All Chapters of The Billionaire's Exchanged Bride : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Third person povThe bubbly champagne danced against the rim of the crystal flute as Aria traced the glass with a manicured red nail. Her eyes remained locked on the glowing phone screen, staring at the snapshot of Ethan holding her sister with such fierce, unguarded tenderness. A low, throaty laugh slipped past her lips, echoing off the expensive Italian marble of her temporary Manhattan suite. "Look at him," Aria murmured to the empty room, shaking her head with dark amusement. "The ruthless billionaire, completely wrapped around my twin's little finger. He really has no idea."She tossed the phone onto the plush duvet, walking over to the floor-to-ceiling windows to watch the restless, glittering river of traffic crawling across the city below. The skyline of New York stretched out infinitely, a towering monument of concrete, steel, and unbridled ambition—and she intended to reclaim her crown at the very top of it. She raised the champagne flute to her lips, taking a slow, appre

Ariana ~ The torrential rain that had battered the Manhattan skyline all afternoon had finally cleared, leaving the city slick, glittering, and washed in brilliant hues of amber and neon. Instead of driving straight back to the suffocating confines of the Vaughn estate after Eleanor’s grueling high-society luncheon, Ethan had bypassed the highway entirely. Without a word of explanation, his Maybach had slipped through the bustling streets of downtown until it pulled up quietly outside one of the city's most exclusive, reservation-only rooftop restaurants—a place where the glass terrace seemed to float directly among the stars. Now, sitting across from him at a secluded corner table draped in crisp white linen, I felt a rare, intoxicating sense of lightness wash over me. The flickering candlelight danced across Ethan’s sharp, chiseled features, softening the ruthless corporate exterior that the rest of the world saw. He had discarded his suit jacket hours ago, rolling his cri

Ariana pov ~"Stop worrying so much, or you'll give yourself wrinkles before you're thirty."Ethan's rich, warm laughter broke through the heavy silence of the car, entirely dissolving the tense atmosphere in a single breath. He shook his head, sliding his arm around my shoulders to pull me tightly against his side as the Maybach rolled smoothly through the iron gates of the estate. I let out a genuine chuckle, the last lingering shreds of my brief anxiety melting away into the plush leather seat. He was right. I was spending half my life bracing for a storm that hadn't even arrived yet. Aria was out there in Manhattan living her own life, miles away, and for tonight, the sprawling limestone mansion ahead was just our home. "I'm not getting wrinkles," I teased, turning my head to look up at him with a grin, resting my hand comfortably over his chest. "I take very good care of my skin, Mr. Vaughn.""Clearly," Ethan murmured, his obsidian eyes softening with a heavy, undisguised adora

Ariana pov ~The heavy timber of the cabin walls radiated a deep, comforting warmth, shielding us completely from the howling mountain wind outside. A massive stone fireplace crackled in the corner, casting flickering golden shadows across the rustic living room. I sat curled up on the oversized leather sofa, wrapped in a thick cashmere blanket, staring idly into the flames. Across the room, Ethan was standing by the panoramic window, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he poured two cups of freshly brewed coffee. But even from a few feet away, I could feel the weight of his gaze resting on me, heavy and analytical. "You've been unusually quiet all afternoon, Aria," he murmured, crossing the room with a steady, unhurried stride. He handed me a ceramic mug before settling onto the cushions beside me, stretching his long arm along the back of the sofa. "First you were staring at the blueprints for the nursery like they were a tactical puzzle, and now you look like you're miles awa

Ariana ~The drive back from the cabin on Sunday evening felt entirely different from the trip up. The crisp mountain air had done nothing to clear the heavy, suffocating weight pressing down on my chest. Every mile we covered brought us closer to the city, closer to the estate, and closer to the reality I was desperately trying to outrun.Ethan kept one hand resting comfortably on my thigh as he drove, his thumb occasionally tracing lazy circles against the fabric of my trousers. It was a gesture meant to comfort, but it only served as a constant, burning reminder of how tightly his life was entangled with mine. "We'll have the contractors start on the east wing by Tuesday," Ethan said, breaking the quiet hum of the engine as we passed through the iron security gates of the estate. "I want the initial framing finished before I have to fly out to Geneva next month.""Geneva?" I echoed, turning my head to look at him as the SUV glided to a smooth halt under the grand portico. "You did