Shadow bound The Billionaires Hidden Bride

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming

Download the Book on the App

Mia Adams stared at the crumpled hospital bill in her trembling hands, her heart hammering against her ribs. Another red notice. Another reminder that her son's life came with a price tag she could no longer afford.

Five years ago, she ran from a life she never asked for-a marriage built on coldness and contracts, not love. Now, she was back in New York, drowning in hospital fees, and the only man who could save her son was the one she vowed never to see again.

Elias Kingston.

Even the thought of his name made her chest ache.

The billionaire who had once been her husband in name only.

The father who didn't know he had a child.

"Mommy, I'm cold."

Her son, Liam, sat quietly on the hospital bed, his small body dwarfed by the white sheets. His lips were pale, eyes dull, but he smiled when Mia came closer, brushing the damp curls from his forehead.

She kissed his cheek, masking her worry with a smile. "Don't worry, baby. Mommy's going to fix everything."

But she didn't know how.

She'd tried every option. Crowdfunding. Loans. Charities. Nothing moved fast enough. Liam's leukemia required an aggressive treatment plan-and it wasn't covered by her minimal insurance.

One name remained on her list.

One man.

She hadn't spoken to Elias since the day she left him five years ago. Back when her father's debt had pushed her into a contract marriage with the cold-hearted billionaire.

Back when she thought she could leave without consequences.

Mia stood, kissed Liam's head again, and quietly stepped into the hallway. Her fingers hovered over the screen of her phone as she typed in the familiar number she swore she deleted years ago.

Elias Kingston - Mobile

Just one call, she told herself.

Just one request. For Liam.

The line rang once. Twice.

And then-his voice.

"Hello?"

She froze. It was deeper now. Colder. More controlled.

"It's... it's Mia."

A pause.

"Mia Adams?" His tone tightened.

"Yes. I- I wouldn't call if it wasn't important." Her voice wavered. "I need to see you."

There was silence on the line, long and sharp.

"You walked out five years ago without a word," he said slowly. "Now you want to see me?"

Her throat burned. "Please, Elias. It's not about us. It's about my son. He's sick."

Another pause. Then: "Where are you?"

The Blackstone Tower hadn't changed.

Polished glass, towering arrogance, and the sharp scent of money.

Mia felt out of place as she stood in the private elevator, wearing a faded coat and holding her breath. Security guards had stared when she gave her name. No one expected the ex-Mrs. Kingston to show up looking like she walked out of a bus station.

The doors slid open to the penthouse office floor, revealing marble floors and cold perfection. A tall assistant in heels nodded and motioned toward the large office at the end.

Mia stepped inside.

Read Now