All Chapters of The Billionaire's undercover bride : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

VIVIANI didn’t sleep.Not really.I lay beside Damian, my body perfectly still while my mind screamed itself hoarse. His arm was still draped across my waist, warm and possessive in a way that once felt safe. Now it felt like a weight — not because I didn’t want him there, but because I didn’t deserve it.The drive burned in my pocket like a secret that wanted out.Every breath he took felt like another chance I was stealing from him.I stared into the darkness until my eyes ached, replaying the moment he’d stood in the doorway of his office. The way his gaze had lingered. The way his voice had softened even while something inside him sharpened.You’re shaking.He’d noticed.Of course he had.Damian didn’t miss details. That was the problem. That was always the problem.When his breathing shifted, deepening slightly, I knew he was drifting back into sleep. I didn’t move. I didn’t dare. I stayed frozen until the rhythm of his chest steadied again.Only then did I allow myself to breat

VIVIAN The house was quiet when I stepped inside. Even the soft hum of the air conditioner felt exaggerated in the stillness, the tick of the wall clock loud in my ears. Damian wasn’t in his office, and the thought should have been reassuring, but my chest felt tight anyway, as if I had been holding my breath all day and it was finally catching up with me. I set my bag down carefully, mindful of every small sound. The drive from Charlotte’s office had left me wound up, my thoughts a tangle of guilt, fear, and desire. Every second I had spent with her replayed in my mind — her stern look, the weight of her words, the way she had made it clear that my choices had consequences I couldn’t yet imagine. And now, being home with Damian so close, so calm, made my secret burn all the hotter. He was in the kitchen when I saw him, leaning casually against the counter, mug in hand, dressed in a simple shirt that hugged his shoulders just enough to remind me of how strong he was, how steady, how

DAMIAN I should have known better. The house had been unusually quiet all evening. Too quiet. The kind of silence that wraps around you and makes you forget the world beyond the walls. Mother had retired to the guest room an hour earlier. Vivian had gone to our bedroom to “get some air.” I told myself I would give her space. I lasted five minutes. When I stepped into the bedroom, the balcony doors were slightly open. The curtains moved gently with the night breeze, brushing against her silhouette. She was standing there, arms folded around herself. The moonlight fell across her face. She looked far away. “Vivian,” I called softly. She didn’t turn immediately. I crossed the room slowly, watching the way her shoulders rose and fell. There was something fragile about her tonight. Something that made my chest tighten. When she finally turned, her eyes met mine — and for a second, I forgot how to breathe. There was emotion in them. Not fear. Not sadness. Some

VIVIAN The room felt colder than usual.Not the kind of cold that came from air-conditioning or open windows, but the kind that settled inside the bones, quiet and suffocating. The kind that made every breath feel heavier than the last.I stood in the middle of the living room, my fingers trembling so badly that I had to curl them into my palms to hide it.Something was wrong.Deeply wrong.And I could feel it without anyone saying a word.Damian was standing across from me.Too far.Too still.Too quiet.His eyes were on me, but they didn’t look the same. They weren’t warm. They weren’t soft. They weren’t the eyes that teased me in the kitchen, or watched me when he thought I wasn’t looking.They were cold.Unreadable.And it terrified me.“Damian…” My voice came out small, fragile, like it didn’t belong to me.He didn’t answer immediately.That silence stretched between us like a blade.Then slowly, he lifted a file.My heart dropped.No.No.No.My stomach twisted violently as I r

DAMIAN I should have been working. The file in front of me was open. Numbers. Reports. Figures that normally demanded my full attention. But the moment Vivian stepped into the room, every line on that document blurred into absolute irrelevance. I didn’t even hear the door open at first. I only noticed when the air shifted. Soft. Familiar. And then her voice. “Are you still working?” I looked up. And forgot how to breathe. She stood by the doorway in a gown I had never seen before. It was simple. Elegant. But dangerously fitted. The fabric clung to her body like it had been made only for her, outlining every soft curve with quiet confidence. The neckline dipped just enough to reveal the gentle swell of her breast, not in a vulgar way, but in a way that made it impossible to look away. My grip on the pen tightened. She tilted her head slightly, unaware of the chaos she had just caused inside my mind. “What?” she asked, a faint smile touching he