The Billionaire's Runaway Bride Is The World's Coveted Treasure

After midnight, the city sank into an eerie hush. A slim silhouette slipped into the restricted wing of a hospital, incapacitating several guards with a fine sedative spray before easing the remaining mist beneath the door of a single guarded room.

Kathryn Pearson silently counted to thirty, and then twisted the knob and pushed the door open with practiced care.

She padded to the bedside, studying the man's calm, unmoving face, certain the drugs had taken full effect.

Her gaze followed the sharp lines of his features-bold brows, a straight nose, lips carved with precision, and the pronounced Adam's apple that had captivated countless admirers.

He was dangerously good-looking, a man whose appearance and genetic profile were equally flawless.

After exhaustive selection, she had chosen him alone-Nathan Walker.

At last, the genetic research she had devoted years to could be realized: merging her ovum with Nathan's sperm to create a child of exceptional lineage.

Success would free her from her mother's relentless pressure to marry and have children. She could remain independent, on her own terms.

Kathryn's eyes lingered on him as she moved briskly, tugging his trousers down and retrieving a syringe, preparing anesthesia for a swift extraction.

Mid-action, iron-strong fingers suddenly locked around her wrist.

Her head snapped up, colliding with a pair of dark eyes blazing with lethal fury. The shock froze her just long enough for Nathan to reverse their positions, pinning her hard against the mattress.

"Who the hell are you?" Nathan bellowed, murder etched into his stare, as if a single word would cost her breath.

Kathryn hesitated, panic flickering across her face, and then twisted her hand sharply, trying to plunge the needle into his arm.

Nathan intercepted her again, forcing the needle toward her other arm. In her panic, she fired the syringe harmlessly into the air.

Fortune favored her-the dosage was ruined. Had it entered her bloodstream, she would have been utterly defenseless.

Her vivid eyes curved into a calculated smile as a reckless idea surfaced. If precision failed, then she would abandon subtlety.

"Mr. Walker, you're still undressed," she said lightly.

Nathan's face burned crimson with fury, his expression promising violence as he loomed over her.

He had barely shaken off the lingering effects of the sedative when he realized this woman had already yanked down his trousers and brandished a syringe, her intentions impossible to read.

As he fumbled to pull himself together, Kathryn smoothly produced a crystal vial and, without pause, sprayed its contents straight at him.

A heady, overpowering scent erupted, saturating the room in a single breath.

Nathan staggered. His sight swam, heat igniting low in his core and racing outward until a feverish red bled into his vision.

"What did you give me?" he rasped, voice rough and unsteady.

Kathryn's smile bloomed with quiet victory, her lips curving as she taunted, "Feel it? Too late-you're already caught."

"Do you want to die?" Never before had a woman pushed Nathan so far. Fury flared as his grip snapped tight around her throat, veins standing out starkly.

Kathryn twisted just enough to lessen the pressure, grappling with him while silently counting the seconds to the drug's peak.

For a man like him, she was willing to gamble everything.

Even wounded, Nathan's power was overwhelming.

She blocked and struck with deliberate precision, each movement laced with provocation.

Only when his face burned scarlet and his body betrayed him did she close the distance, pressing a defiant kiss to his lips.

"Relax, sweetheart-stop fighting it. You'll like this," she coaxed.

"Get away from me!" Nathan thundered, his last shred of control slipping as his body rebelled.

Kathryn ignored the warning, moving closer with practiced innocence, her hand sliding upward in bold defiance.

He locked onto her delicate features, the tiny mole by her eye pulling him deeper until years of discipline cracked apart.

Kathryn met his gaze evenly and whispered, knowing she held the cure, "Easy now. Don't rush."

In the blink of an eye, she was slammed onto the mattress, pain stealing her breath as his mouth crashed down on hers.

After a brutal struggle, sweat soaked Kathryn's skin as she begged for respite, but he had already surrendered to the storm within.

She had no one to fault but herself, condemned now to withstand the relentless aftermath of her choices.

At last, Nathan went limp in drained unconsciousness, and only then did she push herself upright, anger flaring as she lashed out with a sharp kick to his ribs.

Still seething, Kathryn fished out a coin and pinned it down atop a hastily written note.

The scrawl sneered, "You infuriating man. That performance was terrible! Still, considering the sperm you provided, I'll let it slide-just this once."

She refused to acknowledge that she had ignited the chaos herself, choosing instead to curse his exceptional intellect for cornering her into such extremes.

Task complete, Kathryn gathered herself and prepared her escape.

Her plan was simple-return home, collect her files, and disappear overseas-but the instant she crossed the door, her father, Edwin Lambert, caught her and struck without a word.

