All Chapters of The Return Of The Betrayed Bride : Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

377 Chapters

The Logged Attempt

NICHOLAS HALE APARTMENT ~ NEW YORK The rain had started again, a soft percussion against the windows of Nicholas’s penthouse that might have been romantic under different circumstances. Katherine stood at the kitchen island, pretending to read a contract, but her eyes weren't moving. Every nerve in her body was screaming.He was watching her. She could feel it.He'd been watching her all evening. Not the way he used to warm, teasing, hungry. This was different. Clinical and Assessing.She took a sip of wine. Her hand didn't shake. It was the only part of her that didn't."So," Nicholas said, leaning against the counter. His voice was casual, but his eyes were sharp. "How did the meeting with Vivian go yesterday?""Fine." She turned a page. "She's still bitter about the layoffs.""She's always bitter." He paused. "What did you two talk about?"Katherine's heart hammered. "The usual. Severance packages. Legal fees. The death of a company." She looked up, forcing a small, tired smile.

Execute or be Executed

"It's advice." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a persuasive murmur. "You know the truth. You have evidence. You could go to the authorities, the press, Alexander Blackwood. You could try to bring me down, bring Amelia down. But here's what you need to understand, Katherine: you're not innocent in this."She recoiled. "What?""You signed every document. You approved every deal. You pushed the board to accept the Ariadne offer. If this collapses, you don't walk away clean. You go down with the rest of us." He tilted his head. "Is that the justice you want? To lose your reputation, your career, your children future? To be the CEO who sold her company to a predator?"The mention of her twins was a calculated blow. Katherine felt it land."I'm not threatening you," Nicholas continued, his voice softening into something almost kind. "I'm offering you a choice. Walk away. Take the settlement package. Start over somewhere new. You're young, you're smart, you're resilient. Don't let

Doctored Facts

EIGHT WEEKS LATER ~ NEW YORK The photograph was perfect grainy enough to look authentic, clear enough to see what mattered. Sofia held her phone at arm’s length, studying the ultrasound image they’d doctored that afternoon. A tiny blob, measurements along the side, and most importantly, a date stamp that aligned perfectly with their timeline.“It looks real,” Sofia said, zooming in. “Even I almost believe it.”Gabriella sat cross-legged on the hotel bed, laptop open, fingers flying across the keyboard. “That’s the point. By the time anyone questions it, the damage will be done. Alejandro’s reputation will be in pieces.”“And Amelia will be destroyed,” Sofia added with satisfaction. She opened her burner email account, the one they’d created specifically for this purpose. “Ready?”“Send it to all of them. The gossip blogs, the entertainment reporters, that photographer who’s always following Amelia around.” Gabriella’s smile was cold. “Make sure the subject line is irresistible.”

The Night Amelia Favino Fell

“He didn’t believe me. He’s demanding a paternity test.”“We expected that.”“Yes, but he might tell Amelia.” Gabriella stood up, pacing. “That’s actually better. Much better. Let him tell her himself. Let her hear it from him that there might be another woman’s baby. The doubt alone will eat her alive.”Sofia grinned. “You’re brilliant. Even when it doesn’t go perfectly, you turn it around.”“It went perfectly,” Gabriella corrected. “He’s angry, he’s defensive, and he’s scared. Those emotions will cloud everything else. By the time we ‘prove’ the pregnancy is real with the clinic paperwork, he’ll be too confused to think straight.”She pulled up the doctored ultrasound on her phone and forwarded it to Alejandro’s number, along with a fake doctor’s name and clinic information they’d prepared in advance.“Now what?” Sofia asked.“Now we wait. The internet will have the story within minutes. Alejandro will see it everywhere. His phone will explode with calls. Amelia will see it too.” G

Heartbreak and Mezcal

“Can you come over?” Amelia’s voice cracked. “Please. I need—I can’t—”“I’m already in my car,” Ariana said. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Have you eaten anything?”“I don’t—no. I don’t know.”“I’m bringing food. And mezcal.”“You’re eight months pregnant. You can’t drink mezcal.”“The mezcal is for you, idiota. I’ll have water and judge you lovingly.” Ariana’s voice was firm but gentle. “Don’t do anything stupid before I get there, okay? No calling him. No breaking anything else. Just sit tight.”“How did you know I broke something?”“Because I know you. Twenty minutes. I’m hanging up now so I can drive. Don’t move.”The line went dead.Amelia pulled herself up and went back inside. She checked on Leo he was asleep, curled up with his stuffed elephant. She stood in his doorway for a long moment, watching him breathe. At least she still had him. At least Alejandro couldn’t take that away from her.She cleaned up the broken wine glass, moving mechanically. Swept. Mopped. Put the

