All Chapters of The Runaway Bride: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Crestfallen and moody, Fernando locked himself in his office. Jealousy was consuming him. After marrying Virginia, he had searched for Helen for more than three years. Just when he thought he’d never see her again—she returned, turning his life into a labyrinth. He poured himself a glass of wine, but it tasted bitterer than usual. In a fit of rage, he hurled the glass against the wall, staining everything with the red color of the drink. Just then, the door to his office opened. Virginia and her mother stood stunned by the scene. "Son! What’s going on here?" Cristine yelled, completely confused. "What?" Fernando growled. "Didn’t they teach you to knock before entering?" Virginia stared at him, clearly angry, and folded her arms. "We didn’t know we needed permission to enter your office. I’m your wife, and she’s your mother. Now tell us—what the hell is going on?" Fernando took a deep breath. And not knowing what else to say, he simply lied. “A business deal went wrong and has

Fernando went straight to his office. He wanted to feel angry about the slap Helen had given him, but instead, he felt oddly happy. Her smile lingered on his lips. It had been so long since he had tasted her. Having her that close, as strange as it sounded, had taken away much of his resentment. Over the next few days, Helen avoided any contact with Fernando. She had to refocus on the important meeting she had missed because of the elevator incident. The day finally came. She was prepared to face the major creditors of her new company. If she managed to close the deal with them, Donovan and Associates would start to decline—and she would finally leave that city once and for all. That morning turned out to be excellent. The meeting was a success, and she convinced them that half of the deal should stay with Reynolds LM. It was a bold, dirty move against Donovan and Associates, so they had to proceed with caution. The Donovan family had never cared who they hurt. It was never just abo

Helen wasn’t expecting visitors at the time. She didn’t have any appointments scheduled either. She looked up from her laptop screen, and the first image that came to her mind was Fernando standing on the other side of the door. She swallowed hard just thinking about it. She got up and adjusted her dress, having to wait a few seconds for the red color on her cheeks to fade. The door rattled again. With her heart racing a thousand miles an hour, she opened it. Her eyes widened in surprise as she realized who was on the other side. "The magnificent CEO of Donovan & Associates, Helen! How are you?" Jean lunged forward and gave her two kisses, one on each cheek, while she returned the greeting with a forced, overly large smile. "Jean! I didn’t expect your visit. How are you? Please, come in," she said, motioning for him to enter the office. "Well, I know I’m being inopportune showing up unannounced, but I was closing some deals in another department of the company, and I thought, why

Fernando couldn’t stop thinking about the connection he had felt with the twins. In his mind, there was no doubt—they were his children. But Helen avoided him at all costs. She wouldn’t let her nerves show. Yet Fernando had an ace up his sleeve. He wouldn’t let the question of paternity go unanswered. His phone rang. It was the call he had been waiting for. "Attorney Reynolds! How are you? Tell me—did you manage to file the DNA test request for Helen’s children?" Fernando asked anxiously. "Mr. Donovan, well, it's a little complicated. I've already contacted the lady's lawyer, but you're right—she's not obligated to agree to a voluntary test. We'll need to sue her." Fernando remained silent. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel harassed or disturb her peace. "Sir? Are you there?" the lawyer asked, hearing no response from Fernando. "Does it really have to be a lawsuit? Isn't there any other alternative, Reynolds? It shouldn't have to come to such extremes." "She's not

Fernando started pulling out the contents. First, the birth records. Then, a dozen photographs of Matt with the twins. It wasn’t made up—Matt had indeed spent time with them. Finally, an envelope from a well-known genetics lab. Inside were the results of a DNA test confirming that the twins were Matt Donovan’s. When Fernando read the results, the ground beneath him collapsed. Any vague hope he had clung to regarding them evaporated completely. Helen smiled in satisfaction. She felt triumphant, confident that Fernando’s doubts were now entirely dispelled. She didn’t even care that she was breaking his heart—after all, her own still carried too much pain. Tragically, he was the only one who could soothe it. "Helen... I—" Fernando was at a loss for words. "I hope everything is clear now. And for the last time, I'm telling you—stop interrupting me in my office. From now on, I expect you to follow my terms as the CEO of this company." Fernando felt humiliated. His heart had just shatt