His Bride By Force의 모든 챕터: 챕터 11 - 챕터 20

ALEXA I was pacing like a lunatic. Back and forth. Then back again. The floor probably hated me by now. My flip-flops made a soft sound against the marble with every furious step, and I imagined Killian's cold, perfect face beneath each one. I was so sick of his games. The photo trembled in my hand, and somehow, I just couldn't get the image out of my head. It was the kind of photo couples take when they think forever is still a thing. It made no sense. Just like the fact that I had shot him, and yet... there had been love in his eyes. Genuine affection. A girl who looked like me smiling so brilliantly while she was latched onto Killian. And the worst part was that girl was me. I don't recall ever smiling that widely ever since I lost my memory. That said a lot about my mental state. The ledger was hidden under my pillow. Poorly hidden, I'll admit. Not because I was bad at keeping secrets. But because my brain had short-circuited the moment I saw those symbols and codes.

KILLIAN I still remembered the satisfying sound that left Matteo's mouth when I'd chopped off his arm. I should've taken his tongue too. That man had no business breathing close to her, much less touching her. He'd been getting on my nerves lately, but touching Alexa was the final straw. Maybe killing him would've been better. No, it was best if he lived and never forgot this lesson. I stood in my study, the lights dim. One hand swirled the amber liquid in my glass, the other hovered over the biometric scanner beside the fireplace. A soft click echoed, and the bookshelf groaned open, revealing the steel door of my private vault. No one knew it existed. Not even her. Especially not her. I unlocked it. Inside it sat a single black ledger. It contained coded intel, names, dates, blood money and syndicate transactions. There were blackmails so lethal it could turn politicians into ghosts and emperors into pawns. I picked it up, flipping it open slowly. My fingers skimmed over a name

KILLIAN I was too exhausted to think straight, but I knew one thing. I couldn’t go to sleep unless I was near her. For once, I wanted to shut my mind off for hours without being interrupted by my nightmares. Fuck, I'd had a shitty day. The last thing I wanted to deal with right now was my insomnia. “You became Sera’s weakness. I don’t know what might have happened to her that triggered her memory loss, but…she had been carrying your child.” Those words rang over and over again in my head, worsening my headache. Seraphina’s clone had told me something that had wrecked me mentally. I didn’t want to believe it. Because if I did, it would change everything. So, I shoved the thought deep in my mind and let myself dwell on how badly I needed a shut-eye. The moment I curled up beside Alexa, something broke inside of me. I didn't mean to. I swear I didn't even realize that I was crying until she spoke. "Are you...okay?" Fucking hell, I wasn't okay. I closed my eyes, feeling the tears

ALEXA When Rayne pulled up to the house, my stomach was churning with nerves."This is a bad idea," I muttered under my breath.Rayne didn't even blink. "You've said that six times since we left the gym.""Because it is."Because I'm rattled. And possibly about to be emotionally chewed out by the mother of the man I apparently married while forgetting I once shot him.God, I need a drink. Or a lobotomy. Either works."She's not going to kill you," Rayne said, her voice laced with amusement. "Probably."I turned slowly. "What the hell does 'probably' mean?""She's a Cross. They don't murder people in the sitting room. It's bad for the rugs."Fantastic.I barely had time to pretend I was emotionally stable before the front door opened.And there she stood.Sonia Cross.Elegant and Regal.Her icy blue eyes swept over me as if I was gum stuck to her Louboutins. If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under."Seraphina," she said.I cleared my throat and gave her the world's most awkward

ALEXA I sat in the VIP lounge of Belladonna, Sofia's nightclub, surrounded by too much neon and not nearly enough tequila.I slumped into the plush velvet booth and groaned. "This place smells like lust and poor decisions."Sofia grinned like the chaotic angel she was. "And yet, you look right at home."I flipped her off lovingly.Roman stood by the booth, his arms crossed. His green eyes scanned the room as if he expected someone to lunge out of the shadows and stab me. Honestly? That wasn't off the table.I leaned back, one leg crossed over the other, eyeing him. "You're killing the vibe, Roman.""I'm not here for the vibe," he deadpanned. "I'm here to make sure you don't get kidnapped."Sofia snorted. "He's cute. All tall, dark, and stabby."Roman didn't blink. "Thank you. I guess."Lio, our bartender for the evening, appeared then, placing four shot glasses on the table like a magician. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, his arms littered with tattoos."House special," he s