The Billionaire's Rebellious Bride의 모든 챕터: 챕터 71 - 챕터 80

The car drive to the restaurant is silent. I am giving Santino the silent treatment. My frustration is a tight, angry knot high in my chest.His amusement is obvious. It shines in his eyes, bright and clear like the large moon hanging in the dark sky.He rests his large, warm palm on my exposed lap. My skin feels instantly hot where he touches me. I smack his hand away. Thwack!He grips my lap firmly again. I rain down more smacks on his hand. Thwack! Thwack! I am trying to hurt him, but his hand is like a rock.His smile only grows wider. This only fuels my anger. It feels like pouring oil onto a burning fire.Finally, I stop hitting him. I stare out the window. I focus on the passing scenery. The night life in the city is loud and wild. The neon signs are a blur of color. It doesn't feel like evening at all. The air smells like hot car engines and cheap perfume.Santino’s hand stays on my leg. It starts to trail further up my thigh. I try weakly to squeeze my legs together. But his

The sun hangs low and heavy in the sky. It is October 31st. It should be a day to celebrate my twenty-fourth birthday, but instead, the air smells like cloying lilies and damp, freshly dug earth. Today is the day we bury the monster.The cemetery looks like a movie set for the elite. Everything is prim, cold, and perfect. Long, black cars with glass-like polish line the stone paths. The grass is a deep, unnatural green, and the tall gravestones stand like silent, frozen soldiers watching us.The guests are a sea of black. Men stand in suits that cost more than a common person's house. Women hide their eyes behind dark lace veils. In this world, we do not shed real tears. Tears are messy. Tears are for the weak. Instead, there is only the low, rhythmic hum of people talking about mergers and stocks while my father’s body sits a few feet away.Ethan Carter lies in an open coffin. His skin looks like yellow wax under the afternoon sun. He looks peaceful, and it makes my blood boil. He do

The world is spinning. I am on my knees in the grass, the bitter taste of bile and vanilla lingering in my throat. My vision is blurry, and the orange leaves above me look like fire dancing against the sky.Dorian doesn’t hesitate. He reaches into the car, grabs a bottle of water, and unscrews the cap with a sharp crack.I feel his steady hands on my shoulders, and then he is moving my hair out of the way, holding it back so it doesn't get ruined. "Here," he says, his voice thick with worry. "Rinse your mouth."I take the bottle. My hands are shaking so hard the water splashes against my chin. I rinse the acidic sting from my mouth and spit it onto the grass. Then, I tip the bottle up and pour the rest of the cold water over my face. The chill hits my skin like a shock, waking me up, clearing the fog in my head for just a second.I stand up slowly, wiping my face with the back of my hand. I look down and realize I’ve made a mess of Dorian’s shoes."I'm so sorry, " I mutter, a small,

I have retreated into the walls of Santino’s house like a ghost. There are no paparazzi here; the gates are high, the security is elite, and the world feels miles away. But inside the house, the air feels charged. Santino is still away, and without his presence to ground me, I have drifted into a darker place.I wake up early, the sun barely peeking through the heavy curtains. As I try to sit up, a sudden, rolling wave of nausea hits me. I lie back down, closing my eyes tight. My stomach feels like it’s being squeezed by a cold hand. I must be sick, I think to myself. The stress of the funeral, dealing with the aftermath of everything and the hours I’ve spent staring at computer screens must finally be catching up to me. I probably have a stomach bug or a touch of the flu. I tell myself I just need some tea and a few more hours of rest.But rest is a luxury I can't afford.I force myself out of bed, my feet hitting the cold marble floor. I walk to my desk and open the laptop that onc

(Third person pov)The Blackwood estate stands elegant against the bruising purple of the twilight sky. Inside, the dining hall has been transformed into a sanctuary of deceptive peace. Hailey had orchestrated every detail with the precision of a master programmer writing her final line of code. Earlier that morning, the atmosphere had been far more intimate. Hailey had called her mother. Telling her the news and listening to her weep a soft, broken sound of genuine joy. They agreed to keep it a secret until the "Welcome Home" dinner for Santino which jet mother was going to attend. A new beginning for the Carters and Blackwoods Hailey had called it.Now, Hailey is in Santino’s childhood bedroom at his parents' estate. She had arrived early to prepare, having told Santino over the phone to meet her here directly from the airport. The room smells of him sandalwood and something else that she couldn’t quite place her finger on.She sits at the ornate vanity, the soft pink silk of her g