Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE GUARDIAN'S BRIDE: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

CHAPTER 51: VanceThe glass of champagne in my hand trembled just a little as I stood before the small crowd on the slightly elevated stage with Zachary beside me, his arm wrapped snugly around my waist. His fortieth birthday party which I had planned to not be a too loud affair had turned into what I had exactly had in mind. I knew Zachary wouldn't have wanted that, given that he never wanted a party in the first instance.In the end. Lenny and I had pulled together something warm and elegant in record time. It was classy with an intimate vibe. Now, with every eye on me at the moment, I almost forgot how to breathe.I felt a firm squeeze on my waist, and I glanced at Zachary whose gaze was on the small crowd awaiting my speech. He stood beside me but he was the center of the room, tall, stoic, his expression unreadable except for the faintest tilt of his mouth, his version of a smile.I cleared my throat and raised my glass.“Good evening everyone,” I began, my voice catching before

CHAPTER 53: It was meMy panicked gaze shot to Vance. “What do you mean?” He smirked. “Keep watching.”I sniffled and, with great difficulty, returned my gaze to the screen of the phone in my hand. My hands trembled like I was holding a fragile ticking timebomb. There was a painful tightening in my chest as I was faced with the sight of my drunken, heart broken eighteen-year-old self laying down in my bed almost unconscious, unaware of the horror that was already lurking in the dark corner of my supposed safe haven.Something thick and heavy blocked my lungs and sat in my chest. I wanted to look away. My hands trembled. But I couldn’t. It was like invisible hands were holding my head in place to continue watching misery. It was my worst nightmare, and Vance was making me relive it for reasons which I was sure would only satisfy the twisted selfish agendas he had.I kept watching…The man’s hands were all over me, his voice heavy with malicious intent, made my skin crawl. I could al

CHAPTER 55: You were never worth her time The ballroom was an uninteresting blur of champagne glasses, polite laughter, and hollow congratulations. I honestly would rather be in my office than being there. Yet, I stood in the center of it all, the man of the hour, but my mind wasn’t here. I felt it—something was wrong.I sensed it the moment I saw her trying to slip out without being seen. Madelyn had given the excuse of wanting fresh air, but I didn't believe it one bit. I wouldn't be where I am and who I am today if I believed excuses like hers. The way she left… too abrupt, too tense. My instincts screamed, and I’d learned long ago never to ignore them.“Zach.”I turned, to find Julia, draped in a scarlet gown that probably took hours to select. She gave me that smile that she always wore when it was just the two of us. I didn't have the time nor the patience for this. I had to find Madelyn.“Happy birthday.”“Thank you,” I said curtly.She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “I

CHAPTER 57: We’re leavingLenny was already wearing holes into the marbled floor of the foyer when I led Madelyn into the house. She froze when she saw the state of her friend, how she was clinging to me with her face buried in my chest. She was on me before I had even shut the door.“What did you do to her?” she spat, eyes blazing, fists clenched. “What the hell did you—”I did not reply to her but headed in the direction of the living room with Madelyn still in my arms. I settled her into the couch just as Mary walked into the room.She stopped short with a gasp when she saw Madelyn. “Oh! dear child. What happened to you?”Lenny's eyes narrowed. “What did you do to her?”My patience had already been exhausted tonight and I was not about to tolerate Madelyn’s friend. I leveled her with a glare sharp enough to silence most men. But not Lenny. She folded her arms, defiance sparking.“She was okay before. You always make her cry—”Madelyn flinched. It was the barest of movements, but

CHAPTER 59: A private islandI hardly took breaks or vacations. I loved the constant grinding, the balance. This was probably the first and only vacation I was taking in over a decade. That's if you could call it a vacation. We were currently at the beach house on one of the private islands I owned that was off the grid. No one even knew this place existed. Not even my father.The air out here was different. It was cleaner, sharper, and untainted by the noise of the city. I was currently in my office. It was quiet, save for the steady hum of the ceiling fan and the muted crash of waves on the beach outside. I leaned back in the leather chair, not feeling any more comfortable in a plain black shirt and linen pants than I would in a suit. Even dressed down, I did not feel relaxed. Especially not this morning.I inclined my head and rubbed my temple, irritation growing hot in my veins. My phone was pressed tight against my ear, the voice of Callum Pierce on the other end fumbling to keep