The Billionaire's Silent Bride: Unspoken Vows

gasp, her lungs seizing

he rough cotton blend she had washed a thousand times in a Queens laundromat. The air smelled different here. It smelle

ght flashes of the previous night. A bar. The burn of alcohol she

rned h

d even. even in sleep, he looked dangerous. His jaw was set tight, his dark hair messy agains

d liquid, floo

e, she commanded her racing heart. In

though the terror remained a cold knot in her chest. She had to leave. Now. Be

ry muscle controlled to prevent sound. Her dress, a cheap navy thing she had bought at a thrift store, was a cru

for her purse. It w

te shells. No logos. No distinguishing marks. Her own cheap, cracked phone lay

vision blurred slightly from the hangover. She snatched the

ck at Dorian. She

n the silence. The elevator ride down was a blur of mirrored reflections she refused to look at. S

ok at her. To him, she was

xposed arms, raising gooseflesh. Ines wrapped her arms arou

melled of stale sweat and breakfast sandwiches. The noise was deafening-the screech of metal

xed hands, open and gesturing. The man across from her clutched a

he truth whe

oil. She kept her head down, the brim of her invisible hat pulled low, navigating the cracked s

had seen better decades. The front door lock was broken aga

irs to the fourth fl

ment door

gainst her ribs. She

een pulled out and dumped on the floor. Her few books we

ette smoke was thi

resting on her overturned desk. He was her uncle, her only livin

ok sorry. He took a drag from his cigaret

he asked, his voic

familiar, paralyzing spasm. No sound came out. It wasn't that she di

ers forming the shapes of Amer

away. "Don't give me that hand-wa

wo strides. Ines flinche

spat, looming over her. "Empty

ents onto the floor. A tube of lipstick, a few coins, he

was no

yes landed on the phone. It looke

ched f

e. A jolt of adrenaline shot through her. She didn't know why, but

shov

e wall. Pain radiated down her arm, but she curl

of rot. "Keep the damn phone. But the nursing home called. They're kicking the old

mming the door so hard plaster

ching the phone, the silenc