Kathryn twisted away in time, her gaze sweeping the room with irritation as she realized the entire Lambert family had assembled inside the Pearson residence at dawn.

With icy composure, she demanded, "Explain this."

"Explain this? You still have the nerve to ask? Sneaking around with some man last night?" Edwin thundered, jabbing a finger inches from her face.

Kathryn's eyes hardened.

For the first time, she saw her normally meek father as someone entirely unfamiliar.

Edwin had moved into the Pearson family residence since marrying Kathryn's mother, Donna Pearson. Kathryn bore her mother's surname, and she had grown up mostly overseas, separated from him by both distance and indifference, and they barely knew one another.

In her memories, her parents' marriage had never held warmth-only formality and long silences.

"So what?" Kathryn shot back coolly. "You seldom come home, and now suddenly show up to scold me on my mother's behalf? Who gave you that right?"

Her contempt was undisguised, sharp as frost.

Edwin's face flushed violently, red bleeding into a bruised purple as fury overtook him. He roared, "You still dare mention your mother? She died in a car crash last night while you were out fooling around with some nobody! You make me sick!"

Kathryn's expression didn't waver. She laughed softly, bitter and fearless. "Is that so? Saying that to jinx my mother now? Fine. Then I'll make sure you go first."

She lunged forward, seized his wrist, and wrenched it hard. A sickening crack echoed through the room.

Edwin's scream tore through the villa.

His mistress, Sylvia Blake, rushed in, helping the collapsed man upright, her eyes burning with malice as she stared at Kathryn-as though she were looking at Donna herself, the woman who had overshadowed her for decades.

Edwin had refused divorce all these years. Now, at last, Sylvia could stand openly in the light.

She flung a document at Kathryn. "See for yourself, you wretch. Your mother is dead. Crushed so badly they could barely identify her."

The paper fluttered to the floor. Kathryn's gaze followed it mechanically. The name printed there was unmistakable-her mother's. Her features froze.

"Kathryn, your mother... she's gone." Vicki Adams, Donna's trusted aide, rushed in from outside, eyes red with tears. She reached out and held Kathryn's trembling hand.

Kathryn's pupils dilated. A numbing cold surged through her veins, locking her body in place.

"Impossible!" The word finally escaped her, broken and shaking. Terror flickered in her eyes as reality crashed down-her mother couldn't be gone, not like this.

Vicki traced two careful words into Kathryn's palm. "Not dead."

The crushing fear in Kathryn's chest loosened slightly. She didn't know what had truly happened to her mother, but she instantly understood-she had to follow Vicki's cue and keep the act going.

Vicki's voice trembled as she spoke, eyes reddened. "Please... come with me to see your mother one last time."

Kathryn turned to leave with Vicki, but Hannah Lambert abruptly blocked her path. "You're not taking another step unless you sign away all inheritance rights," Hannah threatened coldly. "Refuse, and I'll make sure everyone knows you're illegitimate-and that your mother betrayed the marriage."

A smug curve lifted Hannah's lips, naked greed gleaming in her eyes.

Kathryn gave her a single, icy look, and then swung her arm without hesitation. The slap landed hard, sending Hannah reeling before she crashed onto the floor.

"You bitch! How dare you hit my daughter?" Sylvia shrieked as she lunged forward.

Only then did realization strike Kathryn-Hannah was Sylvia's daughter. No wonder Edwin had kept both women close, one as the housekeeper, the other as an adopted daughter.

A nest of vipers.

Kathryn raised her leg and drove her heel straight into Sylvia's abdomen. Sylvia flew backward, slammed into the wall, and collapsed, blood spraying from her mouth.

"Mom!" Hannah screamed instinctively. Panicked, she spun toward the men who had come with them. "What are you standing around for? Grab her! Make her sign it!"

The men froze, staring at the scene in disbelief. None of them dared move. Fear had already taken root.

"Your mother cheated on me, Kathryn. I've endured that humiliation long enough! That property is mine! You won't take a single cent!" Edwin roared, veins bulging. He ordered his men, "Take her down!"

Hearing him insult her mother again shattered the last of Kathryn's restraint. Rage surged. She stormed forward, yanked Edwin down by the collar, smashed him to the floor, and drove her heel onto his already-broken wrist.

Edwin's scream pierced the air-shrill, broken, and desperate. His body convulsed as he begged incoherently, finally realizing how badly he had misjudged her.

He had always thought Kathryn was nothing more than a pampered girl raised abroad. Never once had he imagined she could be this terrifying.

"Get out." Kathryn's voice was merciless. At her command, the three scrambled away, dragging their people with them in blind panic.

Only after silence reclaimed the villa did Vicki finally speak again, her expression grave.

"Your mother was ambushed on her return. We switched her out. The body they found wasn't hers."

