Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE GUARDIAN'S BRIDE: Kabanata 131 - Kabanata 140

CHAPTER 132: Is it the same?It was well past midnight. The house was deathly quiet, yet I sat in my office. Before me on my desk was a glass of whiskey and the bottle which one of the maids had brought me. The blasted pictures also lay spread before me, cold, damning things, still frames meant to wound, to twist everything I’ve built into something rotten.I’d stared at them so long my eyes burned, but no matter how many times I forced myself to look, I saw only the same thing: Julia’s hands on me, her leaning in close, the angle suggesting things that weren’t true. I remembered that moment with great clarity, but the truth had been twisted into something dirty and ugly by the angle of a camera lens. These weren’t evidence of reality. They were weapons.And they had found their mark.Madelyn.They couldn't have picked a better plan, nor a better target or plan, because she had fallen for the trap, hook, line and sinker. She was already acting out in anger. Leaving the house to God kn

CHAPTER 134: Put her to the testMother’s gaze sharpened, and I saw the moment confusion and surprise give way to realisation. She knew what I had done. Of course she did, her mind was as cunning and devious as mine.Her lips curved into a small, knowing smile. “So this great unraveling was your doing?” she murmured, not a question but a statement. I raised my glass in toast. “She had to see the truth. Zachary is no saint. I might have put some things in motion, but he only has himself to blame for the final result.”My initial plan had been that he'd get with a hooker that I had planned to send to his hotel room, but when the photographer I hired informed me about his assistant's presence, I knew it was a jackpot. What could be more believable than a scandalous affair with his assistant?“He has his hot assistant clinging to him like a shadow, and now Madelyn knows it. From all indications, it was like confirming a seed of doubt that had already been planted. And now, it has alread

CHAPTER 136: Midnight cravingsMadelyn was too quick, too sharp in her reply, and that alone told me there was something more here than just a late-night craving. Something that she might not even be aware of. But I knew better than to push too hard. My best friend could be stubborn as a mule when she wanted to be, and pressing her now would only make her retreat further into herself. She already had enough from Zachary last night.Instead, I leaned against the counter and asked, softly, “So… how did it go? With Vance.”Her fork paused again, hovering above the plate, before she let out a long breath and set it down. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand, her eyes flicking away from mine as though to gather herself. “I wish you'd let me eat in peace, Len,” she groaned.I grinned widely, all teeth. “Sorry about that. I have to know. I couldn’t ask you last night because of the hulk.”Her brows picked together. “The who?”“Your husband.”Realisation dawned in her eyes, and

CHAPTER 138: Not an emperor, not a slave girl When I opened my eyes the next morning, even for the briefest second, I almost believed things might be normal again. The nausea that had plagued me these past days was not present. No rolling stomach, no sudden retching, no weakness clawing at the back of my throat. I was about to believe that the remedy to my dilemma was a midnight pan of apple pie. But my relief was short-lived, because instead of sickness there was a different kind of heaviness; bone-deep, suffocating exhaustion that made even the thought of getting out of bed feel impossible. It was the same lethargy that had suddenly seeped into my bones last night. Not to talk of the strange metallic taste on my tongue mingling with the excess collection of saliva in my mouth. I shot out of bed into the bathroom, and spat out the saliva, then rinsed my mouth out. I dragged myself back to bed, and lay there, staring up at the ceiling, the morning light pouring through the curtains

CHAPTER 140: God help youI stood before the mirror, clutching the edges of the dresser tightly. My reflection stared back at me, pale and strained. My heart had been hammering from the moment I woke, but it pounded even harder now. My stomach rolled violently and I took deep breaths, urging the discomfort to pass, to make the nausea subside. I thought my determination was enough to fuel me, but every fiber of me screamed not to go, but my stubborn resolve kept me moving. Today, it had to end today.I had barely stepped out the door into the hallway when Lenny intercepted me, her eyes wild with alarm.“Madelyn, no.” She blocked the hallway like a desperate sentry. “Don’t do this. Please, don’t go.”I was beginning to regret telling her about the text from Vance. But in fairness to her, I had to acknowledge that she'd have still found out on her own.I didn’t reply to her and instead, I tried to sidestep her, but she caught my arm. Her grip was surprisingly strong.“Please, listen to m