All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Fake Bride : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Celine’s POVThe ringing stops, and I turn my phone off with shaky hands.The silence that follows feels worse than being shoved into the road of moving cars.I lower my phone slowly, my fingers stiff, as if any sudden movement might shatter whatever fragile permission I still have to be standing here. The tray feels heavier now, my arms beginning to ache, curling heat from the coffee and breakfast burning my face and eliciting sweat. Then comes controlled movement from inside the room.The woman in there is not startled or panicking. She is a boss, and she intends to show me that she is. Instead, it’s me who is scared. I have already misjudged the situation.The door opens wider. She stands framed by the doorway, tall and composed, dressed in a pale silk blouse and tailored trousers, disturbingly expensive.Her black hair is pulled back neatly, and her face is clear, with a straight nose and sharp hazel eyes. She is gorgeous and unnervingly calm. Her eyes trail down to the tray in my h

Celine’s POV Everything goes still the moment she appears, you could hear a pin drop. The men straighten as if pulled by invisible strings. Tiana Hawthorne steps into the room like she owns the air we breathe.She wears a sleeveless jumpsuit the color of midnight, tailored so precisely it might as well have been painted onto her skin. It shows off her lean but toned arms just enough to entice. High heels click against marble, echoing through the halls. Her hair is pulled into a tight bun, severe and elegant. Her face is calm in a way that feels like nothing in the world could fall out of place for her.I stand still with my tray, suddenly very aware of my hands, my posture, my breath. Around her, the men fall eerily silent. Powerful-looking men standing still like they cannot afford to do anything else, anything out of place in her presence. I am tempted to ask who this woman is out loud, but what leaves my lips is,“God, I want to be like her so bad.”She strolls in front of them slo

Tiana Hawthorne is indeed a strange woman, although she wears that characteristic as a plus and not a drawback. The house has fallen into the silence it had the first time I came in here. Everyone was on about their duty, but I was done with mine. The whole ordeal just left the house empty of performance, and I am stunned at how squeaky clean everything has returned to. I stand near the doorway long after the last of the guests have been ushered out, my hands folded in front of me, my uniform still stiff against my skin. The chandeliers remain lit, though they no longer glitter for anyone. They hang there like witnesses who have seen enough but will never speak. The purpose for her lavish party still remains a mystery to me, as I am sure it was to others. I do not know if the man I found myself quietly rooting for was dismissed hours ago, or if he is still somewhere, waiting for a call, maybe. He deserved to win. He looked good enough. I’m sure he knows it. A deep exhale escapes me

Celine’s POV “Who do you want to destroy?”The question lands without warning, flat and unceremonious, as though she has asked me what I would like for breakfast.I stare at Tiana Hawthorne for a full second longer than is polite, trying to decide if this is some sort of test I have already failed by hesitating.“I’m sorry?” I say.She does not repeat herself immediately. She watches me instead, fingers steepled on the desk, her expression calm in that unsettling way that suggests patience is a choice, not a limitation.“You need to be bold,” she says at last. “Who do you want to destroy?”This morning had begun with a knock I did not expect. A staff member had come to inform me that Tiana Hawthorne had sent for me. I was happy, then relieved, and then anxiety followed. But standing here right now, that feeling of anxiety turns out not to have been misplaced.“I’m not sure I’m on the same track as you,” I say carefully. “I don’t think I understand what you mean.”Tiana leans back in h

Ava's POVAva realizes Celine is gone because the name will not come up on her screen when she searched for it this morning. She refreshes once. Then again. Then she types it slower, like care might bring it back. Nothing. Not Celine Deveruex, not Celine Ward. Then she realizes how easy it would have been for her. She was initially estranged from her family, and she never wed under her real name. She has been a nobody from the beginning.Still, the city keeps moving around Ava as if nothing has changed. Tall buildings rise on either side of the street, glass and steel catching the morning light, clean and immaculate. Beaumont Corporation stands ahead, all sharp lines and polished stone. Ava walks toward it anyway, heels steady, posture practiced. She has been doing this since she was young.Inside, the lobby smells faintly of disinfectant and expensive air. A man sits behind the reception desk. He looks up when she enters, already smiling, already prepared to be helpful.“Good morning