All Chapters of His Bride: Their Ruin: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

VERAThe scraping of her knee against the pavement was nothing compared to the joy and relief swelling in Vera’s chest as she saw her home again.The car sped off, leaving dust and debris behind, but she didn’t look back. Tears blurred her vision as exhaustion finally claimed her body. Years of survival weighed on every muscle; each breath felt earned. She was back.Vera tipped her face toward the sky, letting warm sunlight wash over her. Tears slid down her cheeks as a long, unsteady sigh escaped her lips.The sky had never looked so beautiful.Her legs trembled as she stood, weak from the journey that had carried her away for nearly three years.With a soft, watery smile, she pushed open the iron-barred gate. The screech of metal against metal rang out, harsh, ugly, and perfect. She lingered, fingers curled around the cold steel, grounding herself in the reality of her return.Nothing had changed.Her home.Tears burned again, but she forced them back. They could wait. They would co

VERA“The earlier you confess, Ms. Vera, the better for you. I’m afraid all evidence points to you. There is no going back from this.” The officer’s words had been repeated a hundred times already, each repetition embedding itself into Vera’s mind, twisting her chest with dread. The words were like iron chains, binding and suffocating her, reminding her over and over that she had nowhere to hide.“And I’m telling you, officer… I have no idea what these companies are. Fraud? Money laundering? I… I don’t even know what you are speaking of.” Vera’s voice trembled, raw and hoarse, her throat dry as sandpaper. Tears had long since dried on her cheeks, leaving streaks of salt and dust. Her body vibrated with numbness, every limb heavy and uncooperative. Her heart felt like it was being crushed from all sides. The day, the hours, the endless betrayals—it couldn’t have been worse. She didn’t know what to do or where to turn.The officer’s pen scratched against the file. He didn’t look up. “Th

VERA“Marry me, Vera Macthorn, and I promise, I’ll bring your enemies to their knees.”Those words should have sounded insane. Ridiculous. Offensive, even. Any sane woman should have laughed in his face or stood up and walked away.But Vera didn’t.What unsettled her the most was not the proposal itself—it was her body’s reaction to it. The way her stomach fluttered. The strange heat that bloomed low in her belly. The slow crawl of chills that traveled up her spine like his voice had reached inside her and touched something she didn’t know existed.She should have felt angry. Insulted. The independent woman in her screamed, Who does he think he is?But that voice was drowned out by something far more dangerous.Excitement.The power in the way he spoke unsettled her. No begging. No persuasion. Just certainty.. As if he already knew she would consider it. As if her answer mattered—but not enough to shake him.“I– I don’t understand,” Vera finally said, her voice shaky and unsteady. “Wh

Vera knew her luck well enough to understand that peace never stayed long around her.Her gaze slid back to her former best friend—the smug smile still perched comfortably on Didi’s lips, untouched by guilt or shame. There was no remorse there. Not even a flicker.Vera wasn’t just heartbroken.She was livid.Didi strolled closer, slow and deliberate, her eyes raking over Vera with open disdain. She circled her like a predator sizing up prey, nose wrinkling as if Vera smelled offensive. Her fingers reached out, pinching the fabric of Vera’s dress between manicured nails.“Can you even afford all this,” Didi sneered, tugging lightly, “or are you planning to steal it?”Vera’s hand shot out instinctively, slapping Didi’s fingers away.“What are you doing here, Didi?” she snapped.Didi folded her arms across her chest and smirked, clearly enjoying herself.“I should be asking you that, Vera,” she said lazily. “This isn’t a place for pathetic bitches like you. You have no one. No money. No

ORIONTiny arms spread wide as little legs carried a small figure toward them at full speed. Orion immediately crouched, catching her effortlessly as she collided into him. He lifted her high, spinning slightly, her giggles echoing down the hall.“That’s my princess right there,” he sing-sang, lifting her up and down. She laughed louder, squealing with delight—the sound doing something strange to him, something warm that didn’t quite fit inside the hollow space he usually carried.“How’s my princess doing today?” he asked once she’d settled.The three-year-old only smiled, burying her face into his neck, her tiny hands gripping his collar like he was her anchor.It was only then that Orion noticed the woman standing a few feet away, watching them. Her posture was relaxed, her expression soft, a fond smile resting on her lips as she observed the scene.“Becca,” he greeted curtly.“I didn’t think we’d see you today,” she replied, rocking lightly on her heel.Orion averted his gaze, dism