Alle Kapitel von Bride of the Billionaire Beast: Kapitel 181 – Kapitel 190

"Not yet. Last mark." They might have sounded like simple words, but for Thorne and Weston, the two ex-marines stationed in that van—they meant everything. "Not yet" meant Lieutenant Johnson was not authorizing them to intervene. "Last mark" meant they were to stick to her closely and only act when there was absolutely no other option—waiting for her final signal. And more than anything, those words meant: she was drugged, but not incapacitated. Thorne jumped into the driver's seat, tailing the van where Maxine and Liam had been taken. In the back, Weston quietly prepared the assault gear. They exited the city via a busy highway, but about an hour later, they turned off down a dirt road that led into the forest. Maxine began to stir as the van jolted and bounced over potholes, but she kept her eyes shut to avoid tipping off her captors. When they pulled her out and tied her to a chair, she let her body go limp. Her hands were bound behind her back, and through barely opened

Liam stood by the cabin's only window, alert and tense, his senses dialed to the max. Adrenaline surged through his body, and he felt like his heart could explode right out of his chest at any second. But the forest was so silent, it seemed like even a branch cracking a kilometer away would echo through the trees. Meanwhile, Maxine rummaged through the only closet in the place. The clothes smelled musty from storage, but they were clean. She pulled out something that would fit—and, thankfully, found a pair of boots smaller than Liam's. And, as in any proper hunting cabin, there were several rifles and boxes of ammunition tucked in the back. "Relax. The door's locked, we're surrounded by hunting rifles and ammo," Maxine said. "Besides, I promise—they're not going to find us." "How can you be so sure?" Liam muttered. "Because to find us in the middle of the night, they'd need to know how to track. And those guys barely looked like they knew how to chew their own food," she grow

Liam slowly opened his eyes, still wrapped in that heavy, groggy sleep—and smiled when the first thing he saw in front of him was Maxine's peaceful face. He couldn't fully explain the way she made him feel. There had been so many emotions—some conflicting, some overwhelming—ever since he met her. But over time, all of them had spiraled into one powerful mixture of desire and tenderness unlike anything he'd ever felt before. At least, not for the same woman. He gently brushed away a lock of hair that had fallen across her face. She was stunning—gorgeous body, impossible personality—and all of it was starting to grow on him way too much. All he wanted was for her to be safe. And happy. Unfortunately, one thought led to another… and soon the memory of the damn kidnapping came rushing back. The words those men had said, about violating Maxine until she died, echoed like poison in his brain. His whole body tensed with helpless rage, and he held her tighter. "Everything's okay, baby,

Liam could have come up with a thousand reasons to object to Maxine's completely unilateral decision to throw him into training—but the truth was, he didn't want to. Because every time he closed his eyes, he could still see that bastard's hands all over her, and it turned his stomach more times a day than he could stand. To put it crudely, he felt like he didn't deserve to sleep with a woman he couldn't protect. He didn't deserve a wife who spent half her life saving his ass. Because at the end of the day, he was keeping count, and Maxine had already been in danger twice because of him. Saying it was easy to train with Leon would've been a flat-out lie. The ex-military man had the same height and build as him, but it was like instinct had been wired into him. He knew where to hit and how to hit. It was obviously the result of many more years of training. Still, Liam gave it his all and took the blows without complaint. They kept office work limited to mornings. They'd have lunch

Maxine stopped in front of the elevator doors. They were about to open, and all she wanted was to get inside and leave that place. There was a sharp pain in the side of her chest, and she didn't want to know what it was—she just knew she hadn't felt this awful in a very long time. But when the doors finally opened, Maxine didn't move. A thought flashed through her mind: she was there to look after and protect Liam. Nothing more. 'He's not your husband… he's your client. He's not yours. It's not real. Damn it, it's not real!' Maxine pressed her lips together, trying to hold back the tears, when she felt Liam arrive behind her. "Baby, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," he murmured, unsure of how to touch her—or whether she would even let him. "Max…" "I'll wait in the office while you handle your... situation. Let me know when you're done so we can go home," she said in a voice so cold it made Liam shiver. "Max, no, listen to me... Please, listen. This has to be a mistake!" he said