The Billionaire’s Wedding Trap - Chapter 10: Chapter 10
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Cain turned his face away, but the way he crossed his arms betrayed his irritation.
"Cain," Aliya pressed, stepping closer. "Tell me the truth. Are you in love with Elle?"
He froze mid-step, whirling around with a glare. "Are you out of your damn mind, Aliya?"
She tilted her head, studying him. "You've been fixated on her from day one. You didn't even blink when I told you to marry her, and now that she's gone, you're a wreck. So tell me—was this ever about the company, or did you actually fall for her?"
His fists clenched at his sides. "I don't have time for this. I've got work to do."
"I think you do have time," she shot back. "Because right now, Elle's missing, and you're more concerned about her coming back than salvaging this disaster with the company."
He took a threatening step forward, his eyes dark. "You think I care about Elle? She was a pawn. A means to an end. That's it, Aliya."
She held his gaze, searching for any flicker of hesitation. "Then why do you look like a man who just lost something he never meant to lose?"
Cain turned away sharply. "You don't know what you're talking about."
She narrowed her eyes, sensing the lie beneath his words. But for now, she let it go.
"Fine," she said, rising from the couch. "But you'd better fix this, Cain. If the company slips through our fingers, we'll both have nothing."
"I'll handle it," he growled.
Aliya strode out of the office, her mind racing. She needed to keep a close eye on Cain now. If he was starting to doubt her, she had to be careful.
Very careful.
Because he didn't know about Elle's pregnancy—or that she'd found Elle tonight. But the stupid girl had slipped through her fingers again.
Elle's POV
James finally stopped the bike in the garage of a penthouse. The moment my feet hit the ground, he ushered me inside, locking the doors and checking the security system like a man expecting an ambush.
"Go rest," he said, nodding toward the bedroom. "After today, you need it."
I stared at him, still drowning in questions. But exhaustion weighed me down like an anchor, so I just nodded and stepped into the room, shutting the door softly behind me.
The bed was massive, the sheets cool against my skin. I curled into them, pulling the blanket over my trembling body.
Eventually, my eyelids grew heavy, and I drifted off.
Then the nightmares came.
My baby's cries echoed in my ears. Aliya's twisted smile flashed behind my closed lids. The shove. The sickening drop over the railing. The searing pain when I woke up alone in that hospital room.
I jolted upright with a scream, my chest heaving, my skin slick with sweat. The room was pitch black, and my fingers dug into the blanket like claws.
The door burst open. James rushed in, eyes wild with concern. "Elle, what's wrong?"
I tried to speak, but my throat had closed up.
He moved slowly, sitting on the edge of the bed. His hands were cold as they wrapped around mine, squeezing gently. "Talk to me," he murmured.
"Aliya… she pushed me."
His expression darkened. "What?"
"I was pregnant, James." My voice shattered. "She knew. And she threw me down the stairs."
His grip tightened, his whole body going rigid. I could feel the fury rolling off him as his jaw locked.
"She what?" he growled.
I swallowed hard, the pain in my chest crushing. "Cain never knew. And I lost my baby."
Tears spilled over, hot and relentless.
James shook his head, then pulled me into his arms.
I stiffened for a second—then melted into him, burying my face in his chest as sobs wracked my body. He held me, one hand rubbing slow circles on my back while the other kept me anchored against him.
Aliya had taken everything from me—my life, my inheritance, my father… and now my child.
Just like Cain had taken everything from James.
Eventually, my breathing steadied. James shifted, climbing into the bed beside me and pulling the blanket over us both.
He wasn't leaving me alone tonight.
And I didn't want him to. Not when, for the first time in so long, I felt safe in his arms.
No matter what it took, I would make Aliya and Cain pay for what they'd done.
And now, I knew—we'd destroy them together.
"Cain," Aliya pressed, stepping closer. "Tell me the truth. Are you in love with Elle?"
He froze mid-step, whirling around with a glare. "Are you out of your damn mind, Aliya?"
She tilted her head, studying him. "You've been fixated on her from day one. You didn't even blink when I told you to marry her, and now that she's gone, you're a wreck. So tell me—was this ever about the company, or did you actually fall for her?"
His fists clenched at his sides. "I don't have time for this. I've got work to do."
"I think you do have time," she shot back. "Because right now, Elle's missing, and you're more concerned about her coming back than salvaging this disaster with the company."
He took a threatening step forward, his eyes dark. "You think I care about Elle? She was a pawn. A means to an end. That's it, Aliya."
She held his gaze, searching for any flicker of hesitation. "Then why do you look like a man who just lost something he never meant to lose?"
Cain turned away sharply. "You don't know what you're talking about."
She narrowed her eyes, sensing the lie beneath his words. But for now, she let it go.
"Fine," she said, rising from the couch. "But you'd better fix this, Cain. If the company slips through our fingers, we'll both have nothing."
"I'll handle it," he growled.
Aliya strode out of the office, her mind racing. She needed to keep a close eye on Cain now. If he was starting to doubt her, she had to be careful.
Very careful.
Because he didn't know about Elle's pregnancy—or that she'd found Elle tonight. But the stupid girl had slipped through her fingers again.
Elle's POV
James finally stopped the bike in the garage of a penthouse. The moment my feet hit the ground, he ushered me inside, locking the doors and checking the security system like a man expecting an ambush.
"Go rest," he said, nodding toward the bedroom. "After today, you need it."
I stared at him, still drowning in questions. But exhaustion weighed me down like an anchor, so I just nodded and stepped into the room, shutting the door softly behind me.
The bed was massive, the sheets cool against my skin. I curled into them, pulling the blanket over my trembling body.
Eventually, my eyelids grew heavy, and I drifted off.
Then the nightmares came.
My baby's cries echoed in my ears. Aliya's twisted smile flashed behind my closed lids. The shove. The sickening drop over the railing. The searing pain when I woke up alone in that hospital room.
I jolted upright with a scream, my chest heaving, my skin slick with sweat. The room was pitch black, and my fingers dug into the blanket like claws.
The door burst open. James rushed in, eyes wild with concern. "Elle, what's wrong?"
I tried to speak, but my throat had closed up.
He moved slowly, sitting on the edge of the bed. His hands were cold as they wrapped around mine, squeezing gently. "Talk to me," he murmured.
"Aliya… she pushed me."
His expression darkened. "What?"
"I was pregnant, James." My voice shattered. "She knew. And she threw me down the stairs."
His grip tightened, his whole body going rigid. I could feel the fury rolling off him as his jaw locked.
"She what?" he growled.
I swallowed hard, the pain in my chest crushing. "Cain never knew. And I lost my baby."
Tears spilled over, hot and relentless.
James shook his head, then pulled me into his arms.
I stiffened for a second—then melted into him, burying my face in his chest as sobs wracked my body. He held me, one hand rubbing slow circles on my back while the other kept me anchored against him.
Aliya had taken everything from me—my life, my inheritance, my father… and now my child.
Just like Cain had taken everything from James.
Eventually, my breathing steadied. James shifted, climbing into the bed beside me and pulling the blanket over us both.
He wasn't leaving me alone tonight.
And I didn't want him to. Not when, for the first time in so long, I felt safe in his arms.
No matter what it took, I would make Aliya and Cain pay for what they'd done.
And now, I knew—we'd destroy them together.
End of The Billionaire’s Wedding Trap Chapter 10. Continue reading Chapter 11 or return to The Billionaire’s Wedding Trap book page.