All Chapters of HIS PAST: HIS BRIDE: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

97 Chapters

CHAPTER EIGHTY ONE

BELLA'S POV It has been a week since my dinner with Cole, the dinner that barely even happened because he rushed out before the food was served and I still haven't heard from him since then, nt a text or call, just nothing but silence and strangely enough, the same thing goes for Tabitha. She hasn't been at the office all week, and while that normally wouldn't feel unusual because business trips happen all the time, this feels different somehow, even the senior staff don't seem to know where she is, which says a lot considering how involved she usually is in everything. At first, I tried not to think too much about it, I told myself there were a hundred reasonable explanations, maybe she traveled unexpectedly or there was some emergency business meeting outside the city. Maybe she simply needed time away but as the days passed, the silence started becoming unsettling. Especially after the lack of phone calls from Cole, bec

CHAPTER EIGHTY TWO

BELLA'S POVIt takes a while before we get to the hospital, and it is more than enough time for my mind to come up with the wildest reasons for Tabitha asking to meet there, and none of them are good at all.It feels like the night Mom was rushed here not too long ago, and my chest tightens with every passing second because I don't know what it could be, but I know I am not ready to lose anybody again and I don't know what I would do if I lost Tabitha or Cole.God, I am such a fool.My bad habit of running has led me here, and the people who have loved me through everything seem to be standing at the edge of something terrible while I stayed away from them.My overthinking mind, my need to always be in control, my constant avoidance of things I cannot handle emotionally, It all led me here.Tabitha is too healthy to have any terminal disease, right?And Cole couldn't possibly be seriously sick after only ten days since w

CHAPTER EIGHTY THREE

BELLA'S POVWe stay on the rooftop for a while, and I lose track of time because my mind is in complete overdrive right now.Tabitha eventually takes her leave, only telling me his room number and to take my time making a decision but I don't even know how to handle everything happening right now. Still, I appreciate the quiet moment because I am about to make a decision that could change the course of my life, and I honestly don't know what the right or wrong choice is anymore.What would you do if you were me?If you found your husband kissing another woman just a day after bringing a child and his ex into your home?A man who promised you exclusivity throughout your marriage, the man you gave your innocence to, man whose children you carried and only man you have ever loved.What would you do if that man cheated on you with the last person you would ever expect?What would you do if you were me?I know whatev

CHAPTER EIGHTY FOUR

BELLA'S POV The room feels heavy At the far end of the room, Cole stands beside what looks like a water dispenser, his head bent low as if carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Tabitha sits close to the bed, her fingers tightly clasped together in her lap. Derek’s eyes are closed, his face twisted slightly like a man fighting invisible pain even in his sleep, and the sight cracks something open inside my chest. For a second, I forget how to breathe, I step further into the room quietly, almost afraid that making too much noise would somehow break whatever fragile peace exists here. Tabitha notices me first with her eyes widening instantly before they begin to glisten with tears. “You came,” she whispers softly. The relief in her voice is enough to make my own throat tighten and even if I wasn’t doing this for Derek, I would have done it for her. For the woman who looks like she has

CHAPTER EIGHTY FIVE

BELLA'S POV It’s been over a week since Derek forced his way back into my life in the most unexpected way possible, and I’m not going to lie, it has actually been fun seeing this side of him. He still doesn’t know about the twins, and a huge part of me wants to tell him, but another part of me is terrified he might try to take my babies away from me. Yes, he might have changed, but what if the news triggers the cold, arrogant version of him again? I’m not taking that risk. “I was thinking of giving you a one-week leave because the constant commuting from the hospital to work and then home for a change of clothes is obviously taking a toll on you,” Tabitha says. It’s Friday evening, and I’m sitting inside her office and stepping into this space reminds me of the last time I was here, and nothing about that memory is pleasant. “I’m not comp

CHAPTER EIGHTY SIX

BELLA'S POV The past three days with him had been fun. He was finally strong enough to walk around properly, and last night, before I had to leave, we took a walk down the beach and the memory of it still clings tightly to my heart like something fragile I never want to lose. The evening breeze was calm, carrying the scent of saltwater through the air as we walked side by side in comfortable silence. The waves rolled gently against the shore, filling the quiet between us without making it awkward. “I feel like it’s been a long time since I last took a break,” he said beside me, his voice thoughtful. The words sent both warmth and cold rushing through me. Warmth because it was true. Derek had never known how to rest. He worked until exhaustion, pushed himself past limits, and acted like slowing down was some kind of weakness but cold because it meant he was beginning to remember things.

CHAPTER EIGHTY SEVEN

BELLA'S POV “Hello?” I say into the phone as I step out of the car. “Hi. Are you home now?” Derek asks. “Yeah, I’m just about to get inside. What’s up? Is something wrong? Did your stitches open?” I ask immediately, already imagining the worst possible scenario. “Oh no, nothing happened,” he says with a soft chuckle. “I just wanted to make sure you got home safe.” The sound still feels foreign to me every single time I hear it. Derek used to laugh so rarely that hearing it now almost feels unreal, like I’m talking to a completely different person and sometimes I still catch myself waiting for the coldness to return, for the sharp edge in his voice to come back, but it never does. “Oh,” I murmur, feeling my racing heart finally begin to calm. “Thank you. I just got home.” There’s a small pause before he speaks again, and suddenly he sounds nervous. “S

CHAPTER EIGHTY EIGHT

BELLA'S POV I stare at my reflection for what feels like the hundredth time tonight not because I look bad but because I’m nervous. Which is ridiculous. It’s Derek. I used to know this man better than I knew myself, yet somehow this version of him makes me feel like I’m going on a first date all over again. “Mommy pretty,” one of the twins babbles from the bed behind me. I turn immediately, my heart melting. “Well, thank you very much,” I say dramatically, earning excited giggles from both of them. Mom appears by the door a second later with an amused smile on her face. “If you keep checking yourself in that mirror, you’ll miss your date.” “I am not checking myself that much,” I defend weakly. She raises a brows, okay, maybe I am. Earl

CHAPTER EIGHTY NINE

BELLA'S POV “I had fun tonight,” Derek says softly I just asked him out and I don't know what came over me sincerely, even though it is just a walk in the park around ten p.m The cool night breeze brushes gently against my skin while the city glows around us in warm golden lights and cars move slowly down the road, distant laughter echoes from nearby restaurants, and somehow everything feels calmer tonight. “Me too,” I admit. And honestly, I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself this much without overthinking every second of it. Derek looks at me for a moment longer than necessary, and once again that familiar nervous warmth spreads through my chest. “You’re smiling,” he points out. “So are you.” “I had a good reason.” I roll my eyes playfully even as my cheeks betray me completely. “Wow, that was smooth.”

CHAPTER NINETY

BELLA'S POV I don’t know why my heart is beating this fast, or why I’m suddenly so nervous during the ride back, but something about tonight feels different. Like the air around us has shifted in a way I can’t explain. Derek calls his driver to come pick us up, and not long after, we’re on our way to his house. The drive is quiet, but not uncomfortable, the silence between us feels heavy with things neither of us is ready to say aloud and every now and then, I catch him glancing at me, and each time he does, my stomach twists. By the time we arrive, my nerves are stretched thin. “Do you want anything before you sleep?” he asks as we step through the entrance of the house. “Oh, no. I’m good,” I answer quickly. “I just need a change of clothes.” “Okay, give me a minute. You can use the room down the hall, it has its own bathroom, and my stu

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