Semua Bab The Billionaire's Unwanted Wife : Bab 171 - Bab 180

~ ALISTAIR ~As the heavy door of the hospital suite clicked shut, Isla's voice lingered in my ears.I didn't stop walking. I didn't want to. Because if I turned around, if I saw the look of raw vulnerability in her eyes for a second longer, the terrifying mask of absolute control I was forcing myself to wear would shatter completely.I wasn't angry with her. Deep down, where my rational mind still operated, I knew it was a setup. I knew she was innocent. But the absolute devastation ripping through my chest wasn't something I could just reason away.She had been missing for the entire night. During those hours, my world had spiraled into a chaotic, tormenting purgatory as my men turned the East Coast upside down looking for her. I had almost gone entirely crazy, fueled by a visceral, suffocating terror that someone had hurt her—that someone had taken my wife and our unborn child.When the IT team finally pinpointed her location, a wave of complex, suffocating emotions had nearly para

~ ALISTAIR ~ I walked out of the study, my blood boiling. I didn’t know if my mother was actually telling the truth or if she was just throwing out another sick lie to mess with my head. But one thing was absolutely certain: if Simon really had a hand in setting up my wife, he wasn't going to escape my wrath. As I strode back through the living room, the atmosphere was strangely calm. Lindsay was still sitting exactly where we had left her, gracefully sipping her tea as if a violent storm hadn't just wrecked the next room. She looked up at me as I passed, her eyes tracking my every move, but I didn't give her a single glance. Right now, she was nothing but background noise. The moment I stepped out of the villa and into the sticky morning air, Evan fell into step right beside me. He took one look at my face, and when he saw my stormy expression, he didn't dare ask questions; he just waited for the hammer to drop. "Freeze her bank accounts," I turned to him, my voice flat and final

~ ALISTAIR ~The promise hung quietly in the dimly lit space, a solid barrier between Isla and the vicious wreckage waiting outside those doors.I kept her tucked securely against my chest, feeling the gradual shift in her weight as her muscles finally relaxed. The exhaustion of the day, combined with the lingering effects of the sedative, was pulling her under. Slowly, the frantic tension in her posture melted away, her breathing settling into a deep, even rhythm against my shoulder.I waited until she was entirely asleep before I carefully eased her back onto the pillows. I pulled the thick hospital blanket up over her shoulders. My fingers brushed slightly against her soft skin, lingering for a fraction of a second on her cheek. She finally looked peaceful, completely unaware of the cold, systematic fury sharpening in my mind.After a few moments, I stepped back from the bed, careful not to make a sound on the floor and disturb her.Then, I looked down at my hands, flexing my finge

~ ALISTAIR ~The sheer audacity of her demand made my blood boil.Marry her? This woman was truly sick.There wasn't a flicker of reaction showing on my face, but internally, I wanted to laugh. For months, vultures had been circling my life, but Lindsay Morris had just walked straight into the firing line. She truly believed a few old secrets from a dead man's drawer were enough to bend me.Delusional.A slow, mocking smile—thin and completely devoid of warmth—curved the corners of my lips."You're bold, Ms. Morris," I murmured, my voice a flat, dead calm that cut straight through the soft music filtering through the restaurant. "But you are exceptionally naive."Lindsay’s soft, elegant mask didn't slip, but her posture visibly stiffened. The pleasant, gentle corporate woman she was projecting remained intact, but her eyes wavered slightly."I am practical, Alistair," she countered with a smirk, then leaned in just enough to keep her voice from traveling to the nearby tables. "You wan

~ ISLA ~Standing there in front of us, holding a woven basket of fresh fruits and a small paper bag, was Alice.Clearly, she was also stunned the moment her eyes landed on my father, but it lasted for only a fraction of a second. Her lips stretched slowly into a friendly smile when her gaze shifted to me.I was truly surprised, wondering what she was doing here. Apart from that, I didn't know why I felt so comforted by her sudden presence, even though I didn't know her very well. Alice's vibe was just too warm to ignore. She was wearing a simple white tee and light blue jeans, but the outfit gave off a completely effortless, girl-next-door vibe. She looked incredibly young—almost like a college student—but there was an undeniable, quiet beauty to her.Under the heavy, scrutinizing stares of the two most dangerous men in New York, Alice’s polite smile hadn't stiffened even a fraction. Anyone else would have bolted, but she kept her composure, even as her eyes darted between Alistair a