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The Billionaire's forgotten Bride
img img The Billionaire's forgotten Bride img Chapter 3 The Scarred King
3 Chapters
Chapter 7 Drowning in silence img
Chapter 8 The woman in the mirror img
Chapter 9 The Ex-wife's return img
Chapter 10 Victoria's web img
Chapter 11 A smile more dangerous than hate img
Chapter 12 Breaching the distance img
Chapter 13 From warmth to cruelty img
Chapter 14 Amelia's Disappearance img
Chapter 15 The Price of Pride img
Chapter 16 Broken walls img
Chapter 17 Hidden Agendas img
Chapter 18 Maxwell's past img
Chapter 19 A glimpse of you img
Chapter 20 A shocking discovery img
Chapter 21 Between love and duty img
Chapter 22 Unraveling Truths img
Chapter 23 His Child img
Chapter 24 Queen of the Cold War is back. Guess who img
Chapter 25 I want a divorce Maxwell img
Chapter 26 I love you Amelia, Maxwell said. img
Chapter 27 I'm Just a Coward img
Chapter 28 Maxwell weds Victoria img
Chapter 29 Marrying someone else img
Chapter 30 My crush from college img
Chapter 31 I'm glad we ran into each other, Nate. img
Chapter 32 The accusations img
Chapter 33 I'd lost her img
Chapter 34 Torn Heart img
Chapter 35 Nights without Maxwell img
Chapter 36 The return img
Chapter 37 A night filled with passion img
Chapter 38 Away from maxwell's world img
Chapter 39 The empty room img
Chapter 40 Our love story img
Chapter 41 Amelia's and Maxwell's flame img
Chapter 42 A Child I Never Saw Coming img
Chapter 43 The promise that binds us img
Chapter 44 Shadows of the Past img
Chapter 45 Silent Battles img
Chapter 46 The war between me and Amelia img
Chapter 47 In the Shadows img
Chapter 48 The Game Begins img
Chapter 49 The Devil in the Hallway img
Chapter 50 Whispers in the Dark img
Chapter 51 The claim img
Chapter 52 The Fracture img
Chapter 53 cracks in the promise img
Chapter 54 Blood and Bond img
Chapter 55 The Weight of Unspoken Words img
Chapter 56 Between Love and Doubt img
Chapter 57 Through Her Tears img
Chapter 58 The Silent Move img
Chapter 59 The Other Mother img
Chapter 60 The Distance Between Us img
Chapter 61 Shadows Of The Court img
Chapter 62 In The Quiet Of Guilt img
Chapter 63 Between Love and Leaving img
Chapter 64 One month gone img
Chapter 65 Guilt img
Chapter 66 A divorce agreement img
Chapter 67 Amelia is leaving img
Chapter 68 Cruel twist img
Chapter 69 Stuck with my fate img
Chapter 70 I know img
Chapter 71 Maxwell visit again img
Chapter 72 We need to talk img
Chapter 73 Accusations img
Chapter 74 Shattered Night img
Chapter 75 The cracks behind it all img
Chapter 76 Collateral twist img
Chapter 77 Crossroads img
Chapter 78 She doesn't know her name img
Chapter 79 Unanswered Questions img
Chapter 80 The perfect lie img
Chapter 81 Who am I img
Chapter 82 My new family img
Chapter 83 A promise of forever img
Chapter 84 The flight to yesterday img
Chapter 85 Shadows in the sunlight img
Chapter 86 Someone I know img
Chapter 87 Scared of my feelings img
Chapter 88 An obsessed psycho img
Chapter 89 Her lookalike img
Chapter 90 Ashamed img
Chapter 91 Him again img
Chapter 92 The truth img
Chapter 93 My engagement party img
Chapter 94 I found you img
Chapter 95 Just a matter of time img
Chapter 96 The unrecognizable look img
Chapter 97 The famous Ethan img
Chapter 98 The fall of a titan img
Chapter 99 What my eyes saw img
Chapter 100 Amelia Hayes img
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Chapter 3 The Scarred King

