Chapter 1

They said I was supposed to serve five years.I’d only done three.Even as the prison gate shut behind me this morning, I kept expecting someone to call me back. A mistake. A mix-up. Something. But it didn’t come. Just the cold morning breeze and the words the warden had muttered when he handed me the release papers.“Orders from above. That’s all I know.”He hadn’t looked me in the eye. None of them ever did.I signed the forms, handed over the worn uniform, and went through the same exit procedures as everyone else. But it didn’t feel the same. Nothing did.Outside the gates, a black sedan waited. Clean. Shiny. Too polished for this place. A new driver stood beside it.. tall, stiff, expression unreadable. I didn’t recognize him. They must have changed staff. Or maybe the old one had finally gotten tired of ferrying other people’s dirt.He opened the back door without saying a word.I got in.My thoughts swirled as the car pulled onto the main road, the prison fading behind us. The

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Chapter 2

The dress felt too tight. Not because it didn’t fit.. these designers knew their craft. It was tight because everything about this day felt like a trap sewn into silk and lace.“Hold still, dear,” one of them said, tugging gently at the fabric around my ribs. She had kind eyes but moved like someone used to dressing mannequins, not real people.“Just a few more pins,” the other added. “This neckline is magic on you.”I didn’t answer. I was too busy watching myself in the mirror.The girl staring back didn’t look like me. She looked… expensive. The gown was ivory with delicate floral patterns embroidered into the bodice. The sleeves were sheer and fitted, the skirt wide but soft, like it had been poured from cream. A veil waited on the hanger behind me. The final touch.“You’ll be the most beautiful bride New York’s seen all year,” the first designer said with a smile.My lips moved, but I didn’t smile back. Instead, I glanced at the phone on the table beside me. Last night, I’d heard

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Chapter 3

The ceremony ended in a blur.I didn’t remember most of it. The vows, the applause, the forced smiles from strangers I didn’t recognize.. it all felt distant. Like I’d been watching it through fogged glass.Now, I was here. Sitting in the back seat of a car so sleek and silent it might as well have floated.Leather seats. Dark wood finish. The scent of something expensive I couldn’t name. It was the kind of car I’d only ever seen in magazines or gliding past in traffic. Not the kind of car someone like me belonged in.My “husband” sat beside me.He hadn’t said a word since the wedding. Not one. Just nodded at a few guests, shook one or two hands, then rolled himself into the car like he couldn’t wait to leave. Now he sat there.. expression unreadable, eyes staring out the window.The silence pressed down on me. I couldn’t even hear the engine. Only the occasional turn signal and the soft hum of tires on asphalt.The driver, an older man in uniform, didn’t look back. His eyes stayed

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Chapter 4

The Graham mansion was quiet, but tension sat heavy in its walls.Downstairs, behind closed double doors, voices rose. Two men. Sharp tones. One colder than the other. It had started like a conversation.. low, almost polite.. but it didn’t stay that way.Carl Graham paced the room, jaw tight, eyes flickering with frustration.“I was the one they wanted, Ryan. Me. I should’ve been at that altar.”Ryan sat on the armrest of one of the leather chairs, arms folded, legs crossed. Calm. Distant. But beneath the surface, a storm brewed.“You didn’t want Johanna,” Ryan said plainly. “You made that clear.”Carl scoffed. “Yeah, I didn’t. But they didn’t send Johanna, did they?”Ryan’s expression didn’t change.“They sent someone else,” Carl continued. “Someone I hadn’t met. That girl… Lucia.. she’s not what I expected.”Ryan's brows pulled slightly, but he didn’t speak.Carl didn’t miss the flicker in his half-brother’s eyes.“You’re quiet all of a sudden. Why? Starting to get attached?”Ryan s

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Chapter 5

The night before had left me raw.I’d barely slept. I kept tossing under the weight of what I heard.. and what I saw.Ryan didn’t know I saw the file. He didn’t even further ask why I was in the study. He only looked at me for a few seconds before telling me to “get out” and shutting the door behind me like I hadn’t almost fainted inside.Now, it was gala day. My first public appearance as Mrs. Graham.Whatever that even meant.I stood in front of the mirror, half dressed. A deep wine-colored gown hugged my figure like it had been sewn straight onto my skin. The neckline dipped, tasteful but bold. My hair was curled and swept over one shoulder in soft waves. Even I had to admit.. I looked… stunning.Ryan had hired a professional dresser. Apparently, nothing about his world was halfway.There was a knock, and Isla stepped in quietly. “The car’s ready, ma’am. The boss is waiting.”Right.The boss.I glanced back at the mirror one last time. My face was calm, but my thoughts were any

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Lahat ng Kabanata ng The CEO'S Unexpected Bride: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 5

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5