The Ultimatum From Spain

FAVINO GRAND MANSION ~ SPAIN The early morning sun was just starting to brighten the sky over Seville when Marisa Favino’s phone lit up with the news alert. She was sitting in the breakfast room of the family estate, sipping her café con leche, when she saw the headline.Her coffee cup clattered against the saucer.“Madre de Dios,” she whispered.Within seconds, her phone was flooded. Text messages. Calls. Emails. Everyone in their social circle had seen it. The scandal was everywhere.ALEJANDRO FAVINO SECRET BABY - MYSTERY WOMAN EIGHT WEEKS PREGNANTThe ultrasound photo was right there on her screen. Clear as day. Eight weeks.Marisa’s hand shook as she scrolled through the article. Her son. Her only son. Creating a bastard child with some woman who wasn’t his wife. The shame of it. The absolute disgrace.She heard footsteps in the hallway and looked up to see Doña Isabella, Alejandro’s grandmother, walking into the breakfast room with her cane. At eighty-two years old, Doña Isabe

The Grandmother’s Verdict

Alejandro walked to the window and looked out at the city just starting to wake up. Somewhere out there, Amelia was probably awake too, dealing with this nightmare. And Leo. God, what was this doing to Leo?“I’ll come home,” he said finally. “I’ll talk to Abuela. But Mamá, I need you to understand something. I’m not going to marry Gabriella. No matter what Abuela threatens. No matter what she puts in her will. I won’t do it.”“Alejandro—”“I’m going to fight for the truth. I’m going to prove Gabriella is lying. And then I’m going to fix things with Amelia, if she’ll let me.”“Amelia will never take you back after this.”“Maybe not. But I have to try.” He paused. “I’ll book a flight for later today. I should be there by tomorrow.”“Thank you.” His mother sounded exhausted. “That’s all I ask. Just come home. Talk to your grandmother. Try to understand her position.”“I’ll try. But I won’t promise anything else.”After they hung up, Alejandro immediately called his lawyer, Javier Morale

Forty Eight Hours

AMELIA FAVINO PENTHOUSE ~ NEW YORK Amelia stared at her phone screen as another call from Alejandro came through. She watched his name flash for the third time that morning, her finger hovering over the answer button. Then she pressed decline and blocked his number. Again.She couldn’t do this. Not now. Not when every news site was showing that ultrasound photo. Not when her son had come home from school yesterday asking why the other kids were saying Daddy had a new baby.Ariana walked into the kitchen carrying two coffee cups. She was moving slowly, her eight-month pregnant belly making everything difficult. But she’d insisted on staying overnight at Amelia’s penthouse, sleeping on the guest room bed even though it clearly wasn’t comfortable for her.“Was that him again?” Ariana asked, setting down the coffee.“Yes. Third time this morning.” Amelia took the cup gratefully. “I blocked him. Again.”“How many times have you blocked him now?”“I’ve lost count. He keeps calling from

The Missing Twenty Minutes

“Exactly. And the footage shows you leaving the hotel the next morning, looking hungover but not like someone who spent the night with a woman.” Marcus paused. “I don’t think you slept with her, Alejandro. I think she helped you to your room, waited for you to pass out, and then left.”“Then how is she pregnant?”“She’s not. Or if she is, it’s not yours.” Marcus met his eyes. “This is all fake. I’m sure of it. We just need to prove it.”TWO DAYS LATER Alejandro barely slept. He couldn’t eat. He paced his apartment like a caged animal, waiting for the paternity test results.On the second morning, his phone exploded with notifications. He looked at the screen and felt his stomach drop.BREAKING: New Evidence in Favino Scandal - Hotel Security Footage Shows Gabriella Helping Drugged AlejandroThe video was everywhere. Every news site. Every social media platform. And it had been edited perfectly.The footage showed Gabriella supporting a clearly intoxicated Alejandro as they walked th

Four Months Too Late

AMELIA FAVINO PENTHOUSE ~ NEW YORK The message came through with a sharp ping, breaking the quiet in Amelia’s penthouse.Amelia looked at her phone. Someone had sent her an anonymous message, hidden through several secret internet routes before reaching her private inbox.Stone Holdings is being investigated. Katherina Rodriguez knows everything. She has proof. She’s going to destroy you both.Amelia read it twice. Her face stayed calm, but her hand gripped the phone so tight her knuckles turned white.Rebecca. It had to be Rebecca, her lawyer. Rebecca had connections everywhere and heard secrets most people never knew about.She called Nicholas immediately.“Someone sent me a tip,” she said without saying hello. “Katherina knows about Stone Holdings. She has proof of everything.”Silence on the other end. Then Nicholas let out a long, slow breath.“She came to my apartment last night and confronted me,” Nicholas admitted. “I didn’t think she would act this quickly.”“You didn’t thin

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