All Chapters of The Billionaire in oil-stained hands : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

. Chapter 22 Fafane The marriage license felt heavier than a single sheet of paper should. I ran my thumb along the edge as I stepped out of the civil office, the afternoon sun warming my skin. Last time, I had walked out of this very building smiling because I thought I was marrying the love of my life. What a fool I had been. I slid the license into my purse before hailing a taxi. “Where to, miss?” “Louis Corporation,” I replied. The driver nodded, pulling into traffic. I leaned my head against the window as buildings blurred together. In my previous life, Henry had insisted on choosing everything: the venue, flowers, the guest list, and even the wedding date; he claimed it was lucky. I almost laughed. There had been nothing lucky about marrying the man who helped destroy my life. This time, I had chosen the date myself, and it would be a completely different day, not because dates held magic, but because I refused to let history repeat itself. The taxi stopped outside

Chapter 24 Fafane We've been going from shop to shop, trying on dress after dress, and each time Tessa would insist on taking a picture, sending it to Henry, and he would always find something wrong with it. It's either the back was too low, there was too much cleavage, or it showed too much skin. At one point, I decided to have her try on one of the dresses, take a picture, and send it to Henry on her phone. The reply came instantly: “Wow, now that's a bride” Of course he would say that; I'm not the one in it. “If you’re going to marry Henry, you have to look perfect.” Tessa’s voice rang through the bridal boutique as if she owned the place. I sat silently watching her while I thought about the past, when I was here with her; I had believed every smile, every compliment. Now all I saw were expensive lies wrapped in lace. “Miss Louis!” the consultant greeted warmly. “We’ve been expecting you” She gestured toward a raised platform surrounded by mirrors. “We’ve selected a few

Chapter 26 Fafane Henry insisted that we have this dinner date. I could tell he wasn't here for a meal, but rather for information. A man like him won't let go of the fact that I closed the card that was in his hand, but he won't come right out and say it. No, he is coming around the side to find the information. “You look beautiful.” Henry’s smile was as charming as ever. In another life, those words would have made my heart race; now they only reminded me of how convincing a liar he could be. “Thank you,” I answered politely. He pulled out my chair at the upscale restaurant before taking the seat across from me. The waiter arrived almost immediately. “Would either of you like wine?” “I’ll have sparkling water,” I said. Henry chuckled. “Still the responsible one.” Always, around you, someone had to be. The restaurant buzzed with quiet conversations, clinking glasses, and soft piano music. Henry leaned forward. “I’ve been thinking.” That was rarely a good sign. “We’ve be

Chapter 28 Fafane The envelope sat untouched on my desk for nearly ten minutes. It was white, thin, and plain, unremarkable, yet it held answers I had spent an entire lifetime searching for. A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. “Miss Louis?” “Come in,” I said. The laboratory courier stepped inside with a clipboard. “I just need your signature.” I signed my name without a word. “Thank you. Have a good day.” “You too.” The door clicked shut behind him. Silence returned. I stared at the envelope again before finally reaching for it. Slowly, I broke the seal. Inside were several pages, filled with DNA analysis. I skipped to the last page. “ No biological relationship detected” The words blurred for a moment, not because I was surprised. No, now they were finally real. I closed my eyes. “I knew it.” The whisper barely left my lips. All those years, every cold stare was a reminder that I wasn’t truly part of the family, and the moment I questioned why I was treated differently

Chapter 30 Fafane The morning of my wedding arrived without excitement; there were no butterflies, no nervous laughter, and no dreams of forever; there was only silence. I stood before the full-length mirror as the hairstylist adjusted the final strand of my hair. “You make a beautiful bride.” I met my reflection in the mirror, the woman staring back at me wearing a perfectly fitted white gown; the veil rested lightly over my shoulders. To everyone else, I looked like a woman about to begin the happiest day of her life. Only I knew this wedding wasn’t the beginning; it was the end of one life and the beginning of another. Outside the bridal suite, voices echoed through the hallway. “Everything is ready.” “The guests have arrived.” “Where’s the photographer?” The wedding planner hurried inside. “Miss Louis, it’s almost time.” I nodded. “I’m ready.” Was I? No. I was prepared; that was a difference. The church was breathtaking; the aisle was lined with white roses, and crystal