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Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Bride He Never Wanted : Kabanata 131 - Kabanata 140

192 Kabanata

The Knife Wife

OLIVIAOh, I was so exhausted. All I needed was to get enough rest. I needed to sleep well—like, sleep for a week kind of well.It had been so long since I'd gone through something like that. And I wouldn't lie... I still kinda missed it. The adrenaline, the focus, the way my body moved on pure instinct and training.I was glad I still had it in me. Glad I could still fight well when it mattered.I opened my apartment door and flicked on the light, already thinking about the shower I was going to take and the bed I was going to collapse into.My heart nearly jumped out of my mouth.Lena was sitting on my couch, arms crossed, looking like a parent who'd just caught their teenager sneaking in past curfew."Jesus Christ, Lena!" I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest. "You scared the hell out of me! How did you even get in here?""Spare key," she said flatly, not moving. "The one you gave me for emergencies. Remember?""Right. Emergencies." I closed the door behind me, my exhaustion sudde

I want to be with Ryan

OLIVIA “Don't worry," Lena said, patting my knee. "We'll figure it out. Maybe Axiel has connections who can scrub the footage or something. He sounds like the type who has 'connections.'""He does seem to have a lot of resources," I admitted."Is he hot?" Lena asked suddenly. "I mean, he looks exactly like Ryan, so he must be hot, right? Does he have the same abs? Please tell me you checked.""Lena!""What? I'm asking the important questions here!" She leaned forward conspiratorially. "And speaking of Ryan... you really expect me to believe there's nothing going on between you two? After everything you just told me?"I felt my cheeks heat up. "There's nothing… we're not… it's complicated.""Uh-huh." Lena's grin was absolutely wicked now. "You broke into a military facility for him, Olivia. You risked your life. You fought trained soldiers. That's not 'complicated.' That's 'I'm stupidly in love with this man but too stubborn to admit it.'""I'm not… I mean, we barely… " I groaned, giv

Bonding

RYANI just finished taking my bath and felt way better than I had in... hell, I didn't even know how long. The hot water had worked wonders on my aching muscles, and whatever treatment Axiel had been giving me was incredibly helpful. It felt like a huge burden had been removed from my body, like I could finally breathe properly again.I dressed in the clothes Axiel had left for me, a simple black joggers and a grey t-shirt that fit perfectly, which was both convenient and weird. Having a twin meant he knew exactly what size I wore.I made my way to the living room, my legs still a bit shaky but functional. Axiel was sitting on the couch, laptop open, looking through what appeared to be news articles.And that's when it hit me.My uncle.Oh God, my uncle was going to be losing his mind right now. He would've heard the news about the wolf sighting, about the disturbance in the forest. He'd be worried sick, probably calling my phone non-stop.Wait. My phone.Where the hell was my phone?

She had help

RYANI drove back to my hotel room, my mind still reeling from everything that had happened. The conversation with Axiel, the reality of having a twin brother, the mess with the government facility… it all felt like some kind of fever dream.But the look on Uncle Marcus's face when I stepped out of the elevator? That brought me crashing back to reality.He was standing in front of my hotel room door, looking more disheveled than I'd ever seen him. His usually perfectly combed silver hair was a mess, like he'd been running his hands through it for hours. His shirt was wrinkled, his tie loose. Dark circles shadowed his eyes.I felt a pang of guilt hit me square in the chest. I'd done this to him. I'd made him worry like this.The moment he looked up and saw me, his entire body went rigid. For a second, he just stared at me like he couldn't believe I was real.Then he was moving, crossing the distance between us in quick strides and pulling me into a crushing hug."Oh God," he said, his

The conversation

RYANI pulled back from the hug, staring at my uncle in shock. "Wait, what? You knew? You knew Olivia was a wolf?"Uncle Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so surprised? I thought you knew that I knew.""How would I know that you knew?" I sputtered, my brain struggling to keep up."After Olivia made you walk again when she gave you whatever remedy back when you were both trapped on the Island," Uncle Marcus murmured.I just stood there, my mouth hanging open like an idiot. "I... I didn't... I thought...""You thought what?” Uncle Marcus shook his head. "Ryan, that was the exact reason I brought her to you.”I sank back down onto the bed, processing this information. "So all this time... you knew?""All this time," he confirmed. "And honestly, I was hoping you two would work things out. She seemed good for you."I felt my chest tighten. "Yeah, well... I messed that up pretty spectacularly.""So fix it," Uncle Marcus said, like it was so easy to do."It's not that easy…""It never i

