All Chapters of THE BILLIONAIRE'S RELUCTANT BRIDE : Chapter 201 - Chapter 210

EVANGELINEThaddeus’s laughter vanished.In its place came a stillness far more frightening than sound.I hid behind Gael when Thaddeus’s eyes found me, the look in them crawling over my skin like something diseased. Gael’s arm stayed in front of me, firm and unyielding, blocking my body with his own as if the space between us had become a wall no one was allowed to cross.“You made a grave mistake by touching my woman.” Gael’s voice was dangerously calm. “Your life will be the price for what you did.”Thaddeus smiled and began approaching slowly. “What can I do?” His brows lifted, almost playful, though the madness in his eyes ruined the act. “I’m not the type of person who gets dragged down alone.”My jaw slackened when he pulled a dagger from behind his back and pointed it toward Gael.“I won’t be the only one who loses.”“No!” I tried to move around Gael, panic tearing through me so violently that my body acted before my mind could catch up. I couldn’t watch him bleed again. I cou

EVANGELINE“How did you and Gael end up friends?” I asked as Morris pressed the elevator button.He glanced at me with a small smile. “I told you I’d call him sooner or later, remember? I happened to do it during one of the worst times of his life.”I smiled faintly and followed him and Cordelia into the elevator.Morris pressed the floor number, then leaned back with the tired ease of someone who had spent too many days forcing cheer into difficult places.“He refused to be friends with me at first. Kicked me out, tried to hit me once too, but I understood. He was going through a difficult time.” His smile softened. “Eventually, he got used to my presence. Your husband is a nice person, but he insists on showing the opposite.”Cordelia snorted and rolled her eyes. “Excellent glue.”I pressed my lips together to hold back a smile, especially after the look Morris gave her. They seemed to hate each other very much, though in a way that looked more entertaining than hostile.Inside the

EVANGELINE“There’s something I’m curious about,” I murmured later, long after the room had quieted and the storm between us had softened into warmth.Gael’s arm rested around my shoulders, keeping me close enough that my cheek lay near his heartbeat. I could still feel the traces of him everywhere — in the heat lingering beneath my skin, in the weakness in my limbs, in the strange, trembling peace that came after being loved by someone who had nearly been stolen from me. But that peace had a sharp edge too. Worry kept pressing through it, especially when I noticed the slight strain in his breathing and the faint exhaustion he tried to hide by playing with my fingertips.“What is it?” He turned my hand in his, touching each finger one by one before lacing them together.I lifted my head just enough to look at him. “You were searching for me before. How did you know I disappeared?”He didn’t hesitate. “The airport called me and told me the person I’d booked the flight for didn’t board

EVANGELINE“I know my words hurt you and destroy your hope,” Dr. Madon added, his voice softening, “but as his doctor, I have to be honest with you.”He waited for a reaction, but I couldn’t give him one. My limbs were frozen, and so was my tongue.“As a doctor, I don’t recommend surgery. The last operation he underwent left him in a coma for five days. His body is very weak, and he may not tolerate another major operation. This time, his coma may be permanent.”Dr. Madon’s hands were the only thing that stopped me from falling.He supported my weakened body, helped me sit, and looked at me with deep concern. “Please hold on.”I looked at him through tears that no longer felt like sadness alone. They were helplessness. Fear. Oppression. A guilt so heavy it seemed to crush the air around me.“What can I do for him, Doctor, without being in pain myself?” My voice shook badly. “If anything happens to Gael, I’ll never forgive myself. He’s suffering because of me. If he hadn’t donated to m

EVANGELINEThe operating room doors stayed closed.With every passing minute, my soul seemed to press harder behind my ribs, begging for a way out. I remained on the floor even after my voice grew hoarse from calling his name, and Morris didn’t let go of me for a second.One arm stayed around my shoulders, holding me together when my body no longer knew how to do that for itself.Cordelia sat in the corner with her hands covering her mouth, trying to swallow sobs that refused to stay hidden. Mrs. Dettling kept whispering prayers under her breath, trembling fingers wrapped around the edge of her scarf, while Mr. Dettling sat like a man emptied of everything.His eyes never left the operating room doors.He didn’t speak.He didn’t move.He barely blinked, and somehow that silence frightened me more than his crying had.I didn’t know how much time passed after they rushed the defibrillator inside.Time lost its shape.Minutes became hours, and hours became knives.Every time the door mov