All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Substitute Bride: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The house was quiet again.But this time, it didn’t feel tense.It felt… normal.At least on the surface.Aria sat at the dining table, eating slowly, her movements calm but her mind still active.Across from her, Adrian was focused on his food and a document beside his plate. He hadn’t said much since morning, and honestly, she preferred it that way.Less talking meant less confusion.Less confusion meant she could think clearly.Or at least try to.She kept her eyes on her plate, determined not to look at him too much.Because every time she did—She remembered last night.And this morning.And everything in between.And she didn’t want to deal with that right now.---“Sir.”One of the servants stepped forward quietly.Adrian didn’t look up.“Yes.”“There’s a visitor asking to see you.”Aria barely paid attention.People visited him all the time.It wasn’t her business.“Who?” Adrian asked.The servant hesitated slightly.“Miss Cassandra.”That name—It changed something.Adrian pa

The next morning didn’t feel any better.Aria woke up tired, even though she hadn’t really done anything the day before. Her body felt heavy, her mind worse. The memories from last night were still there—clear, uncomfortable, impossible to ignore.She stayed still for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling.Then she turned her head slightly.Adrian was already awake.Of course.Sitting calmly like always, adjusting his watch as if nothing had happened.Like he hadn’t pushed her to her limit.Like she hadn’t reacted.Her chest tightened.She looked away quickly and got out of bed without saying anything.“Morning,” he said.She ignored him.She didn’t speak to him while getting ready.Didn’t look at him.Didn’t acknowledge him.And he noticed.Of course he did.But he didn’t push.That somehow made it worse.At breakfast, the silence didn’t last long.“Sit,” he said, not even looking at her.Aria paused.Something in her snapped a little.“I’m not your employee,” she replied.He looked

By the time they got back to the mansion, Aria didn’t feel like the same person who had left earlier. Something had shifted. Not completely. Not enough to fix everything. But enough. The car ride back had been quiet again, but this time, it wasn’t heavy. She didn’t feel like she was suffocating under her own thoughts. Her chest didn’t feel tight anymore. And maybe that was the problem. Because the moment she stepped into the room— Something in her flipped. It started small. She kicked off her shoes without care, tossing them aside. Then she dropped onto the bed, bouncing slightly from the impact. Adrian closed the door behind them, watching her. “She must have had too much sugar,” he muttered under his breath. Aria let out a random laugh. It wasn’t controlled. It just… came out. She covered her mouth for a second, but then laughed again. “Why am I laughing?” she said, half to herself. Adrian didn’t answer. He just watched. Carefully. That look i

A few days passed after the gala. And for the first time since everything started— Aria was bored. Not just a little bored. Completely bored. The kind that made time feel slow and pointless. The kind that made her restless. At first, she tried to ignore it. She walked around the mansion. Sat in the sitting room. Scrolled through her phone. Watched TV she didn’t care about. Ate when she wasn’t even hungry. But nothing worked. Every day felt the same. Wake up. Eat. Walk around. Avoid Adrian when she could. Argue with him when she couldn’t. Sleep. Repeat. It was exhausting in a different way. Not emotional. Not overwhelming. Just… empty. She hated it. She needed something to do. Something real. Something that made her feel like herself again. And there was only one thing that came to mind. School. Her studies. Her life before all this. Before the marriage. Before Adrian. Before everything got complicated. That thought stayed in her head all morning.

The weekend came faster than Aria expected.After her first week back at school, everything felt different. Lighter. Manageable. For the first time in a long while, she had something outside the walls of the mansion. Something that wasn’t controlled by Adrian.And she enjoyed it.More than she thought she would.Friday had ended on a good note. She had attended all her classes, laughed with Lina, and even stayed a little longer than usual just to soak in the feeling of being normal again.But by Saturday morning, everything changed.Aria woke up with a heavy head.At first, she thought it was just exhaustion. The kind that came from suddenly doing too much after being stuck at home for so long.But then—Her body felt warm.Too warm.Her throat hurt when she swallowed, and her nose felt blocked.She groaned softly and turned on the bed, pulling the blanket closer to herself.“Not now…” she muttered.She didn’t want this.Not when things were finally starting to feel okay.She forced h