The Billionaire's Substitute Bride のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 27

Amelia's POVThe call came at three in the morning.I woke to Alexander's phone buzzing insistently on the nightstand. He grabbed it quickly, trying not to wake me.Too late."Hello?" His voice was rough with sleep. Then he sat up fast. "When? Is she hurt?"I turned on the lamp. "What's wrong?"He held up a hand, listening. His face was pale. "Where is she now? Okay. I'll be there in thirty minutes."He hung up and immediately started getting dressed."Alexander, what happened?""It's Isabelle." He pulled on his shirt. "She's at the hospital. Someone attacked her."My stomach dropped. "Is she okay?""They don't know yet. That was her sister calling." He grabbed his jacket. "I have to go.""I'm coming with you.""Amelia, you don't have to...""I'm coming." I was already getting up. "She's connected to Ethan. This might not be random."He looked like he wanted to argue but didn't have time. "Fine. But stay close to me."We drove to the hospital in tense silence. Alexander's hands were t

Alexander's POVThe FBI took Isabelle into protective custody within three hours of my call.They also froze Ethan's offshore accounts before his criminal partners could access the money.Twenty million dollars, gone in an instant.Now we waited for the fallout."This was the right move," Agent Rodriguez said over the phone. "We've been trying to track these accounts for months.""And the people Ethan owes money to?" I asked. "What happens when they realize it's gone?""We're monitoring their activity. If they make a move, we'll know."That wasn't reassuring.After I hung up, I found Amelia in her studio, sketching despite everything."How do you do that?" I asked.She looked up. "Do what?""Stay calm. Keep working. Like we're not waiting for criminals to retaliate.""I'm not calm. I'm terrified." She set down her pencil. "But if I stop working, I'll fall apart. So I keep going."I understood that. Work was the only thing keeping me sane too."The FBI has Isabelle," I said. "They've f

Amelia's POVThe news broke at six AM."Breaking: Sterling Group Releases Evidence of Massive Fraud Network."Every major outlet picked it up within minutes.Alexander had released everything. The offshore accounts. The money trails. The connections between Ethan and his criminal partners. Documents showing years of fraud, money laundering, and theft.It was all there for the world to see.My phone exploded with notifications before I even got out of bed."Did you see?" I asked Alexander.He was already dressed, coffee in hand, watching the news coverage. "I saw.""How do you feel?""Satisfied." He turned to me. "And terrified. We just declared war.""Good." I got up, moving to stand beside him. "Let them come."The media response was massive.Financial news channels analyzed the documents. Crime reporters connected dots. Business journalists called for investigations.Ethan's name trended on social media for hours.So did mine.People praised us for exposing corruption. Others accuse

Amelia's POVTwo weeks after Alexander proposed on the beach, I woke up smiling.It had become a habit. Opening my eyes and remembering that we were choosing each other this time. Not because our families arranged it. Not because we needed protection or alliances.Because we loved each other.The ring on my finger was simple. A single diamond that caught the morning light. Alexander had it designed specially, nothing flashy. Just perfect."Good morning, future wife," he said, rolling over to kiss my forehead."Good morning, future husband."We'd spent the past two weeks in a bubble of happiness. Planning a small ceremony. Choosing the guest list. Deciding on flowers. All the simple, normal things we'd never gotten to do the first time.Life after the trial felt like waking up from a nightmare.The verdict had been read. Ethan was convicted. Sentenced. Gone.For the first time in over a year, I could breathe without looking over my shoulder.That morning, I had an appointment. Dress sh