บททั้งหมดของ CINDERELLA'S FORCED MARRIAGE WITH BILLIONAIRE: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

Third Person’s POVThe man standing in front of the mirror looked like a wreck. Blood trickled from his nose, staining the tissue he pressed underneath it. His expensive suit was wrinkled, and one of his sleeves had been ripped.Alpfit Corporation’s manager gritted his teeth as he dialed Charlotte’s number. His reflection glared back at him with a mix of shame and fury. The moment the line connected, he snapped.“She slapped me and that guy broke my goddamn nose!” he roared, his voice echoing off the tiled bathroom walls.There was a pause, then Charlotte’s voice came through sharp and cold. “So you’re telling me you can’t even handle a simple meeting? You’re useless.”“I— Miss, I—”But she didn’t let him finish. The call ended with a sharp beep.Charlotte exhaled hard, her jaw tight as she tossed the phone onto the couch. Her heels clicked against the polished marble as she turned away, pacing. Her red dress shimmered with each step she took, but her eyes were like steel.Alex sat at

Xeros’s POVThe auction had already been going on for over an hour when I finally arrived.I didn’t rush. I rarely do. I walked in through the back entrance where security was tighter, nodding at the staff who scrambled like ants to make sure everything was perfect for the VIPs. The woman in a black dress and clipboard bowed slightly as she led me to the private suite upstairs.I sat down on the leather chair, the lights dimmed in the VIP room, but the glass allowed me to see everything on the floor below. My fingers rested on the armrest lazily, and I leaned back. The soft hum of murmurs, clinking glasses, and bidding numbers floated up like smoke. I didn’t care much for jewelry, but my name had to be seen tonight. People needed to know I was watching.On the stage below, a ruby diamond necklace was being shown off. It shimmered under the lights like a thousand red stars. Some rich socialite was showing off her hand, trying to catch the attention of whoever cared. I didn’t.To me, th

Emma’s POV“It was just a spam call,” I said, hoping my voice sounded steady.Xeros stood a few feet away from me, his eyes unreadable. For a second, I thought he didn’t believe me. His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer than it should have, and I had to stop myself from fidgeting.“Alright,” he said at last. “You should get some rest.”Relief flooded my chest. I quickly ended the call with Charlotte and placed my phone facedown on the table, forcing a soft smile as he turned and walked out of the room.But my hands were still trembling.I knew I had just dodged a bullet… barely.He was getting closer to the truth. And when he found out—when he realized I wasn’t Charlotte, that I was the stand-in, the woman he’d grown used to wasn’t the one he thought she was… I had no idea how he’d react.The silence after he left was too loud. I sat on the bed, hugging my knees to my chest, just staring at the closed door.How long do I have before everything crumbles?I didn’t sleep well that

Emma’s POVThe soft morning light slipped through the thin curtains, brushing against my face like a quiet nudge. My fingers reached out lazily for my phone on the bedside table. One glance and I shot upright.“Oh no—I’m gonna be late!”I tossed the blanket off me and scrambled out of bed, heart racing. My hair was a mess, sticking to one side of my face, and I still felt a little groggy from sleeping too deeply. My mind flashed back to last night—the stars, the quiet drive, Xeros beside me… I had slept like a log after that.The scent of something warm drifted through the air. Eggs? Toast? I rushed out of the room, tugging at my wrinkled shirt, and found him in the kitchen, calm as ever.Xeros stood near the stove, sleeves rolled up, flipping eggs with one hand and holding a piece of toast with the other. The morning sunlight made his features look softer. Peaceful. Like he had all the time in the world.“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” I blurted out, half-panicked.He glanced at

Emma's POV "Check the news Emma! You won't believe what I saw!" Tina said again and I had to check. I didn't understand what all the fuss was about, but it seemed like something important already happened, and it might involve me. So I quickly checked. Tina is not the one to ask me to check on news that are not important to me. And also, she sounded very anxious on the phone, like she's kind of worried or something. But the moment I checked, I almost fell down, and my phone almost slipped from my hands. I had to hold on to it because I didn't fully see the news yet, but the headline was more than enough to make me feel this way.BILLIONAIRE XEROS SEEN WITH ANOTHER WOMAN IN A HOTEL A BEAUTIFUL MODEL This headline was more than enough to stop me in my tracks. My chest felt tightened and I felt unable to breathe for a moment. Why do I feel this way when I literally feel like I don't have the right to? Maybe what we've gone through for the past few days has made me think that things