All Chapters of One Bride, Two Masters : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

“Hey, Lena. How was your night?” Clara’s soft voice woke her gently. Lena blinked a few times, slowly adjusting to the morning light that filled her room. Clara pulled the curtains slightly, letting the sun brighten the space. “It was okay,” Lena whispered, though they both knew her sleep had been troubled. Clara smiled kindly and helped her sit up. “Come on, let’s start the day fresh.” After a warm bath and a bit of pampering, Lena slipped into a comfortable dress Clara had picked plain but elegant, soft on the skin. The dress hugged her figure just enough, and its neckline dipped slightly. Not too much… but enough that Clara gave a playful wink. “You look beautiful,” Clara said. Lena smiled a little. “It’s just for staying home.” “Yes, but you should always feel good about yourself,” Clara replied. The day was quiet in the mansion. Damian was away on a business trip, Mrs. Blackwoods had left on another long shopping spree, and Grandma Grace was already resting for her mid-mo

The morning light was soft when Lena opened her eyes. For a few seconds, she didn’t move. Her mind drifted back to the night before to Darius’s voice, the warmth of his hands, the quiet way he had looked at her like she meant everything. The memory made her chest rise and fall with a small sigh. It felt strange to be happy again. To feel wanted. But as soon as she smiled, a thought crept in he’s still married to you alongside his brother. That reminder always came. She turned on her side, staring at the ceiling for a long time. She liked Darius. She couldn’t deny that. He was gentle when he wanted to be. But part of her didn’t want to trust him completely. Something about their marriage arrangement still felt wrong. It wasn’t a normal life. It wasn’t simple love. She sat up slowly and rubbed her face with both hands. “Enough thinking,” she whispered to herself. “It’s a new day.” She stood, walked to the window, and opened the curtains. The sunlight poured in quietly. The air

“Gboom!” The sound tore through the air. Then silence. Lena froze. Her eyes squeezed shut, heart pounding wildly in her chest. For a moment, she thought it was over that she had been hit, that this was how it would end. But the pain never came. She slowly opened her eyes, her hands trembling. The world around her spun for a second, the edges of her vision still shaking from fear. “Lena!!!” Clara’s voice screamed from somewhere close. Then another cry followed louder, more panicked. “Zara!” Lena’s head turned sharply. Just a few feet away, Zara lay on the ground, motionless. Her body was twisted slightly, one shoe missing. A few bystanders had stopped in shock, their hands covering their mouths. Lena’s breath caught in her throat. “Zara?” she whispered, and then louder “ZARA!” She ran forward, dropping to her knees beside her friend. Zara’s hair was spread across the pavement, and a thin line of blood traced down the side of her forehead. Her left leg was bent at an odd angle

“Yes, boss. I’ll look into it,” came the voice on the other end of the call before Adrian dropped his phone onto the desk. The screen went black, leaving behind a faint reflection of his expression calm, cold, but simmering with quiet fury. He leaned back in his chair, his mind calculating. Every connection, every contact, every transaction that passed through Volkov would now be traced. Whoever had meddled with his shipment would soon regret it. Adrian was not the kind of man to bark threats; he was the kind who dismantled enemies piece by piece without a warning. He opened his laptop again, scrolling through the shipment documents. Everything was in order paperwork, customs clearance, invoices. There was no reason for the delay unless someone at the port had been paid to create one. His jaw tightened. It wasn’t about the delay anymore; it was about principle. Someone had dared to cross him. “Boss?” His assistant, Mikhail, peeked into the office. Adrian looked up briefly. “Any up

The hospital room was quiet except for the faint sound of the heart monitor beside Zara’s bed. She was still asleep, breathing softly under the white blanket. Lena sat on the chair next to her, watching her friend’s face. The bruises had started to fade, but her leg was still in a cast. Emma had just finished feeding Zara a bit of soup before checking her wristwatch. “I’ll have to go, Lena,” she said softly. “It’s almost noon. The manager at the eatery needs me.” Lena nodded, even though she didn’t want her to leave. “Thank you for coming. Zara will be happy when she wakes up and sees the food.” Emma smiled gently. “She’s a strong girl. She’ll get better soon.” She reached over and squeezed Lena’s shoulder. “And you… don’t stay too long without eating, alright?” “I’ll try,” Lena said, forcing a small smile. Emma gathered her bag and left quietly. Clara came in not long after, carrying a small tray with water and some fruit. “Lena, the doctor left some prescriptions,” Clara said.