All Chapters of The Bride He Never Chose: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Chapter 41: When Our Worlds Collide“Sorry!” I said, but then an unexpected laugh bubbled out of me—nervous and shaky.The room tilted. The floor seemed to shift beneath my feet, as if the whole house was trembling.“Oh my God! Your child’s drunk!” Mom exclaimed, rushing to my side.I didn’t want to look at her. Instead, I swallowed hard, but my throat refused to cooperate.Before I could react, Yelena appeared right in front of me—like she’d popped out of nowhere.I tried to cover my mouth with my hand and step aside, but she blocked my path with that fake concerned smile.“Are you okay, Kourt?” she asked, voice syrupy sweet, but I couldn’t hold it back anymore.Suddenly, I vomited—everything I’d just eaten—right onto her elegant dress.“Oh my God!” she shrieked, panic flooding her face as my vomit splattered down her front, even reaching her shoes.“Kourtney!” Mom’s voice was frantic now.I felt worse than horrible.From the corner of my eye, I saw Travis step toward Yelena, who se

Chapter 43: The Kiss That Broke UsAnd Travis? He seemed to be on her side.I didn’t know where I fit in anymore.“Hi!” She said softly to Travis as she approached him, a sweet smile plastered on her face. My chest tightened with irritation the moment I saw her. Why was she here? And why was she smiling like she owned the place? Travis gave a subtle nod back, his expression unreadable but with that familiar smugness I hated. What was he playing at now?Without hesitation, she stepped closer and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.My heart jolted in disbelief.Why was she kissing his cheek?The question repeated in my mind like an annoying echo, making my skin prickle. The night was already tense enough, and here was Travis, standing there, letting this girl—Yelena—invade the space I thought was mine. My breath caught, but I forced myself to look away, pretending it didn’t sting as much as it did.“Aside from Franky becoming a board member, we’re also celebrating him becoming one of th

Chapter 45: The White Rose WarningMom tried to act normal, but I caught the flicker of worry in her eyes whenever Yelena was mentioned. And Dad? He seemed distracted, his usual calm replaced by a tense edge I’d never seen before.One afternoon, as I was walking through the long hallways toward the library, my phone buzzed again. The message was the same unknown number:Meet me tonight. The truth waits where the stars hide.My pulse quickened. I knew what “where the stars hide” meant — the rooftop garden. It was my secret place, a hidden sanctuary where I often escaped the suffocating atmosphere of the house.That night, I slipped out quietly, careful not to wake anyone. The cool night air kissed my skin as I climbed the wrought-iron stairs leading to the rooftop garden. The city lights glittered below, a sprawling ocean of distant stars.Suddenly, a figure stepped out of the shadows. It was Travis.He didn’t smile. Instead, his expression was grim, vulnerable in a way I hadn’t seen b

Chapter 47: He Touched Me Like a LieOur story was about to take a turn none of us could have predicted.And nothing would ever be the same again.Later that night, rain battered the windows of Travis’s study, matching the storm raging inside us.We stood close, the air thick with everything left unsaid.“I don’t know how much longer I can hold it together,” I whispered, voice barely audible over the thunder.Travis’s hand tightened around mine.“You’re stronger than you think,” he said firmly. “We both are.”But even as he spoke, I caught the flicker of doubt in his eyes.We both knew the truth—this was no ordinary family crisis. This was a war. And we were caught in the middle.Suddenly, the phone rang, slicing through the moment like a knife.Travis glanced at the screen, face hardening.“Yelena’s been found,” he said quietly. “But… it’s worse than we thought.”My heart slammed against my ribs.“What happened?”He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he paced, fighting to stay calm.

Chapter 49: A Shield Named TravisHe extended a hand to help me up, and though my pride screamed to refuse, I found myself grasping it. His grip was firm but gentle, grounding me.“Don’t let them get to you,” he said, eyes flicking toward Chiffon and her friends, who were still glaring fiercely.I recognized him instantly. Travis. The one person I was trying to avoid, yet here he was, stepping right into the middle of the storm I never wanted to face.“What are you doing here?” I asked, heart racing.He smiled, that confident, mysterious smile that always made my defenses slip.“Watching out for you.”My breath hitched. Was he serious? Or was this just another game in the twisted web the Forgers always seemed to spin?“Don’t make me regret coming,” he added softly, eyes never leaving mine.Before I could answer, the crowd’s murmurs swelled again. Chiffon, dripping with chocolate, pushed past her friends and stormed toward us.“You think you can humiliate me and get away with it?” she