All Chapters of The Bride he never wanted : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The first scream came from the bridal suite.Eva Hart looked up from the seating chart in her hands. A makeup artist rushed past her, nearly knocking over a tray of champagne."What happened?" Eva asked, catching the woman's arm."The bride..." The woman's face had gone pale. "She's gone."Eva frowned."Gone where?""I—I don't know."For a second, the world around her seemed to stop.Outside, a string quartet continued playing as though nothing had happened. Guests laughed over glasses of champagne. Camera flashes lit up the entrance of the Blackwood Estate.Inside, panic spread like wildfire.Eva pushed open the door to the bridal suite.The room looked as though someone had left in a hurry.A wedding gown hung neatly on its stand.The bouquet rested on the vanity.An expensive pair of heels sat untouched near the mirror.But the bride...Was nowhere to be seen."Search every room," Eva said, already pulling out her phone. "The gardens. The guest house. Everywhere."Her assistant nod

The hallway fell silent.Eva stared at Richard Blackwood, certain she had misheard him."I think I've just found one."His eyes remained fixed on her.She let out a small, nervous laugh."That's... not funny.""I'm not joking."The smile on Richard's face didn't reach his eyes.Eva looked from him to Adrian, expecting him to shut the idea down immediately.Instead...Adrian said nothing.Her heartbeat quickened."You can't be serious," she whispered.Richard folded his hands behind his back."The guests don't know the bride personally. Most of them are business associates. The ceremony hasn't started, and the press hasn't seen her yet."He turned to Adrian."The merger survives."Eva stared at him in disbelief."You can't replace a bride like she's a missing decoration.""No," Richard replied calmly. "But we can replace a woman who has already chosen to leave.""I said no."Richard raised an eyebrow."I wasn't asking you."Something about the way he said it made Eva's blood boil.She

The digital clock on Eva's bedside table read 11:17 p.m.She hadn't changed out of her work clothes.Her apartment was quiet except for the steady ticking of the old wall clock in the living room.On the small coffee table lay a white envelope.She had tried putting it in a drawer.Then into her handbag.Finally, she'd placed it back on the table.No matter where she moved it...It always seemed to find its way back into her thoughts."If you change your mind, call me before midnight."She read the sentence again.And again.Her phone buzzed.It was a text from Noah.«Don't forget to eat tonight. You're always taking care of me, but someone has to take care of you too. 😊»Eva smiled despite herself.Then the smile slowly faded.He had no idea what tomorrow might bring.She typed back quickly.«I already ate. Get some sleep. I'll see you first thing in the morning. ❤️»A few seconds later, the three little dots appeared.«Promise?»Eva swallowed the lump in her throat.«Promise.»She

Morning arrived without feeling like morning.The pale sunlight filtering through the hospital windows did little to chase away the exhaustion weighing on Eva's shoulders. She hadn't slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Noah lying motionless in the hospital bed, then Adrian's calm face as he offered her a future she had never imagined.She sat beside Noah, watching him sleep peacefully.His breathing was steady now.The frightening episode from the night before seemed like a distant nightmare, yet the doctor's words continued to echo in her mind."If the payment isn't made today, we'll have to give the operating room to another patient."Today.There were no more extensions.No more promises.No more miracles.A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.Dr. Collins stepped into the room carrying a tablet in one hand. His usually reassuring smile was absent."Good morning, Miss Hart."Eva stood immediately."Morning, Doctor."He glanced at Noah before lowering his voice."Would yo

The first thing Eva noticed when she stepped out of the private car was the silence.Not the peaceful kind.The tense kind.The kind that made her feel as though something was waiting just beyond the walls.She stood beneath the covered entrance of Blackwood Tower, staring at the massive glass building in front of her.Less than an hour ago, she had walked down a quiet hallway at Blackwood Estate as a single woman.Now she was married.To Adrian Blackwood.The thought still felt impossible.Her fingers instinctively touched the platinum band on her left hand.Adrian noticed."You keep looking at it."Eva immediately lowered her hand."I do not.""You've done it several times."She glanced at him."You were counting?""I notice things."His answer was so matter-of-fact that she couldn't help the tiny smile that appeared on her lips."Apparently."For a second, Adrian simply looked at her.Then his expression returned to its usual composure."Come."They stepped inside.The private entr