The tight coil in Kathryn's chest finally eased. She demanded sharply, "Who tried to kill my mother?"

Vicki let out a long, heavy breath. "All signs point to your biological father."

Kathryn froze in place.

What was this mess supposed to mean? So Edwin wasn't even her biological father? Strangely enough, that realization felt like a weight lifting off her chest.

Vicki slowly unraveled the truth. "In those days, your mother was completely taken with your real father. He refused marriage outright, so she made a reckless choice-forced a one night with him, then vanished and carried you in secrecy."

"Wait-are you saying my mom basically trapped my dad into it?" Kathryn blurted out, her voice wobbling. An odd mix of shock and inherited audacity crept through her.

Vicki hesitated, and then sighed. "In blunt terms... yes. But he never knew it was her. For over twenty years, he's been searching for the woman who disappeared after that night."

"So she staged her death again and went into hiding?"

Once the full picture settled in, Kathryn was left with a storm of conflicting feelings. To avoid arousing her biological father's suspicions, she followed her mother's plan-attending the cremation and sitting through every step as if it were genuine.

When it was finally over, she prioritized her own safety. If Nathan traced her, she would be cornered.

There was no time to linger. She issued swift instructions to Vicki, grabbed her passport, and headed straight for the airport.

She passed smoothly through the VIP channel, scanned her ticket, and walked toward the boarding gate.

"Kathryn Pearson!"

A voice sharp as frost sliced through the space behind her, sending a chill up her spine.

That voice... she knew it.

The person's reflection in the glass wall sharpened, revealing a tall, imposing silhouette closing in.

The instant she tried to flee, men in black suits surged forward, sealing off every escape.

"Turn around," Nathan commanded, his tone coiled with restrained fury.

Nathan-twenty-nine, heir to one of Baxwell's most formidable families. Brilliant, merciless, and the city's most coveted bachelor.

He stopped directly behind her. When she refused to face him, he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous murmur.

"You're the first woman who's ever dared do that to me."

Kathryn's heart skipped violently. Memories from the night before crashed back, heat rushing to her ears until they burned.

Left with no choice, she turned slowly and forced a casual grin.

"Well, Nathan. Small world, huh?"

Nathan's expression darkened further, fists tightening at his sides. "Don't even think about running. You're coming with me."

She muttered under her breath, "Tch. Take away your bodyguards and see if you'd still sound so confident."

Even so, she followed him, trailing behind like a chastened child who knew resistance would only make things worse.

Vince Graham, the aide nearby, caught her offhand greeting and the teasing lilt she used with Nathan, and despite himself, admiration flickered for her sheer nerve.

Onlookers stared as the notoriously distant Nathan escorted a stunning woman away, murmurs rippling through the crowd at once.

"So the crown jewel of the elite has been claimed-there'll be tears from the social set tonight."

"Seriously, did you see his expression? Like he wanted to rip her apart. That's not romance-she definitely crossed him."

"I heard she's Kathryn Pearson. Supposedly her mother died in a traffic accident, and rumors say the woman was unfaithful and paid for it."

...

Inside the polished black sedan, Kathryn watched the man beside her cautiously, the pressure of his simmering anger almost visible.

Without a word, a blade snapped toward her. She moved on instinct, locking onto the wrist that wielded it.

"Homicide isn't a joke. Are you really ready to ruin your life over me? Think twice."

Fire flared in Nathan's eyes, her steady voice only stoking it further as he forced the knife down with savage intent.

"Oh? Then maybe I'll end you and let the ocean take care of the rest."

The menace in his tone sent a shiver through her. She sensed his strength outweighed hers. Unease crept in, and she abruptly shifted gears, adopting reckless bravado.

"So what if I slept with you? If that's the problem, sleep with me again and call it even."

Vince, at the wheel, nearly lost his soul at her words. His foot slammed the brake, and the car skidded to a jarring halt.

The impact pitched them forward. The blade slipped, its edge scoring Kathryn's skin as a thin streak of red bloomed.

Her eyes hardened. Seizing the instant Nathan faltered, she ripped the knife free and flung it into the front seat.

It hit with a dull smack. Vince gaped at them through the mirror, voice trembling. "I-I'm sorry... I braked too hard."

Kathryn spared him a brief look, took the adhesive bandage he shakily offered, and then leveled a glacial stare back at Nathan.

Nathan met her unyielding gaze, memories crashing in-the desperation there last night, followed by her shameless provocation now. His expression darkened further.

This woman truly knew no restraint.

He wrenched his eyes away. If he kept looking, he might actually snap and end her.

Only then did Kathryn inch toward the door, heart racing. Escape wasn't possible yet-she'd have to wait, adapt, and survive moment by moment.