All Chapters of Upgraded: From Backup to Bride: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Tires screamed against asphalt as the black Maybach lurched to a stop, its smoking tires leaving jagged scars on the gray cement pavement.The driver's door flew open.Silas erupted from the car—his movements sharp, urgent—and strode toward Building 37 of Linden Grove. Above him, storm clouds churned like a living thing, their bruised shadows swallowing what little light remained.Silas climbed the steps two at a time. The wind blew his messy hair into his eyes, blurring the path ahead.There was a sudden clatter.He stopped abruptly. A plastic water bottle rolled away under his foot, tumbling into others, scattering them across the ground. His brows knit tight. With a grim look in his dark eyes, he kicked the rest aside in irritation."Hey—are you crazy? Why are you kicking my bottles?" a hoarse, accusing voice rang out. "I picked those from the bins, one by one… Do you know how hard that is? For goodness' sake…"On the side of the steps, an old woman was crouched against the w

The mechanical, indifferent female voice echoed down the hallway. "Incorrect password. Please try again."Silas was filled with disbelief. He furrowed his brows, stretched out his index finger and entered the password again."Incorrect password. Please try again."Impossible.The password was his birthday.He remembered it clearly—when they changed the lock, it was Harper who had suggested using his birthday as the code.There was no way he had gotten it wrong.A flicker of panic passed over his pale face. Refusing to accept it, he entered the password again."Incorrect password. Please try again.""Damn it! Stop saying that!" His chest heaved with rising frustration. He raised his foot and kicked the door hard, muttering under his breath. "I entered the right password! Open the door! Open it!"Thud—thud—thud.The loud kicks echoed through the corridor. The black door bore a mess of overlapping footprints."What do you think you're doing at my door?" A voice, shocked and

Harper stepped out of the taxi at Rancove Bay and immediately saw Nate jogging toward her in a bubblegum-pink suit and a bright green bowtie, his grin stretched wide across his face."Harper! I told you I'd come get you. Why'd you take a cab yourself?"A flicker of embarrassment passed through her dark eyes. The memory of nearly vomiting during the last car ride returned unbidden, and her stomach clenched involuntarily.She forced a smile, hurriedly paid the taxi driver, and turned to the trunk to retrieve her suitcase."I figured your arm hasn't fully healed," she said. "And there wasn't much for me to pack anyway, so I just called a cab.""Waaah… Harper, you're way too kind!" Nate's eyes, round and bright like spring blossoms, shimmered with emotion. "But don't worry. Even if I've only got one working arm, I can still help you with your luggage."With that, he snatched the suitcase from her hand, hoisting it with his right arm, eager to show off the biceps he'd clearly been wor

The house was big. Enormously big.And cold. Strangely, piercingly cold.What opened before her eyes was an expansive living room—vast, but entirely barren. Not even a sofa in sight.The whole space was rendered in shades of black and gray. Minimal. Austere. A finely finished structure that somehow still felt like a shell, like a polished skeleton waiting for flesh.Harper stood there, lips slightly pursed, her gaze caught in the stillness. For a moment, she didn't know what to say."Surprised, huh?" Nate's voice came from behind. "I felt the same way when I saw it yesterday."He caught up with her, dragging the suitcase behind, and added quickly, "But actually, Lloyd designed it this way on purpose.""Hm?" She turned her face slightly, brows drawn together, eyes filled with faint confusion."He said he wasn't sure what kind of style you'd like. So he just took care of the basic framework. The rest… well, he figured you'd want to decide that yourself."Harper's expression shif

Silas's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Sophie disappear into the kitchen. He lifted the cup and took a sip."Hiss…"The heat scalded his tongue. He winced, drawing in a sharp breath, his stomach twisting in protest.With a darkened expression, he set the cup down on the coffee table. His gaze dropped to the floor, to the scattered beer bottles, and a wave of irritation surged through him. Without thinking, his right foot snapped out, sending a crushed soda can clattering into the corner.Clang—The crisp noise echoed abruptly through the stillness of the room.In the kitchen, the sound startled Sophie so badly she flinched and instinctively dropped the spoon in her hand. Her arms flew up, protecting her head.Old nightmares burst back into her mind with sharp clarity. Wounds long thought healed pulsed again with dull, aching pain.On the stove, the pot of porridge had just come to a boil. Thick white porridge overflowed from the tightly shut lid, spilling onto the open fl