” the chairman said, reaching gently for Irene’s hand. His tone was sincere, his eyes troubled as they lingered on the fresh bandages around her fingers. “We should’ve known something was off about that man.”“Thank you,” she said quietly.Jenny stepped forward next, her voice coated in sweet concern that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You must be so shaken. How awful, really.”Irene gave a tight smile. “It was… intense.”She didn’t bother pretending too hard. Jenny wasn’t the type to genuinely care. And Stefan and Astrid, interestingly enough, w

Since the aftermath of their heated make out, Irene had been mentally scolding herself on loop.What were you thinking, Irene?No pretending, he’d said.She scoffed. No pretending, my foot. He was just using her to satisfy his desires, she should have known better. A man like Ryan Carrington didn’t just want someone like her — not without a catch.That evening, dinner was unusually quiet. It was just the two of them because Chairman William had travelled for a board retreat and Jenny was out at a charity event. Normally, Irene might have felt awkward being alone with Ryan at the large dining table, but today, she was resolute: Ignore him. Eat your food. Leave.Ryan, however, didn’t share her resolve.“Pass me the salt, please,” he said, his voice low.She picked up the salt and slid it across the table to him without looking up.She stabbed a piece of asparagus with her fork so violently it nearly flew off her plate. He tried again later, clearing his throat. “What do you think of th

Inside her room, Irene leaned back against the closed door, pressing a trembling hand to her chest as silent tears slipped down her cheeks. Slowly, her knees buckled, and she sank to the ground, curling up on the carpet.You did the right thing, she told herself, wiping at her tears. You have to distance yourself from Ryan before everything falls apart.After what she and Venus discovered about Stefan’s plans, she should’ve known from the beginning. “Make him fall for you,” Stefan had said. Now she understood why — it wasn’t just about control or money. It was to kill Ryan for his own gain.She let out a shaky breath. Stefan hadn’t even hesitated to replace his lover. Poor Giselle. She’d trusted a man like him, thinking she was loved, when in the end… she was disposable. Just like Irene was now.A pang of guilt shot through her chest as she thought about Giselle. The real Giselle had no one in her corner. Her mother was dead, her father distant and absent. Even now, since her supposed