บททั้งหมดของ The Billionaire’s Betrayed Bride: บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 80

RILEY'S POV I headed inside, my mind still overwhelmed by different thoughts.I hadn’t even fully swung shut behind me before I heard Claire’s voice from the living room.“Who dropped you off in that flashy car?”Her tone wasn’t casual. It wasn’t curious. It was sharp, like she’d been holding the question on the tip of her tongue, pacing with it, burning with it.I paused in the entryway, my fingers still curled around the handle of the door, and turned slowly. As much as she startled me, I tried to maintain my cool.Claire was sitting cross-legged on the couch, a bowl of noodles balanced on her thigh. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, her fluffy socks mismatched, and her face… her face was wearing that dangerous stillness she only got when she was pretending not to panic.The moment I opened my mouth, she lifted her spoon halfway, froze, and stared.“It was Owen,” I said, and the reaction was immediate.Claire choked, her noodles went the wrong way, broth sloshed, and she bent fo

RILEY'S POVIf someone had told me earlier that dinner with Aiden would feel like sitting on a warm cloud and hot coals at the same time, I would’ve probably stayed in the office and slept under my desk.The moment we stepped into the restaurant, I regretted agreeing.It wasn’t anything fancy. Warm lighting, wood tables, soft jazz, the kind of place where conversations hummed but nothing felt overwhelming. But having Aiden across from me made everything feel too sharp, too intense, too present.He ordered something simple.I did too.We talked about small things, harmless, but somehow every second felt charged.“Do you always walk that fast when you’re trying to avoid someone?” he asked at one point, his tone annoyingly amused.I stabbed my food lightly, trying not to look at him. “I wasn’t avoiding you.”“Riley.”“Okay, maybe a little.” I sighed. He was stubborn when he needed to hear something from me.He smiled, that reluctant, gentle smile he’d been giving me lately. I looked aw

RILEY'S POVI wasn’t exactly sure when Claire decided that today was the day to drag me out for what she cheerfully called “a little retail therapy,” but I suspected she had planned it the second she noticed how pale I looked that morning.She didn’t ask if I wanted to go or not. She just marched straight into my room the moment I shuffled out of the shower, hands on her hips, already choosing an outfit for me like I was a life-sized Barbie she owned.“We’re going shopping,” she declared.I blinked at her. “Why? I have clothes.”“No, babe. You have fabric and you have vibes. Not clothes.” Then she added with a suspiciously casual tone, “And besides, you need new stuff.”The way she looked at my stomach for half a second made me narrow my eyes, but I pretended not to notice. Claire thought she was subtle. She wasn’t. But I didn’t have the energy to question anything this morning. Especially not that, talking about it was awkward.So I let her dress me and drag me out of the house like

RILEY'S POV The clippers made a soft clicking sound as I trimmed the edge of my thumbnail, tiny crescents dropping onto the small towel I’d spread over my lap. My body still carried the heaviness that stretched from the beginning of the day. It had been long and tiring especially with Sofia constantly poking around me.I let out a soft sigh as my legs hummed from exhaustion, and my back reminded me I wasn’t taking care of myself half as well as I pretended to.My apartment was quiet in a warm and familiar way, which was absolutely normal.The standing lamp in the corner threw a soft amber glow across the living room, catching the dust motes drifting lazily in the air. Outside, the distant hum of traffic mixed with the occasional horn or the chatter of the neighbor’s TV leaking through the walls. It was the kind of evening where silence felt like a companion instead of a void.I filed the freshly trimmed nail, letting the rhythmic scrape settle my mind. Today was tiring. Not exactly

RILEY'S POV The lights stayed on, that alone felt unreal.People began popping out from various corners of the building, their voices overlapping in relief and confusion. Someone laughed too loudly and another person complained about the inconvenience. A few people immediately went back to their desks as if nothing had happened, eager to pretend the darkness hadn’t crawled under their skin.I couldn’t do that.My fingers were still curled into the fabric of Aiden’s jacket, my palm resting against his chest. His heart was still racing. I could feel it clearly now, fast, uneven, like mine.Neither of us moved.“You can let go,” I said softly, though I didn’t actually want him to.He didn’t. Instead, his hand shifted slightly on my arm, thumb brushing against my sleeve in a way that felt deliberate and careful. “You’re still shaking.”“I’m fine,” I lied automatically.He tilted his head, studying me with an intensity that made my throat tighten. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”Tha