Write her a letter

RYAN"Believe it," he said firmly. "Now, what about a romantic dinner? You could cook for her."I looked up at him. "Uncle Marcus, I can barely make toast without burning it.""Fair point." He made another note. "Okay, so cooking is out. What about... oh! What if you showed up at her restaurant? Made a big declaration?""In front of all her customers and staff?" I asked, horrified. "That sounds like a nightmare for both of us.""You're right, you're right." He waved his hand dismissively. "Too public. She seems like a private person.""She is," I confirmed."What about writing her a letter?" Uncle Marcus suggested. "A heartfelt, honest letter about your feelings?"I actually considered that one. "Maybe...""See! Progress!" He looked genuinely excited now. "You could pour your heart out, tell her everything you've been too scared to say in person. Women love that vulnerable stuff.""I don't know if I'm the 'pouring my heart out in writing' type.""Then become that type!" Uncle Marcus

You’re resting today

RYAN*Dear Olivia,*Too formal.I crossed it out and tried again.*Olivia,*Better. More direct. She'd appreciate that.*I don't know how to write this. I've started and stopped about five times already, and I'm only on the greeting. But Uncle Marcus said I should pour my heart out, and even though that's terrifying, I'm going to try.*I paused, taking a sip of tea. The words were coming easier now, like once I'd started, a dam had broken.*I don't think I've properly thanked you for what you did. For coming back for me. For risking everything to break me out of that facility. I told you to run, to save yourself, and you completely ignored me. At the time, I was terrified you'd get hurt. But now...**Now I'm just grateful. Because if you hadn't come back, I don't know what would have happened to me. I was stuck, trapped in my wolf form, and they were doing things to me that I still can't fully process. And then you were there, like some kind of warrior goddess, taking down soldiers a

Have fun

LENAI emerged from the bathroom wrapped in one of Olivia's fluffy towels, steam billowing out behind me like I was making some kind of dramatic entrance. Which, let's be honest, I kind of was."So," I announced, padding into Olivia's bedroom where she was still lounging in bed like the exhausted superhero she was, "I didn't bring any clothes. Which means I'm raiding your closet. No takebacks."Olivia's eyes widened. "Wait, Lena—"But I was already making a beeline for her closet, practically skipping across the room. "Too late! You can't stop me now!"I flung open the closet doors with the enthusiasm of a game show contestant revealing a prize, and oh my God, it was like opening a portal to fashion heaven. Or at least, Olivia's version of it, which was surprisingly extensive for someone who spent most of her time in chef whites."Holy shit, Liv!" I called out, already pushing hangers aside. "When did you become a secret fashionista? I thought your entire wardrobe was just black pants

Awkward moment

OLIVIAHe looked at me, and despite the tiredness in his eyes, his face softened. "Good morning."I stood there, completely frozen in shock. He was here. Actually here, at my door. I'd thought maybe he was still at Axiel's house, resting, recovering like he was supposed to be. But not only had he left, he'd somehow found his way to my apartment.My heart did that stupid fluttering thing again."Good morning, Ryan," I finally managed to say, trying to regain some semblance of composure.We stood there for what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds, just staring at each other. I was acutely aware that I was wearing an oversized sleep shirt that barely reached mid-thigh, my hair was probably a disaster, and I hadn't even brushed my teeth yet."Um," I said eloquently. "Come in."I stepped back to let him pass, and he moved into my apartment gently. He was still healing, I could tell from the slight stiffness in his movements, the way he held himself like certain positi

His touch

OLIVIA"Yes, I'm for real," I said, unable to keep the smile off my face at his reaction."You... you want to try? With me?" He sounded almost disbelieving, like he couldn't quite process what I was saying."I mean, don't make me regret it before we even start," I teased. "But yes. I want to try. Whatever this is, whatever it could be... I want to see where it goes."He turned to face me fully, and the expression on his face was so open, so vulnerable, so full of hope that it made my chest ache."I don't deserve you," he said quietly."Probably not," I agreed with a small smile.He laughed and reached out, hesitating just before his hand touched mine on the railing."Is this okay?" he asked softly.Instead of answering, I turned my hand over and laced my fingers through his."Yeah," I said. "This is okay."We stood there on my balcony, holding hands and looking out at the city."So," Ryan said after a moment, his thumb gently stroking the back of my hand. "Visiting each other. Does th

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