All Chapters of Substitute For The Devil's Bride: One-night Stand: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

♥♥♥♥ A week passed in uneasy silence, with Margot’s daily calls and veiled threats reminding Layla that escape wasn’t an option. Each message carried the same warning… “Don’t you dare run.” Now, as laughter and the clinking of glasses filled the Hilton estate’s grand ballroom, Layla felt her pulse quicken. Warm lighting bathed the room in a soft golden glow, but none of it eased the weight pressing on her chest. This was her engagement night… and every elegant shimmer around her only deepened the ache inside. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor as she entered the room. She held her head high, her movements graceful, but her unease was clear in the way she kept tugging lightly at her bracelet...a nervous habit she couldn’t shake. The moment she spotted him, her steps faltered. Lucian Hilton. Immaculate in a tailored black suit, his presence commanded the room without effort. His expression was cool, detached… as if none of this mattered to him. When his eyes met

♥♥♥♥ Before Layla could even raise her eyebrows to check the situation, the scene before her made her scream. Her heart pounded as she tapped the driver’s shoulder, yelling for him to stop the car…. but he didn’t. Panic clawed at her chest. She grabbed the handle to open the door herself, but froze when she noticed something that made her blood run cold. There…..right beside them, in the car that should’ve been crushed…..sat a familiar figure. Lucian. Alive. Calm. Unbothered. Layla’s breath hitched. Is that… a ghost? “Surprise!” Lucian said casually, waving at her from the other car. His lips curved into an infuriating smirk as he watched her stunned expression. He remembered clearly how he had switched cars earlier in the traffic and set the first car on auto-drive. “I guess she’s getting old already,” he murmured under his breath, amusement flickering in his eyes. “What an outdated attack. Still, quite the wedding gift.” He closed his eyes, resting his head back aga

♥♥♥♥He dashed across the hall in one swift, instinctive motion.The world seemed to slow.The chandelier groaned above them...a sharp metallic cry...before tearing free from its place. Crystal and iron plummeted downward, light exploding midair.Lucian lunged forward without hesitation.His hand closed around Layla’s arm, fingers digging in as he yanked her hard against him. The force spun her off balance, her body colliding with his chest just as he twisted, shielding her as they staggered back.The chandelier came crashing down.Crystal lights shattered violently against the marble floor where Layla had been sitting moments earlier. The sound was deafening...glass splintering, metal screaming, fragments skidding in every direction.Gasps ripped through the hall.Screams followed...high, panicked, chaotic...as guests leapt to their feet, chairs scraping, hands flying to mouths in horror.Layla barely heard any of it.Her heart slammed painfully against her ribs, her breath trapped so

♥♥♥♥Amara’s Apartment“What are you two doing here? It’s late,” Amara said as she opened the door, surprise and irritation flickering across her face at the sight of the couple standing outside.“Do we need a reason to visit our daughter?” her mother replied sharply, brushing past her without waiting for an invitation.They walked into the apartment as though it still belonged to them.Amara shut the door behind them, her jaw tightening.“You’ve been in the country all this time,” her mother continued, looking around critically, “and you didn’t think of visiting your parents?”“I’ve been busy,” Amara replied, forcing calm into her voice. “And it’s already late.”Her father turned to face her fully. “Come back home,” he said authoritatively, the command heavy and absolute.“No, I can’t,” Amara refused without hesitation.Her mother’s eyes widened in outrage. “How dare you go against your father’s wishes?” she snapped loudly.“Mom, lower your voice,” Amara said urgently, stepping close

♥♥♥♥‘Layla, how can you be so stupid,’ she screamed in her head.“Tell me,” Lucian said, his voice low as he took a step closer, “what do you want?”“Mr. Hilton!” Layla yelled when she noticed the distance between them shrinking too quickly.“Lucian,” he corrected calmly. “That’s what you call your husband.”The word husband made her chest tighten.“You can leave my room now,” Layla said stiffly, her fingers curling at her sides. “I’m fine.”“I’ll leave whenever I want,” Lucian replied coldly. “This is my house.”His gaze swept over her without warmth, without apology, yet it lingered just enough to make her uneasy. She shifted slightly, instinctively crossing her arms over herself.“Don’t dress like this randomly,” he added after a moment, his tone flat but deliberate.Then he turned and walked out, leaving the door closing softly behind him.Layla released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her shoulders sagged as the tension drained from her body.“I can’t get used to h