Semua Bab His Bride By Force: Bab 21 - Bab 30

ALEXA I stood in the bathroom stall, the fluorescent light steadily illuminating the place. The note trembled in my hands. Written on it in a messy manner were the words:"Don't trust Killian. He's the reason your family's empire fell."My chest tightened, my heart racing. I'd always believed that I was an orphan because I had no memory of having a family. Vincent had never mentioned that I had a family anywhere.My ears rang as a sharp pain suddenly lanced through my skull, my eyes watering.Then came the flashbacks.Shattered glass. Screams. The metallic scent of blood.My mother's perfume that smelled strongly of jasmine.And then the terrifying sounds of gunshots.I blinked rapidly, the flashbacks fading.I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. I needed to make sure no one noticed that something was up with me. Especially not Roman.I folded the note with shaky hands and tucked it into my bra as if it was some kind of cursed relic. Which, frankly, it might've been.Stra

ALEXA One moment, the monster from my past was standing there, smirking at me. The next, he was gone without a trace. I caught sight of my reflection in a nearby mirror, and shame shrouded me instantly. I looked broken, my brown eyes wild and haunted. In my head, Vincent was there again, telling me that I was too broken to shine. Nausea swept through me, and I bolted. I rushed out of the set, barefoot, running past confused assistants and stunned designers. The panic drowned everything else. I couldn't bring myself to care. Outside, the cold slapped my skin. I collapsed against a stone wall, gasping for air. Tears prickled my eyes, my whole body shaking with fear. I lost track of time and my surroundings. The assistants might have tried to get me to calm down, but the bitter memories were hitting harder than ever. I don't know how long I stayed there. But at one point, I heard the sound of approaching footsteps. A tall figure walked up to me, and I squinted at him through the

KILLIAN The Don chuckled, a sound that irritated my ears. "Everything's for sale. Even blackmail."I let my silence linger, leaning back as I pulled out a silver toothpick and rolled it between my fingers. Not speaking made men nervous. Especially men who liked control."You're sitting on a bomb, Killian," he finally said, dropping the grin. "That ledger... it could take down every empire. Yours included.""Funny," I murmured, tilting my head. "It hasn't exploded yet."He exhaled sharply. "I'm offering you ten million. No strings. Clean transaction. I'll even have my people wipe all names that trace back to your operations."I tapped the toothpick on the table twice.Then I stood.Marcello blinked. "Wait…we're not done."I smiled faintly. Then, I picked up the drink in the crystal glass he'd had poured for me. Looked at it. Then, in one quick motion, I hurled it against the wall behind him.It shattered loudly, and Marcello flinched. One of his guards moved instinctively, his h

ALEXA The weight of the gun in my palm was heavier than I'd expected. But I raised it anyway. My fingers easily curled around the grip, a sign that I'd done it before. Muscle memory. Assassin muscle memory, maybe. I pointed the barrel straight at Octavia, and for a split second, I saw something flicker across her face. Surprise?"Who sent you?" My voice was a little too calm for someone who was pointing a loaded gun at a supposed long-lost sister.Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe not. But I wasn't about to get stabbed in the back by a woman claiming to be my long-lost sister.Octavia gulped. "I don't understand...why are you—""Try again," I cut in, tilting the barrel slightly, just enough to make a statement. "And make it good before my finger slips."She tensed.Her brown eyes locked on mine, then dipped to the gun, then back up. I could practically hear her plotting in her head.How ridiculous.She lunged, but I moved faster.Her hand shot for my wrist, but I twisted, s

ALEXA My footsteps echoed as I descended into the basement, the air thick with the copper tang of blood and damp stone. Low light flickered against the walls, casting long shadows that danced like ghosts around me. It was appropriate, considering what I was about to face.Sofia stood at the far end of the room beside a chair that was bolted to the floor. Octavia sat strapped into it, her wrists bound behind her back, a cut blooming purple across her cheekbone. Her hair was matted with sweat and blood. But her spine? Still straight. Her chin was still lifted in a manner that screamed of her defiance.I clicked my tongue. "You look like shit."Octavia's lip curled. "Good to see you too, sis."I stepped into the circle of light and unlatched the safety of my gun, just to make a point. I wasn't in the mood for sisterly banter. Or whatever the hell this was supposed to be.With bits and pieces of my memory returning, it was easier to blend into the darkness in my soul.Octavia flinche