Amelia POV

The night stretched on endlessly. The clock on the wall ticked louder with every passing second, and its glowing numbers-12:15 a.m.-mocked me with their stillness. Maxwell wasn't home. Again. It's been two days since we got married and I haven't seen him. I paced the room, the vastness of the mansion swallowing every sound except my restless footsteps. The staff moved about with mechanical efficiency, their faces betraying nothing. No one seemed worried about Maxwell's absence, almost as if his late-night disappearances were a routine. But for me, this wasn't normal. I hated how the unease coiled in my chest. I hated that I was waiting up for him, a man who had made it painfully clear that he wanted nothing to do with me. But most of all, I hated how my heart clenched at the thought of him out there, battling demons I didn't yet understand. I didn't know why I waited for him. I thought to myself, "Could it be out of duty, or maybe I just wanted to get to know the stranger I married a little". The creak of the front door cut through my thoughts like a knife. I froze, straining to listen. Footsteps. I stepped into the hallway, and there he was-Maxwell Cole. My enigmatic husband stood in the dim light, his suit rumpled, tie askew, and the faint scent of whiskey trailing him like a shadow. "You're awake." His voice was low, and rough, as his dark eyes flicked to mine for the briefest of moments. I hesitated, searching for something to say that wouldn't provoke him. "Do you want something to eat? Or... a shower, perhaps?" His lips curled into a bitter smirk. "Don't start playing the perfect wife now. We both know what this is." The sharpness of his tone stung, but I kept my expression neutral. "I was just-" "Don't," he snapped, cutting me off. "Don't think. Don't assume. And don't try to help. I don't need anything from you." Then he said in a mean tone, "It's not like you have any to offer me though!" His words landed like slaps, but what struck me most was the weariness beneath them. His shoulders sagged under an invisible weight, his steps unsteady as he moved past me. My eyes instinctively dropped to his leg-his limp was more pronounced tonight. Before I could stop myself, I reached out. "You're going to fall." He whirled around, his glare icy. "I'd rather fall than let you touch me," he spat, his voice laced with venom. The rejection pierced deeper than I cared to admit. He stood there for a moment as if daring me to speak again, before limping toward his room and slamming the door shut behind him. I returned to my room, tears burning in my eyes. My chest felt heavy, the weight of old memories pressing down-my mother's cruel words about my inadequacies, Lisa's mocking laughter ringing in my ears. Rebecca's cruel taunts and now Maxwell's scorn had simply added another layer to wounds I thought had long scarred over. But as much as I tried to push him from my mind, I couldn't. His limp, the bitterness in his eyes, the scar I'd glimpsed on our wedding day-it all lingered, begging to be understood. The next morning, I woke early, determined to maintain some sense of dignity. Knock softly. Be polite, Amelia. Don't intrude. That was my mantra as I rapped on Maxwell's door before stepping inside. What I saw stopped me cold. Maxwell stood by the window, shirtless, the morning light casting a golden glow over his sculpted frame. But it wasn't his physique that caught my attention-it was the long, jagged scar running down his back. Before I could stop myself, I gasped. He turned sharply, his dark eyes locking onto mine with a mix of anger and vulnerability. "What the hell are you doing?" "I-I'm sorry," I stammered, averting my gaze and stepping back. He crossed the room in three strides, his presence overwhelming. His hand gripped my arm, firm but not painful. "I don't need your pity. Do you hear me?" "I wasn't-" "Don't lie," he growled, his face inches from mine. "Stay out of my way, Amelia. This is the last warning I'll give you." I nodded, swallowing hard, and he released me. I fled the room, my heart pounding. But the image of his scar stayed with me, an unspoken story etched into his skin. I couldn't help but wonder about the history behind the scars on his back and left cheek. And also the limping. Later that afternoon, Maxwell returned from wherever he'd been, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he tossed a garment bag onto the bed. "Get dressed," he said curtly. I unzipped the bag to reveal an elegant black dress, the fabric cool and smooth beneath my fingers. It was stunning, far too extravagant for someone like me. "I don't think I'm the right-" "You'll do what I say," he interrupted, his tone sharp. "This is business, not pleasure. You're my wife, at least on paper, so you'll play the part." His words were clipped, but there was something in his eyes-a flicker of frustration, or perhaps regret? Two stylists arrived shortly after to do my hair and makeup. They worked silently, transforming me into someone I barely recognized. My reflection in the mirror was almost foreign-a woman with soft waves cascading down her shoulders, her face glowing with confidence I didn't feel. When Maxwell came to check on me, he didn't offer a compliment. Instead, his gaze swept over me briefly before he said, "Don't embarrass me tonight. Be on your best behavior". The event was lavish, the room buzzing with energy and the scent of wealth. I stayed close to Maxwell, acutely aware of every eye on us. His hand rested lightly on my lower back, guiding me through the crowd with practiced ease. "Smile," he whispered through clenched teeth. I tried, but the effort felt hollow. Then I saw her-Lisa. She was draped on her boyfriend's arm, her lips curling into a cruel smile as her eyes landed on me. "Well, well, if it isn't Amelia," Lisa drawled, her voice dripping with mockery. "Playing dress-up, are we?" I opened my mouth, ready to respond, but Maxwell beat me to it. "Lisa," he said coolly, his tone sharper than I'd ever heard. "If you have something to say to my wife, I suggest you think carefully before speaking." Lisa's smirk faltered and I could sense fear radiating from her. "I was just joking-" "Don't," Maxwell interrupted. "Not here. Not ever." His hand tightened on my waist, drawing me closer. Then, to my shock, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was brief but deliberate, a message to everyone watching. As he pulled back, his voice softened just enough for me to hear. "Keep your head high, Amelia. You're my wife, and no one gets to disrespect you." The room spun around me as I tried to process his words and his actions. For the first time since our marriage, I wondered: was there more to Maxwell than the cold, unfeeling mask he wore? Or was this just another part of his game?

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