All Chapters of The Devil’s Bride: Chapter 41 - Chapter 48

**Megan’s POV**“Megan, talk to me,” Alexander said, his voice low, following me into the mansion’s foyer, the chandelier glowing dimly, his steps close behind. His tone was soft, flirty but strained, like he was fishing for what I knew, his eyes sharp after our weird drive home, both of us hiding, my knowledge of the baby being a girl burning in my chest.“I’m fine,” I said, my voice flat, brushing past him, my heels clicking on the marble, my bag heavy on my shoulder. I ignored his gaze, my body tense, my mind on the envelope I found, the word Female glaring, my fear of Victor’s threat overwhelming. I headed for the stairs, my steps quick, needing to be alone, to think.“You’re not fine,” he said, his voice sharper, grabbing my arm gently, his fingers warm, his eyes searching mine. “What’s going on? You’ve been off all day.” His tone was insistent, his body language cautious, not dominant, but I pulled away, my silence loud, my secret heavy.“I said I’m fine,” I snapped, my voice c

POV: AlexanderSaturday mornings in this house were usually quiet, too quiet. No staff clattering in the kitchen, no phone calls from Victor, no board meetings pulling me out the door. But today, the silence felt heavier, like the air itself was holding its breath.When I woke, Megan was still asleep beside me, her hair scattered over the pillow, her breathing even. For a moment, I let myself just look at her. I didn’t know why I was doing it—maybe because I knew time wasn’t something we had plenty of anymore. My father’s voice was still lodged in my head like a shard of glass.A girl weakens a kingdom.I’d heard those words since I was old enough to understand language. Back then, I didn’t question them. Now, I wasn’t so sure.Her eyes fluttered open slowly.“You’re staring,” she murmured, voice still thick with sleep.“Maybe I am,” I said, leaning on my elbow.“That’s… creepy,” she said with a faint smile, rolling onto her back. But there was a guardedness in her tone, the kind she

POV: Megan“It hurts,” I gasped, clutching my stomach as another wave of pain rolled through me. The muscles in my abdomen tightened like a vice, and for a moment I couldn’t breathe. My vision blurred at the edges, and my knees threatened to give out.Alexander’s voice cut through the haze from somewhere near the doorway, sharp, controlled, but with an undercurrent of alarm he couldn’t quite mask. “Where?”“My stomach…lower… it keeps squeezing” I winced as another cramp knifed through me, my hand instinctively cradling the swell of my belly.He didn’t waste a heartbeat. “Security, keep Richard at the gate. No exceptions. If he tries to move, stop him by any means.”“Yes, sir,” came the faint, tinny reply from the intercom.Alexander strode in, each step measured but urgent, his eyes sweeping over me like he could diagnose every inch just by looking. His gaze lingered on my trembling hands and the way I hunched protectively over my stomach. “Can you walk?”I swallowed, forcing air in

POV: MeganThe ride back from the doctor’s office was quiet, too quiet.My palms wouldn’t stop sweating against my thighs. The echo of the doctor’s questions still clung to me. Do you feel safe? Do you trust the people around you?I had lied, smiling faintly, nodding at all the right moments, because how could I explain that the walls of Alexander’s mansion seemed to breathe with secrets? How could I explain that my safety was a thin thread, easily snipped by a man who controlled every corner of my world?The house greeted me in its usual silence, yet it felt different. Heavy. Watchful.I went upstairs, pushing open the door to my room, and my eyes landed on the drawer where I had hidden everything: my goodbye letter, the gender test, the report I had stolen about Alexander’s ex-wife. I dropped my purse onto the bed and yanked the drawer open.Empty.Every nerve in me froze. I shoved the drawer fully out, as if the files might have slipped to the back. Nothing. I tore through the clos