All Chapters of The billionaire's discarded bride: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"No."The word slipped out before I could stop it. It sounded too small in the drawing room, but it was enough to make the very air freeze.My father slowly looked up from the contract in his hand."What did you say?" Victor Rowan asked, his voice calm.I swallowed, though my throat had already dried up. "I said no."Across from me, Sienna gasped like I had committed a crime."Dad, do you hear her?" she said, one hand flying dramatically to her chest. "She's doing this on purpose."Of course I was.In this house, everything was always somehow my fault.The chandelier above us glittered warmly, but nothing in that room felt warm. Not my father's eyes. Not my mother's face. Not Sienna's trembling lower lip as she sat there in her dress, looking like a fragile angel instead of the woman who had just thrown me into hell."You ungrateful girl," Marianne Rowan screamed coldly. "Do you have any idea what is at stake here?"I almost laughed.For the past week, all I had heard was stake, merge

By the third day of my marriage, I had learned my place in this house. Invisible.I stood just inside the dining room, fingers tightening around the edge of my sleeve as sunlight spilled across the polished silver and crystal glasses. The table was long enough to seat twelve, yet only four places had been set.Vivian Lancaster, Adrian's mom sat at the far end in cream silk, elegant and cold. Beside her, Eleanor Lancaster, his grandmother, stirred tea with thin, delicate fingers, despite her age. Adrian was already there too, dressed in charcoal, scanning something on his phone with a face carved from indifference.No one looked up or even noticed when I entered. For one foolish second, I wondered if I could slip away unnoticed.Then Vivian's voice cut through the silence."You're late."I glanced at the clock. It was Eight-oh-two. A whole two minutes."I'm sorry."She finally lifted her eyes to me. "In this family, punctuality is expected, not applauded."I moved to my seat without a

“What the hell is going on here?”Sienna’s voice sliced through the foyer sharply enough to make the housekeeper flinch.I turned fully toward the staircase.She stood three steps from the top, one manicured hand gripping the banister so tightly her knuckles had gone pale beneath her perfect makeup. Her eyes stayed fixed on the emerald brooch in my palm like she wanted to rip it away from me.Behind me, Adrian loosened his tie slightly, exhaustion still shadowing his face from the hospital, but even he seemed to straighten at Sienna’s tone.The foyer suddenly felt colder.The housekeeper cleared her throat nervously. “Mrs. Eleanor wished for Mrs. Lancaster to have it.”Sienna laughed softly.Not because anything was funny.Because she was angry.“Oh?” she said lightly. “That’s interesting.”Vivian stepped farther into the foyer, elegant heels clicking against marble. Her gaze lingered on the brooch again before settling on Sienna.“It’s late,” she said crisply. “There’s no need to cre

Once again I forgot to breathe.That voice, I knew exactly who it was. I looked back to confirm my fact. Adrian stood a few feet away, one hand tucked into his pocket, his expression unreadable.The older woman's smile faltered."M.. Mr..Lancaster." She stuttered. He didn't look at her immediately.His gaze found mine first.Only for a second.Yet something about it made my chest tighten.Then he turned toward the group of women."I wasn't aware marriages were classified as stolen property," he repeated calmly.The ballroom was silent.The older socialite laughed awkwardly."Oh, I was only joking.""Was that supposed to be funny?"The smile nearly slipped off her face.Several guests became very interested in their tea.Nobody wanted to be caught in the middle of Adrian Lancaster's displeasure.The woman cleared her throat."I meant no offense, honestly.""Then choose your words more carefully."His tone never rose.Which made the situation worse.Silence stretched across the room.

I didn't answer immediately, The question caught me off guard that I wasn't sure on what to say. So the question just hung between us.Why did you agree to marry me?A year ago, I would have answered without hesitation.Because my family forced me.Because I had no choice.Because saying no had never changed anything.But standing in the kitchen at one in the morning, looking at Adrian across the counter, those answers suddenly felt incomplete.Not wrong.Just incomplete.Because somewhere along the way, things had changed.Or maybe I had.I looked away at first."My family needed the Lancaster deal."His gaze remained on me."That's all?"I swallowed hard.The answer should have been yes.Instead, something inside me tightened.Because that wasn't all.There had been another reason,A very stupid and childish one at thatOne I had never admitted to anyone.Not even myself.Before the wedding, before the deception, before everything went wrongI had seen Adrian Lancaster exactly twi