HIS UNCLE’S WIFE: BILLIONAIRE’S REGRET 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 21 - 챕터 30

Damien held Katie’s gaze without looking away as the question lingered between them.“What exactly are you thinking?” she asked again, her voice calm despite the uncertainty she was trying so hard to conceal.Damien sighed. “My father isn’t asking for something unreasonable. He believes we’ve started a real marriage, so does everyone else.”Katie’s fingers tightened unconsciously around the sleeve of her coat. Damien looked toward the large hospital window overlooking the gardens before speaking again. “If we’re going to continue living as husband and wife…”He paused briefly. “Perhaps we should begin doing the things a husband and wife are expected to do.”Katie understood exactly what he meant and her heartbeat became uneven, She drew a slow breath before forcing herself to remain composed. “Okay...”Damien looked back at her. “You agree?”Katie managed a small smile. “We’re married.” She lowered her eyes briefly. “I knew that eventually we’d have to stop pretending in certain area

Evelyn smiled politely before answering. “Mr. Stark said that from the moment you step into that gala tonight, you are not to leave his side for even a second.”Katie frowned slightly. “Why?”Evelyn hesitated before lowering her voice. “His exact words were…” She looked directly at Katie. “‘Tonight, everyone will be watching my wife. Some will come to congratulate her… and some will come hoping to use her against me. Tell her not to trust anyone who approaches her alone.’”Katie’s fingers unconsciously tightened around the sparkling gown. Damien’s warning from the previous day immediately resurfaced inside her mind.“Many people hate me… and now that our marriage has been made public, they’ll come after you.”Katie lowered her eyes quietly. “I understand.”Evelyn smiled reassuringly. “There’s no reason to be frightened, Mrs. Stark. Mr. Stark’s security team will also be present throughout the evening.”Katie nodded gently. “I’m not frightened.”She wasn’t. What unsettled her was the r

Damien inclined his head politely toward the audience before making his way to the stage. The applause followed him until he reached the podium. Katie watched him walk under the lights while the host handed him the microphone. Even from a distance, Damien commanded the entire room without saying a single word. The moment he stepped away from the table, Vivian’s pleasant expression disappeared. She looked at Katie from head to toe, her lips curling into a smile that carried no warmth whatsoever. “So…” she said quietly. “Congratulations.” Katie looked at her politely. “Thank you.” Vivian folded her arms. “I hope you understand what you’ve married into.” Katie remained calm. “I believe I do.” “No.” Vivian smiled faintly. “You really don’t.” Her gaze drifted toward the stage where Damien had begun speaking. Without waiting for an answer, she turned on her heel and walked away gracefully, disappearing into the crowd. Katie released a slow breath. She wasn’t sure whether Vivian dis

Damien drove the rest of the journey in complete silence. The only sounds inside the Porsche came from the steady hum of the engine and Katie’s soft, breathing as she slept against the passenger seat after collapsing in his arms. His mind, however, was nowhere near the road. ‘Brian… is my ex-husband.’ The confession replayed relentlessly. Brian... He was not a stranger nor a man who happened to know Katie after a while of being together. His own nephew!! His jaw tightened unconsciously. Every interaction they had shared since Katie entered the Stark family suddenly rearranged itself inside his mind like scattered pieces finally forming a complete picture. The awkward silences, their restrained conversations, and the strange look Brian wore whenever Katie entered a room. Even tonight. The venom in Brian’s voice when he had said— “Why did you abandon your wife?” At the time Damien had mistaken it for concern. Now… It sounded painfully different. He tightened both hands around t

Morning arrived and sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling curtains, filling Katie’s bedroom with a gentle warmth. She stirred under the blanket, her eyebrows knitting together before she even opened her eyes.A dull throb pulsed through her temples. “Mm.”She lifted one hand to her forehead and immediately winced. It felt as though someone had struck the inside of her skull with a hammer.Slowly, fragments of the previous night began resurfacing. The charity gala, a bottle of champagne, Vivian… her chest tightened.Then another memory flashed through her mind. She remembered standing beside the road and vomiting the taste of alcohol.Katie’s eyes flew open. “Oh no…”She pushed herself upright far too quickly and the sudden movement sent a sharp wave of pain crashing through her head. Her vision spun violently. The room tilted.“Katie…” She reached blindly toward the headboard but missed it completely. Her knees weakened and she fell backward onto the mattress with a muffled