All Chapters of REBIRTH OF THE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

CHAPTER 21I sank backward onto the mattress, my breath catching in my throat as my body practically melted into the fabric.It felt like lying on a cloud made of feathers. After days of sleeping on a saggy, squeaking spring mattress with a rusty bar digging into my spine, this was pure, undeniable heaven.I looked up, tracing my eyes over the four massive mahogany bedposts stretching toward the ceiling, draped in sheer, delicate white netting that billowed softly in the cool breeze. The air in this room didn't smell like damp paint, dust, or mold. It smelled clean. Fresh. Like lavender and polished oak.I sat up slowly, my bare feet sinking into a plush, cream-colored rug as I looked toward the wall of floor-to-ceiling French windows. They didn't face a dark, suffocating alleyway or a storage shed like my old room did. They opened out toward the front of the estate. From here, I could see the sweeping green lawns, the manicured gardens, the winding stone driveway, and the massive wro

CHAPTER 23The silence of the West Wing suite settled around me like a heavy blanket, broken only by the faint rustle of the beds' sheer canopy netting in the breeze.I lay in the dark, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the soft fabric of the duvet. My mind was spinning, replaying the chaotic fever dream my life had become in less than twenty-four hours.One single day in this room, and I had already survived my stupid thoughts of fantasising a Life in the Lannisters estate, Victoria yanking my hair and threatening my life, followed by an elderly maid feeding me warm broth like I was a human being worth caring for.Such a day!My mind drifted back to the maid again.I squeezed my eyes shut, her tired, sorrowful face flashing in my mind. She had looked at me with genuine pity. She had apologized for not being able to help me. If there was a single person in this sprawling, cold estate who possessed an ounce of humanity, it was her.Tomorrow, I thought, a desperate spark of hope ignitin

Chapter 25I took another tiny bite of my toast, forcing myself to chew until it dissolved into paste, keeping my eyes fixed firmly on the floral pattern of my plate while a silent, raging storm tore through my chest.Across from me, Bella’s annoyingly grating laughter bubbled up for the third time in ten minutes. She leaned so close into Kade's space that her blonde hair was practically entering his mouth. I would've pitied him if I didn't hate him. Her slender, manicured fingers caged his forearm like she owned him, stroking his lapel with shameless affection while whispering something in his ear.And Kade? He remained in her hold. Didn't even look the least perturbed. He sat there sipping his black coffee, acting as though he hadn't crossed the threshold of my suite last night, as though his heavy, alcohol-soaked body hadn't collapsed on top of mine, and as though his mouth hadn't crushed against mine in the dark.I hate him. I despise every single drop of blood running through h

CHAPTER 27I stormed into my suite and slammed the grand double doors shut behind me, the heavy wood shuddering in its frame.My breath came in ragged, furious hitches. My chest was actually burned. My blood roared in my ears like a rushing river.The sheer, unadulterated audacity of that man!He had crept into my room last night like a thief in the fucking night, pressed his alcohol-soaked lips against mine, called me beautiful, and collapsed on my chest—and then had the absolute nerve to stand at the breakfast table twelve hours later and tell me he missed my invisibility."I hate you," I snarled to the empty room, my teeth clenching until my jaw throbbed. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!!!"I paced across the hardwood floor, my hands balling into fists. He treated me like a ghost when it suited him, and an embarrassing nuisance when it didn't. He thought he held every single string to my life.Four days.I had four days until the Autumn Gala. My mind shifted into high alert, bu

CHAPTER 29The morning sun had barely cleared the treeline on the estate grounds when my bedroom door opened. I had been dreaming of different instances where I escaped this estate, but unfortunately everyone has ended with me getting cut. I shrugged off the negativity as I saw who came in.Kade walked in first, his suit jacket immaculate, his expression unreadable as ever. Behind him stood Dr. Evans, holding his black leather medical kit."She's been weak since the last time you were here," Kade said, his deep voice carrying that familiar, possessive edge as he looked down at me on the bed. "Check her over thoroughly, Evans. I need her fully functional and standing on her feet for Saturday night.""Of course, Kade," Dr. Evans replied, keeping his voice strictly professional. "Give us a few minutes."Kade gave me one long, searching look—as if trying to read the secrets buried behind my eyes—before turning on his heel and stepping out into the corridor, pulling the heavy oak door shut