All Chapters of Tempting The Billioanire : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Emily's POVThree weeks after Alexander proposed doing our wedding "right," I stood in an upscale bridal boutique with Tasha, staring at myself in a mirror.The dress was perfect—ivory lace with delicate beading, fitted through the bodice and flowing into a soft train. Nothing like the simple white dress I'd worn to our Vegas ceremony."You look like a princess," Tasha breathed, her eyes shining with tears."It's too much," I said, turning to see the back. "The price tag alone—""Emily, your husband is a billionaire. Stop looking at price tags." Tasha adjusted the veil. "This is your real wedding. The one you'll remember forever. It should be perfect."My husband. The words still felt surreal sometimes."Besides," Tasha continued, "after everything you've been through—Karen, Louis, Catherine, Marcus—you deserve something beautiful that's just yours."Before I could respond, my phone rang. Alexander's name flashed on the screen."Hey," I answered. "I'm at the dress fitting. Is everythi

Emily's POVI stared at the photo, my heart pounding so hard I thought I might be sick.Alexander's arm was around the woman's waist. She was laughing, looking up at him. They were both in a state of undress—him in just a dress shirt, unbuttoned, her in what looked like a slip.The timestamp read three weeks ago. A Tuesday. I tried to remember that day. Where had I been? What had Alexander said he was doing?My hands shook as I looked at the email address again. truthseeker2024@protonmail.com. Anonymous. Untraceable.I should wake Alexander. Show him. Ask him to explain.But I couldn't move. Couldn't think past the image burned into my brain.Was everything a lie? Had I been played this whole time?No. I knew Alexander. I knew his heart. This had to be fake. Photoshopped. Another one of Marcus's manipulations.But what if it wasn't?I got out of bed as quietly as I could and went to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I enlarged the photo, looking for signs of manipulation.The

Emily's POVThe garden looked like something out of a fairy tale. White roses and greenery draped over every surface, fairy lights twinkled in the trees even in the afternoon sun, and soft music floated through the air.I could see the guests seated in white chairs arranged in a semicircle around the gazebo. Not many—maybe thirty people total. But they were the ones who mattered.Tasha walked ahead of me, radiant in her burgundy bridesmaid dress. She turned back and gave me an encouraging smile before taking her place.Then the music changed. The wedding march.My father squeezed my arm. "Last chance to run.""Not a chance," I whispered back.We stepped into view, and everyone stood. But I only had eyes for one person.Alexander stood at the altar in a perfectly tailored navy suit, his hands clasped in front of him. When he saw me, his entire face transformed. His eyes glistened with tears he didn't bother to hide.That look—pure, unguarded love—made everything worth it. Every lie, ev

Emily's POVI woke up the morning after the wedding with sunlight pouring through the curtains and Alexander's arm draped heavy and warm across my waist.For a moment, I just lay there and breathed.No phone ringing. No crisis. No Marcus Stone. No SEC investigators. Just the sound of Alexander's steady breathing and the distant hum of the city below us.I turned carefully, not wanting to wake him. In sleep, his face lost the careful control he wore like armor during the day. The tension around his jaw was gone. The furrow between his brows had smoothed out. He looked younger. He looked like someone who hadn't spent the last several weeks trying to hold an empire together with his bare hands.He looked like mine.The thought startled me with its certainty. Because six months ago, I hadn't had anything. No fiancé, no family that wanted me, no plan beyond getting through the next day. And now I had this man — this infuriating, brilliant, guarded man who had cried at our wedding without a

Emily's POVRichard's office was on the twenty-fourth floor of a building in downtown Los Angeles that smelled like expensive coffee and old ambition. His assistant led us into a conference room with a long glass table and a view of the city that stretched all the way to the horizon.Richard was already there when we arrived, his briefcase open, papers spread across the table in the careful organized way of a man who liked to have everything visible before a conversation started. He stood when we walked in, shaking Alexander's hand and then mine."Congratulations on the wedding," he said. "Both of you. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer at the reception.""You stayed long enough," Alexander said, taking the seat across from him. I sat beside Alexander, close enough that our arms nearly touched.Richard sat back down and folded his hands on the table. "I'll get straight to it. The SEC's formal closure this morning gives us exactly the leverage we need to move against Marcus. The evidence