Lahat ng Kabanata ng ARRANGED TO BE BILLIONAIRE'S SUBSTITUTE BRIDE : Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

AVERY'S POV I woke up slowly, stretching beneath the covers as the morning sun slipped through the curtains. I stayed in bed, enjoying the quiet before reaching for my phone on the nightstand.Honestly, the last few days have been good. Really good. Ever since therapy, James has been making an effort to listen instead of jumping straight into defense mode. He asked what I thought before making decisions that affected me, and when I told him something bothered me, he actually heard me out instead of turning everything into an argument.We still had plenty to work through, but things felt different. Easier. I wasn’t constantly waiting for the next disagreement or wondering when he’d decide he knew what was best for me.And, yeah, I was happy about that.I shifted onto my side, pulling the covers closer, when the baby kicked again.I froze, my hand immediately settling over my stomach.“Oh, my God.” A grin spread across my face. “There you go again.”I waited, barely moving, and felt

JAMES'S POV “I thought someone stopped this whole thing with Daniel using my name to get into that hospital,” I said, staring at my phone. “We uncovered the forged credentials, we knew he was trying to use my identity, and I was under the impression that the mess was handled. So how the hell did he still manage to get Sadie out?”Dr. Harris remained on the line, sounding increasingly uncomfortable. “Mr. Blackwood, I understand your frustration. I can confirm that the discharge authorization is recorded under your name, but I need to review the original documents before I can explain how it was accepted.”“Then send me a copy of everything connected to her release. The authorization, the signatures, the names of the staff involved. All of it. And make sure nobody touches those records until my legal team reviews them.”“I’ll have the relevant documents preserved.”“Good. Because somebody used my identity to remove a patient from your facility, and I need to know how that happened.”I

AVERY'S POV James paced near the living room windows, his phone pressed to his ear while I sat on the couch, trying to keep my mind off Sadie.“Have you confirmed the lakeside property?” he asked his security chief. “I don’t want guesses. I need to know if Daniel was actually there.”He listened, his expression growing more serious.“Then keep checking. And nobody goes in without the police. If Daniel realizes we’re closing in, he could move her somewhere else, and we’ll lose whatever lead we have.”He ended that call only to answer another one from the officer handling Sadie’s disappearance. Every conversation seemed to bring more questions than answers. No confirmed location. No word from Daniel. Nothing we could use to bring her home.I hugged a cushion against my stomach, trying to sit still. I knew James was doing everything he could, but waiting like this was awful. Sadie was somewhere with a man who wouldn’t let her leave, and we had no idea what he might do next.“Okay, keep

SADIE’S POV Daniel insisted we have dinner together, like we were a happy couple enjoying the evening at home instead of a woman being held against her will and the man who refused to let her go.I sat across from him at the dining table, barely touching the food on my plate. Everything looked peaceful, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the locked doors and the guards outside. No matter how nice Daniel made this place look, it was still a prison.“You’re not eating much,” he said, cutting into his steak. “Is something wrong with the food? I can ask them to prepare something else.”“I’m not hungry.”“You need to eat, Sadie. You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”I pressed my fork into a piece of potato. “I’m fine.”Daniel smiled as my answer pleased him. “Uhmm, ok…we need to talk about our plans, though.”I stopped moving my fork. “What plans?”“Finland.” He said it so casually that I almost thought I misheard him. “We’ll leave soon. I’ve already started making arrangements.”My fin

SADIE'S POV Daniel’s arm was wrapped around my neck, and the gun in his hand was held close to my head. I could barely move without feeling his grip against my skin. Across from us, James stood beside the detectives, looking worried as he watched Daniel’s behavior.For a split moment, I forgot about everything happening around me. James was here. He came for me, and the relief I felt was so strong I had to fight to keep it off my face. With Daniel holding a gun to my head, showing any reaction that might set him off was the last thing I needed.My eyes filled with tears. I wanted to call James’s name and beg him to get me out of there, but Daniel’s grip made it difficult to even turn my head. I could only look toward James and hope he understood how scared I was.James stayed where he was, speaking carefully and following the detective’s instructions. He looked worried, but he wasn’t letting his emotions take over. His attention remained on Daniel, and he didn’t make any sudden mo