Alle Kapitel von The Reclusive CEO’s Substitute Bride: Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

Elena’s POVThe heavy wood of the study doors feels miles away as I stand under Alexander’s frozen gaze. He has already replaced the matte‑black mask over his features, hiding the scar once again. The cold, ruthless billionaire is fully back. He stands behind his mahogany desk, his dark, sharp eyes cutting right through my fragile facade.“I am waiting, Alyssa,” he says, his rough voice dropping to a freezing low that vibrates in the quiet space between us. “Tell me why you are hiding behind my curtains like a thief.”“I am not a thief,” I snap back, forcing my pitch to sound high, sharp, and annoyed to match my sister’s temper. “I came to look for you because you left me locked in that freezing West Wing all day. The doors were unlocked, so I walked in. I only stepped behind the curtain because the rain outside looked interesting.”A hollow laugh escapes him, sharp and joyless, like a blade scraping against stone. He slowly walks around the edge of the desk, his boots making a steady

Elena’s POVAlexander's question hangs heavily in the dark air. My tongue feels like lead inside my mouth, but I quickly pull my sister's mask back over my face. I force a loud, careless laugh to leave my lips, tossing my hair over my shoulder with a sharp, arrogant gesture as I stand near the large glass windows."My mother is a highly dramatic woman, Alexander," I snap, crossing my arms and looking directly at his black mask with a bored expression. "She spends her whole life criticizing my hair, my skin, and my clothes. Of course I shrank away from her. I did not want her dirtying my new dress with her heavy makeup. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go and listen to her complaints in the parlor before she breaks your expensive porcelain."I do not wait for his permission. I grab my personal phone from the desk, turn on my heel, and march out of the study with a fast, haughty stride. My bare feet click against the cold black marble floor as I cross back over the line into the West

Elena’s POV I stand by the open parlor doors, my back resting flat against the cold wood frame as my mother's shadow completely disappears around the grand staircase. My knees are trembling beneath my green silk dress. I take a deep, slow breath, trying to push her suffocating French perfume out of my nose. I survived her questions, but my hands are still shaking inside Alyssa's white lace gloves. I turn around to walk back down the long West Wing corridor toward my private bedroom suite. The hallway is dark and cold, the grey afternoon fog outside the high arched windows turning the stone walls into a shadow maze. Every step I take feels incredibly heavy. The Monday morning banking deadline is crawling closer, and I still have no fingerprint to unlock his digital tablet. Suddenly, a tall shape steps out from the darkness near the corner of the grand staircase. I freeze in my tracks, my breath catching instantly in my throat. Alexander is standing there, he leans against the sto

Elena’s POVThe Saturday morning sun brings no real light, only a thick, pale gray mist that clings to the conservatory glass. I pull my white lace gloves up to my elbows, smooth down the fabric of a simple lavender dress, and walk out into the quiet halls. The house feels cold, empty, and heavy with anticipation.I make my way down to the formal dining room for our mandatory breakfast, my heart clicking a steady rhythm against my ribs.When I push the double doors open, the long mahogany table sits empty. There are no flashing digital tablets, no stock charts, and no black coffee steaming at the far end. Alexander is not here."Mr. Sterling is handling an international legal matter from his private quarters today, Madam," Harris says quietly, stepping out from the shadow of the serving buffet. "He will not be joining you for meals."The news lands in my stomach like a heavy stone. He is hiding away in his wing again. If he locks himself behind those doors until Monday, my grandmother

Elena’s POVAlexander does not push away my answer. He continues to lean forward across the glass table, his dark eyes locked onto my face through the lenses of his mask. The amber firelight cracks behind him, throwing deep, moving shadows across his broad shoulders.The quietness between us feels different now. The cold anger is gone, leaving a strange, quiet calm in the room."Tired of being the girl everyone expects you to be," Alexander repeats my words slowly, his gravelly baritone dropping to a quiet murmur. He lets out a low, rough breath. "That is a bad mistake in my world, Alyssa. If you stop acting like the image on your file, people assume you are hiding a secret."I lift my cup and take another slow sip of the hot black coffee, keeping my white lace gloves perfectly steady. "And what does your file say about me, Alexander? That I only care about luxury cars, diamond rings, and fashion galas?""Yes," he says flatly, without a single shred of hesitation.He reaches into his