All Chapters of Married by Mistake, Loved by Fate: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

“Greg?” Austin’s tone dropped to steel. “Where?”“Outside,” she whispered, her eyes darting to the shadows of the room as if Greg might step out of them. “Tonight. Watching me. He didn’t have to say a word, Austin. His eyes… they said everything. He promised to bring me down. I know it.”Austin pushed himself up from the sofa, ignoring the weakness in his frame. “You’re sure?”Her gaze snapped to his. “You think I wouldn’t know the man who tore my life apart? Who sent me those divorce papers like I was dirt under his shoe?”His brow furrowed, the muscle in his jaw tightening. “I remember,” he said quietly, voice edged with steel. “Greg didn’t just end it. He wanted to crush you.”Lucy’s throat tightened, her breath shaky. “He did. And he almost succeeded.”Austin’s gaze didn’t waver, steady, piercing. “Tell me.”She swallowed hard. “I loved him, Austin. For three years. I gave him everything. And not just myself, I gave him power. I worked behind the scenes to push him forward, to giv

“Lucy, stop pretending it didn’t happen.”Her hand froze midway from her lips. She hadn’t even heard Austin step closer, but now his voice brushed the back of her neck like a forbidden touch.Her chest rose sharply. She spun to face him, eyes wide, pulse racing. “Austin…” Her voice cracked, brittle. “We shouldn’t have”“Shouldn’t?” His brow arched, his gaze steady, unyielding. He didn’t step back. If anything, he leaned in just enough for her to catch the faint trace of his cologne, warm and masculine. “Then why are you trembling right now?”She pressed her arms to her sides, desperate to hide the truth, but her body betrayed her, the subtle quiver in her hands, the way her breath came shallow.“I’m not” she began, but he cut her off softly, almost cruelly.“You are.” His voice was a low promise. “And you know why.”Her throat went dry. She wanted to remind him of the deal, of the boundaries they had set, but the words tangled in her chest. Instead, she whispered, “You can’t just do t

Eat, Austin repeated, and “For the upcoming gala,” Austin said smoothly, adjusting his cufflinks as if he were announcing something as serious as a business deal, “I want you to look exceptional. And so” his eyes flicked to her, sharp and daring, “we’re going to get you something out of this world.”Lucy’s eyes widened. “Out of this world? Austin, it’s just a party.”“Correction,” he cut in, leaning closer, his voice dropping low enough to make her pulse skip, “it’s my gala. Every reporter, every rival, every pair of eyes will be there. You’re coming with me. Which means” his gaze swept over her deliberately, lingering “you’re going to look like the only woman worth looking at.”Her cheeks warmed. “I think you’re exaggerating. I could just wear something simple”“No,” he interrupted again, firm. “Not this time. I want them to see you the way I see you.”Lucy’s breath caught, but before she could reply, he grabbed his car keys. “Come on, we’re going shopping.”The boutique he drove h

The chandeliers flared back to life as though nothing had happened. Golden light shimmered across sequined gowns and polished tuxedos, sweeping away the fear of the sudden blackout. Laughter returned in uneasy ripples, glasses clinked again, and the orchestra struck up a safer, lighter tune, as though music alone could glue back the cracks in the room’s atmosphere.But for Lucy, her chest still felt tight. Her pulse was hammering too loudly in her ears, and though the world had moved on as if nothing had happened, she knew better. That voice, Greg’s voice, still echoed in her head.“You can’t escape me, Lucy.”Austin’s hand didn’t leave her as he guided her firmly back to their table. His grip was possessive, not cruel but unyielding, as though he was anchoring her in place. He hadn’t spoken since he’d pulled her out of the darkness. His silence was sharper than any words he could have thrown at her.Lucy lowered herself into her seat, her body stiff, her nerves trembling. She couldn’

“Lucy, stay with me.”Austin’s voice cut through the sudden dark, low and commanding, his arm locking around her waist like a shield.“Austin, what’s happening?” Lucy’s whisper cracked, trembling against the swell of panicked screams around them.Before he could answer, Greg’s voice slithered through the pitch-black ballroom, dripping mockery.“You can’t save her forever, DiMarco…”The sound rippled through the crowd like venom, sharp and merciless, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. A collective gasp rose, cutting through the music, followed by the frantic scrape of chairs against polished marble. Someone screamed. Another voice barked orders. Glass shattered, the crash echoing like gunfire as trays slipped from trembling hands. Waiters stumbled blindly, silverware clattering across the floor.The once-perfect harmony of the gala dissolved into chaos. Women clutched at pearls and gowns, men threw protective arms around their companions, bodies pressing together in a panicked