All Chapters of The Billionaire's Rebellious Bride: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The sound of the rain hitting my window woke me. It had started sometime in the early hours of the morning, soft at first, but now heavy enough to drown out my thoughts. I lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, my jaw tight. I hadn’t been able to stop replaying what happened yesterday at the boutique, the assistant, my mother’s disapproving look, and the way the words had poured out of my mouth before I could stop them.But what really made my stomach twist wasn’t the outburst, it was the fact that Santino had heard every word.I wasn’t embarrassed. No, embarrassment was too soft a word. What I felt was anger, sharp, restless anger that burned through me like acid.I kicked off the covers and sat up. My room looked spotless, too neat, like ke the kind of room someone would display in a magazine. My mother must have sent the maids to tidy up again. My things, my chaos erased like it never existed.Everything about this house was fake. Even the warmth was an act.I got out of be

The mansion was too quiet. Too large. Too cold.Every footstep I took echoed through the marble halls like a reminder that this place didn’t belong to me. Even the air smelled expensive leather, smoke, and something faintly metallic.I had been there only a few hours, and already I felt caged.My father’s words replayed in my head: “Behave yourself, Hailey. You’re representing the Carters now. Santino’s family is powerful, and I won’t tolerate embarrassment.”Powerful.That word always made my skin crawl.I sat by the edge of the massive bed, staring at the wall. The room was beautiful, yes white silk sheets, golden drapes, a chandelier glittering faintly above but none of it meant anything. Beauty in a cage was still just that, a cage.My phone buzzed.Lila: You alive? Or has Mr. Mafia locked you up already?I rolled my eyes, typing back: Barely. I’m suffocating. Need to breathe before I lose my mind.That’s when the idea hit me.I glanced at the mirror. My reflection stared back mes

(THIRD PERSON POV)The car slowed down after four long hours on the road. The iron gates opened on their own, sliding apart like something from a movie. Hailey looked out of the tinted window, her face unreadable. The road that led to the house was lined with tall oak trees and freshly cut green grass. It screamed money, old and quiet money, not the flashy kind she was used to seeing at city parties.Marcus turned in the front seat, grinning as usual. “We’re here,” he said cheerfully.Santino didn’t say a word. His hands rested on his knees, fingers drumming softly. His jaw looked tight, and the muscle there twitched when the car turned a corner and the house came into full view.The house wasn’t exactly a mansion at least not in the traditional way. It was a wide, sprawling country-style home with large glass windows and brick walls, surrounded by a beautiful garden filled with roses and trimmed hedges. The modern touches were easy to see too silver metal frames, expensive stone path

THIRD PERSON POVThe afternoon sun was warm and soft when Santino’s mother suggested that everyone move to the garden for dessert. The main meal had left everyone full but happy, well, everyone except Santino, who looked like someone had stolen his patience and set it on fire.Hailey followed behind his mother, trying to look calm even though she was still trying to recover from Santino’s deep, unreadable stare during lunch. It had felt like his eyes were pulling her apart, layer by layer, until she wanted to scream or laugh or maybe kiss him just to make him stop looking like that.The garden was huge, with trimmed hedges shaped like swans, a fountain in the middle, and tables under white parasols. The scent of roses filled the air. Hailey looked around in mild surprise, it felt like something out of a fairytale, except this fairytale had men in expensive suits and too many rules.Servants came out carrying trays of desserts all colorful and perfect.There was tiramisu, chocolate lav

HAILEY’S POVThe ride back home was quiet. Too quiet.The air inside the car felt heavy, thick with everything that hadn’t been said back at his parents’ house. I sat with my head leaning against the window, watching the world blur by. The fading sunlight painted the road gold, turning the trees and fields into something soft and dreamlike.Santino hadn’t spoken a word since we got in. His assistant wasn’t with us this time, which made the silence even louder. Only the low hum of the engine and the faint sound of the tires rolling against the road filled the air.I sighed, closing my eyes for a second. My head still buzzed from the chaos of the day, his strict father, his warm mother, Lorenzo’s teasing, Santino’s constant glare. It was like every emotion decided to visit at once and refused to leave.I could feel him glancing at me sometimes. He thought I wouldn’t notice, but I did.When I finally turned my head, he was already looking away, pretending to focus on typing on his phone