บททั้งหมดของ THE DON'S SECRET OBSESSION (His Bride, Her Prison): บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

CHAPTER 32Ariel's POVLuciana's face contorted in anger, and she yanked her wrist free. “Fine. I'll leave. But don't come to me when you desperately need someone to fuck!”My fists rolled, and I pursed my lips. I'd completely forgotten that Luciana and Dermos had once..Sigh.I didn't even want to think about it.||Luciana's POV That fucking bitch.She was the root of my problems. But I wouldn't let her get to me. Ha! As if she could.I lounged on the couch, flipping through a magazine as Dermos suddenly stormed into the room. He looked like a thundercloud, his eyes flashing with anger. I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.“What's eating you, Dermos?” I asked, my voice filled with innocence.He stopped in front of me, his gaze down at me, scary, I tried to mask any ounce of fear. “You know exactly what's eating me, Luciana. You were the one who sent that drunk guy to Ariel's room.”I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Oh, that. I just wanted to have a little fun, Dermos. It's not a big deal.”He

CHAPTER 34Ariel's POVI walked into the police station.I approached the desk, trying to look composed despite the anxiety swirling inside me like a restless storm.“Good evening,” I said to the officer behind the desk, my voice a little stiffer than I'd intended. “I'm here too.. I'm looking for information about my sister. She's been missing for a while.”The officer looked up at me, his expression neutral, his eyes scanning me like a scanner at a supermarket. “Missing? What's her name?”“Ariella. Ariella Boone.” I replied, my hands twisting together in my lap.The officer typed something into the computer, his fingers moving with slowness. The clicking of the keys seemed to echo in the room. After a moment, he looked up at me, puzzled in his eyes.“Ariella Boone.. I don't see any report of her being missing.”I was instantly confused. “What? No, that can't be right. My family... They told me she was missing. They said she'd been proclaimed missing for a while.”The officer raised a

CHAPTER 36Ariel’s POVI could barely sleep last night. My mind kept swarming with thoughts of those messages.I couldn't help but feel watched throughout the night, and it didn't help that I was alone.In another world, a more friendly one where I would still be married. I would be in my husband's room and in his hands.But in this world? I'm forced to face my hard nights alone.I couldn't boast of 3 hours of sleep last night; that was how bad it was.I managed to get out of bed and into the shower, preparing myself for another uneventful day.I stepped out to have a little stroll and spotted Luciana coming from the other end.I should have run, but I couldn't bring myself to turn as it was already too late.I took a deep breath and put up the most confident look I could muster.Luciana stared at me once, then passed by without a word.I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. That wasn't as bad as I thought.But as the day went on, I noticed I'd seen her more often than before

CHAPTER 38Ariel’s POVThe house felt different once I started looking at it from a different perspective.A perspective where I actually believe she's alive.Before now, I moved through these same hallways like I was just a guest, like my time here would expire at any second.I was too careful, too observant, too afraid of being seen. Now? I moved like a thief. Every corner felt like a good hiding place. Everything that moved felt like it might be useful.I walked slowly, actually barefoot at this point, as my slippers seemed to be making too much noise.I counted each step I took, memorizing every detail I came across and whatever didn’t quite look right. I learned quickly where the servants usually hung out, and which parts were empty and at what time.There were parts of the house that no one used unless they had a reason to.That’s where I stayed. Behind curtains. Pushed into awkward spots.I stopped at the edges of staircases long enough to listen to anything being said before

CHAPTER 40Ariel's POVHer words seemed to echo between us minutes after she'd said them.There’s only one thing I wanted.There were no footsteps outside this time around. No distraction, just the two of us.The silence returned fast, and it wasn’t comforting one bit. It felt like pressure.I looked at her, like really looking at her as she sat by my side on the bed.It was like she hadn’t vanished from my life just a few weeks ago. Like I wasn't forced to put her behind me all along.“What?” I asked softly. “What did you want?” I asked as she hadn't said a word.She swallowed.“I want it to stop,” she said softly.I frowned. “Stop?”“All of it,” she whispered. “The expectations. The plans. The constant watching. Being told who to be, how to smile, when to marry, what future I was meant to live.”She folded her hands together in between her thighs and lowered her head.“I felt like I was suffocating, Ariel,” she continued on her own. “Every step I took was already decided for me.”I