All Chapters of The Twisted Wedding Night: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The moment Sophie agreed, the air around the table changed.Not relief—focus.Willow didn’t smile. She never did when things went her way. She simply folded her hands atop the tablecloth, spine straight, gaze steady, like a general about to map out a battlefield.“Good,” she said. “Then we’re done circling each other.”Sophie leaned back, crossing her legs. “So what’s the plan?”I swallowed. The panic was still there, humming under my skin, but it had sharpened into something else now—urgency. “We can’t just accuse Lily,” I said quickly. “Ace won’t hear it. He’ll defend her.”Willow’s eyes flicked to me. “Correct.”Sophie scoffed. “Then what? We wait around while she plays house with his kid?”“No,” Willow said calmly. “We make Ace afraid.”The word settled heavily between us.Sophie’s brows lifted. “Afraid of what?”“Losing control,” Willow replied. “Of Alice. Of his authority as her father.”My pulse jumped. “You think that’ll work?”“I know it will,” Willow said. “Because it alread

I stormed into my room like a hurricane, slamming the door behind me with enough force to make it rattle in its frame. My fingers clawed at the edge of my desk, scattering papers, pens, and a half-empty perfume bottle. The scent of something floral and expensive filled the air, sharp enough to sting my senses.And I didn’t care.I wasn’t going to care. Not now. Not after what had just happened downstairs.My heel caught a loose rug, and I stumbled for a split second before regaining my balance. My fists clenched, and I swept a vase off the dresser. It crashed to the floor in a spectacular explosion of glass and water. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even blink. My heart pounded in my chest like it wanted to tear itself free.“Ella!”The scream came from the doorway. Willow. She stood there, hands on her hips, face a storm that almost rivaled mine. Her heels clicked sharply against the floor as she crossed to me.“You need to calm down!” she snapped.I turned slowly, a smirk tugging at the c

I stopped outside Lily’s door, the soft weight of the dress bag pressing against my side. I’d made sure it was perfect — simple, elegant, something that would make her feel like herself but still pull her out of her usual routines. I exhaled, steadying the pulse in my veins. My hand hovered over the door before I knocked, hesitant for just a second, and then I rapped firmly, three sharp knocks.“Lily?” My voice was low, calm, but carrying enough weight to get her attention.I waited, the quiet stretching long enough to make my stomach twist. Then I heard the faint shuffle of movement on the other side. The door cracked open, and there she was. Lily, looking at me through slightly widened eyes, cheeks flushed, her hair pulled back simply, nothing fancy, just her. There was a kind of soft defenselessness about her in that moment, and it made my chest tighten more than I expected.“Hey,” I said simply, keeping my tone even. “I… brought something for you.” I held up the bag, letting the s

The drive home was quiet, almost unbearably so. The soft hum of the engine filled the car, punctuated only by the occasional turn signal or the subtle swish of tires on wet pavement. I kept my hands folded in my lap, though I could feel every inch of my body hyperaware of Ace sitting beside me. His presence was magnetic, suffocating in the way that made me conscious of every shift, every subtle movement.I stole glances at him through the corner of my eye, catching the faint glint of streetlights reflecting off his sharp profile. The way his jaw flexed as he focused on the road, the slow rise and fall of his chest—it all made my stomach twist in knots. I wanted to speak, to break the silence, but every time I opened my mouth, my thoughts scattered. The words I’d rehearsed didn’t exist anymore.His arm brushed against mine once, light, almost accidental—or at least, I told myself it was. I swallowed hard and felt a shiver run down my spine. My knees pressed together instinctively, my

The air in the foyer felt heavier the moment I spotted Ella walking toward us.At first, I thought she was just coming to greet Ace. That was normal. She lived here too, after all. But the look on her face—tight, sharp, burning—made my stomach sink before she even opened her mouth.Her steps were fast, purposeful, the sound of her heels striking the marble too loud in the quiet house. I straightened instinctively, my fingers curling into the fabric of my dress as unease spread through my chest.Ace was beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him, but even that didn’t steady me.“What is this?” Ella demanded, her voice slicing through the space like a blade.Ace frowned. “Ella—”She didn’t let him finish.“So this is the dinner you had planned?” she snapped, her eyes flicking over me in a way that made my skin prickle. “This is why you needed me to watch Alice?”Ace took a step forward. “That’s enough. You’re not—”“Don’t,” she interrupted sharply, holding up a hand wit