Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Billionaire’s Forgotten Bride : Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

The first time Aria Bennett met Ethan Blackwood, he didn’t even look at her twice.He had walked past her in a room full of people, all sharp edges and quiet authority, the kind of man who didn’t need attention because attention followed him anyway.She remembered thinking then—That man would never belong to someone like me.She was right.And yet… somehow, she became his wife.“Mrs. Blackwood, over here!”The camera flashes pulled her back to the present.Aria turned slightly, the weight of her diamond ring catching the light as she lifted her hand just enough for the photographers. Her smile was soft, practiced, almost believable.Almost.Beside her, Ethan stood tall and composed, one hand resting lightly at her waist.To anyone watching, they looked perfect.Powerful. Elegant. Untouchable.A billionaire and his bride.A marriage people envied before it even began.But Aria felt it.The distance.Even now.Even here.His hand wasn’t holding her.It was placed.Measured. Careful. Li

The corridor outside the lounge was too bright.Too polished.Too public.Aria walked anyway.Step. Step. Step.Each one steadier than the storm trying to rise in her chest.She had almost reached the private elevator when voices drifted toward her.Familiar voices.Guests who hadn’t left yet.“…I heard it was strategic.”“Of course it is. Everything he does is.”“And her? What does she get out of it?”A soft laugh.“Security, I guess. Girls like her don’t say no to men like Ethan Blackwood.”Aria didn’t slow down.Didn’t react.But something cold settled under her ribs.Girls like her.Interesting.Three months ago, those same people had smiled at her like she belonged.Now she was already a category.Temporary.Replaceable.“Mrs. Blackwood!”A bright voice cut through the whispers.Too bright.Aria turned.A woman approached, heels clicking with deliberate confidence. Sleek dress, perfect posture, a smile that knew exactly how much space it occupied.Lydia Kane.Socialite. Investor.

By morning, Aria’s name was no longer private.It belonged to everyone.The city screens didn’t sleep. Neither did the news cycle.“Billionaire Ethan Blackwood’s Mystery Bride Speaks”“Marriage Already Ending? Shocking Statement Outside Venue”“Is Elena Vasquez the Real Reason Behind Blackwood Union?”Aria watched it all from a quiet corner of a café she didn’t remember entering.Her coffee had gone cold.Her phone hadn’t stopped vibrating since sunrise.She didn’t answer it.Not Ethan.Not unknown numbers.Not anyone.Instead, she watched herself on screen.Smiling.Calm.Controlled.Like she had planned the collapse of her own marriage.A stranger would think she was fine.Only she knew the truth.She wasn’t fine.She was focused.The barista placed a fresh cup in front of her.“On the house,” he said gently.Aria looked up.“Why?”He hesitated. “You look like someone having a rough morning.”A pause.Then she nodded slightly. “That obvious?”“No,” he said quickly. “Just… human.”Th

The door opened.Elena stepped in like she belonged there.No hesitation. No surprise. Just quiet awareness.Her gaze moved once across the room—Ethan, then Aria—and settled into something unreadable.For a moment, no one spoke.The silence stretched.Tight. Expectant.Then—“I didn’t realize I was interrupting,” Elena said calmly.But she didn’t leave.Aria let out a faint breath.“No,” she said. “You’re right on time.”Ethan’s eyes shifted to her, sharper now.“This isn’t necessary.”“Actually,” Aria replied, her voice steady, “it is.”She turned slightly, facing both of them.“Because I’m tired of being the only one in this marriage who doesn’t know what’s really going on.”Elena watched her more closely now.Not dismissive.Not superior.Just… attentive.“What exactly do you think is going on?” Elena asked.Her tone wasn’t mocking.It was precise.Aria held her gaze.“I think,” she said slowly, “that I was brought into something I didn’t understand.”A pause.“Something both of yo

Aria didn’t leave Ethan’s office immediately.Not because she was unsure.Because she was thinking.For the first time since everything began, she wasn’t reacting to what was happening around her.She was trying to understand it.Piece by piece.Word by word.You were supposed to be invisible.They know now.I married you to keep you alive.The sentences replayed in her mind like something unfinished—like clues she had been given too late.And yet, none of them answered the one question that mattered most.Why her?When she finally stepped out of the office, the hallway felt… different.Not physically.Nothing had changed.Assistants were still moving.Phones were still ringing.Conversations still hummed under control.But beneath it—Something else existed.A subtle tension.Like the air had been disturbed.Aria walked toward the elevator, her steps measured, her posture composed.No one stopped her.No one questioned her.But she could feel it now.Eyes.Not obvious.Not direct.Bu