Semua Bab His Bride Of Revenge: Bab 11 - Bab 20

**Elena’s POV**I tucked the note deep into the flowers, my fingers sweating as the paper pressed against my skin, with the words echoing painfully in my mind: You shouldn’t have married him.What the hell does that mean? I forced a smile for the camera, my cheeks stiff and sore from all the pretense.Who could have written this? I glanced around, checking if anyone was giving me suspicious looks.Somebody out there knew something I didn’t, and the thought made my skin crawl, like eyes were on me from every corner.I tried to shake it off, but the feeling stuck.I had no idea who sent it, or why, but I knew it wasn’t a coincidence.Was it Dante? My stomach twisted, just thinking about it. I pressed a hand to my side, trying to breathe through it, but the feeling wouldn’t go away.Where was Lucia when I needed her? I scanned the room, searching for her, but she was nowhere. She was supposed to be here with me, right by my side. ‘'Why would my best friend miss my wedding?’' I whispe

**Stefano’s POV**The phone rang again right after Dante left, and Lucia’s name appeared on the screen.I looked up the stairs, waiting for the sound of footsteps, but the house remained quiet and still. The only sign of life was the faint creak of the floorboards above, where Elena was probably moving around.I answered the call, pressing the phone to my ear as I hurried up the stairs. After closing the door to my room behind me, I immediately asked Lucia the one question that had been on my mind all day.“Why didn’t you show up yesterday?” Her voice was soft and trembling. “I couldn’t watch you marry her, Stefano. I just couldn’t.”I dragged my hand over my face, trying to keep my voice steady even though my nerves were shot. "You can't let this get in the way, Lucia. If anyone gets suspicious, everything we've done falls apart."“I don’t care about them,” she cut in. “I care about you. About us.”“Lucia,” I said more sharply. “You need to regain control of yourself. I told you thi

**Elena’s POV**I sat in the chair beside my bed, my knees pulled close to my chest, staring at the wall as Lucia’s voice kept echoing in my mind.Something about the way she spoke didn’t sit right. I could tell she was hiding something, I felt it in the way her words trailed off, like she was afraid I’d catch on.But what could she be hiding?Things haven't been the same between us for some time; something is definitely wrong.I took a shaky breath and rubbed my palms on my jeans until they ached, my eyes locked on the folded note on the nightstand.I have to do something.I grabbed my phone and dialed the number from the paper without thinking. If I had stopped to think, I never would have done it. It rang once, then again, and by the third ring, my stomach twisted so tight I thought I might be sick.“Hello,” his voice pierced the silence, almost making me drop the phone as my grip slipped for a second. I froze, my breath caught in my throat, and for a moment I couldn't speak. “Da

**Elena’s POV**The gate slammed shut behind me, and I stood there, my hands clenched so tightly that my knuckles ached, hardly believing I had actually escaped. Something about how easy it was to leave the house felt wrong, and that only made me more nervous.I slid into the back seat of the cab and gave the driver Dante's address, my heart pounding like I’d just stolen something and was waiting to get caught.When the cab finally arrived at his house after twenty-five minutes that felt like hours, my palms were so sweaty I had to wipe them on my jeans before stepping out.I reached the front of his door and raised my hand to knock, but before I could make contact, the door swung open, and Dante appeared, staring at me as if he’d been waiting all morning. He didn’t say a word, just pulled me into his arms, holding me so tightly I could barely breathe. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by his scent and warmth, and it hit me so hard I had to bite my lip to stop tears from slipping down my f

**Stefano’s POV**The silence between us was so heavy that the only sound was the clinking of our forks against our plates. Elena sat across the table, her shoulders tightly curved as if she wanted to disappear. She hadn't said a word since they sat down, fiddling with her eggs, moving them around in circles without taking a bite.I set my fork down, leaned back in my chair, and broke the silence. “You’re quiet this morning.”She shrugged, eyes glued to her plate. "Just tired.""Tired from what?"Her fork hovered mid-air, hesitating, then she placed it down slowly. "I didn't sleep well."Liar!The word burned in my throat, but I bit it back.We kept eating in silence after that — or I did. She just stared at her food, scraping the plate louder than needed. When she got tired of it, she stood up, her chair legs screeching against the floor.I leaned forward, planting my hands flat on the table between us. "One last chance, Elena. Tell me who you met yesterday."Her whole body tensed a