His Placeholder Bride, My Bitter Revenge

Trevin

ing here?" The voice, sharp and

ury. Her dark hair, usually wild, was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, revealing a face devoid of makeup

ve instinct I now recognized as uniquely hers, flooding into hi

e with is you leaving me in a clinic and running off to play hero for her." Her eyes, sh

ly touching her arm. "I heard what happene

ndle a few thugs. Unlike some people who can't even keep their promises." She pulled her arm aw

peaking to a fragile child. He turned to one of his security deta

imply Grant, the protector, the unwavering guardian, for her. The tenderness in his eyes, the almost imperceptible softening

of Mama Lu's Noodle House. The cold ni

vino? We have your engagement ring and wedding gifts. Mr. Sutton has arranged for

hem?" I asked, my voice tight. The thought of confronting

er end replied. "Due to the high value, we require a signa

pe. "Fine," I squeezed

and polished mahogany. A stern-faced clerk led me to a priva

g coldly under the halogen lights. He'd said he chose it

as a gift for your wedding day. A family heirloom, we understand. Passed down

was just another piece of evidence in the crushing case against my own heart. I preferred the simpler, modern earrings he

adness in her voice. "Such a shame. Y

we provide you with this. It's a short video, a 'getting to know the coupl

video. This was a new level of torture. "No, thank yo

vino," the clerk insisted, her finger

ttle longer, a faint scar visible above his left eyebrow that I' d never noticed before. He was sitting in what looked like a dimly lit, industria

rant, tell us, when did you f

is lips tilted in a half-smile. "That's a tricky quest

ncy dinner. It was... years ago. She was still a cub reporter, fresh out of college, trying to cover a stor

med in, "So, you were drawn

torn, her hair was plastered to her face with sweat and dirt, and she had a nasty cut on her cheek. She looked

ng the night I almost got jumped,

, even though her voice was barely above a whisper, she told them, 'I'm not leaving until I get my story. You can break my camera, you can

you liked her because she looke

in, suffocating. My vision blurred, the video o

." It was Rebecca's voice, echoing in my mind from a conversation months a

from a friend, "Grant likes strong women, you know. He

mages, the words, they crashed together. Ivory. Rough Mi

the admiration in his eyes, the almost possessive pride in her defiance

ngth, a strength that reminded him of the woman he truly adored, the woman he couldn't control, the woman

ing my foolish heart. The entire relationship, every gesture, every whispered endearment, every sha

ugh my veins. The air was thick, suffocating. The

laceholder. And the realization was a scream