BILLIONAIRE'S UNINTENDED BRIDE

Chapter 49: Vows in the Veil of Night

Chapter 49: Vows in the Veil of Night

Luke

At 11 p.m., as I stepped into the dimly lit ambiance of our living room, my eyes immediately found Emily. She lay there, asleep on the couch, an aura of tranquility surrounding her. The blanket draped around her formed a cocoon of serenity, while the muted glow from the table lamp bathed her in a soft, angelic light. The TV flickered silently in the background, a forgotten book sprawled open on the coffee table, evidence of her waiting for me.

Gazing at her peaceful form, a whirlwind of emotions engulfed me. She embodied everything pure and beautiful in my life, a vivid contrast to the dark, sinister shadow my father had cast earlier that day. The thought of bringing even a speck of that darkness near her, shattering this serene moment, was unbearable.

I moved quietly, picking her up in my arms. She stirred, murmuring my name in a sleepy haze as I carried her to our bedroom. Laying her gently on the bed, the moonlight streaming through the windows caressed her face, highlighting her ethereal beauty. She was the epitome of vulnerability and innocence, and in that moment, I made a silent oath to shield her from the corruption my father represented.

As I slid into bed beside her, sleep eluded me. My father's mocking words echoed in my mind, a chilling reminder of his presence: "You're a mirror image of me, Luke, whether you want to admit it or not." His derisive laughter seemed to linger in the dark corners of the room.

"Damaged goods," he had taunted. Those words cut deep, reopening old wounds I thought had healed. "Just like father, just like son. You'll break her, Luke. You might not harm her physically, but emotionally? That's where you excel."

His insidious suggestions gnawed at me, threatening to unravel the sense of self I had painstakingly rebuilt. But there was Emily, the embodiment of all that was good in my life. Her presence, her love, had begun to heal the scars left by years of emotional abuse. I couldn't – I wouldn't – let his toxic influence seep back into my life, not now when I had so much to lose.

Lying next to Emily, her gentle breathing was a soothing balm against the harshness of the day. Looking at her, a resolute decision took shape. I would keep the truth about the stranger from her, shield our life from the poison that was my father.

I reached out and switched off the bedside lamp, the room now cloaked in darkness. But this darkness felt different – it was not the suffocating shroud I had known but rather a canvas of possibility. In this darkness, Emily and I could forge a future, untainted by the shadows of my past.

Listening to the rhythmic cadence of her breathing, I made a vow to confront and conquer the darkness my father represented. I would face my past, but I wouldn't let it stain our present or our future. I closed my eyes tightly, as if to lock away the remnants of the past. And in the stillness of that night, I finally succumbed to sleep, with a steadfast resolve to protect the love and unspoken bond Emily and I shared.