The Bride He Took For Granted novel Chapter 25

< The Bride He Took for Granted

Chapter 25

Since Laurel wouldn’t let it go, Harold replied to Elise.

[Tomorrow night. Eight.]

Elise sat in the living room with her phone in hand, waiting for his answer. Her eyes lit up when the message came through.

She quickly typed back.

[Would Mosaic Fusion Bistro be okay?]

The message went through. Before Harold could reply, her phone rang.

Landon’s name flashed across the screen.

Elise ignored it.

He called again.

This time, she answered.

Landon snapped, “Has Chloe lost it too? She came at17:17 us like a rabid dog. This is between vou me and loan

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Elise took a breath. “I don’t know exactly what Chloe said, but she wouldn’t have come after you for no reason.”

“You and Joan clearly don’t care about boundaries, so why do you care what anyone says?” Her voice stayed even. “And you don’t need to call me just to yell at me. You like Joan. I’m fine with that.”

Then she hung up.

Landon was furious, but her words threw him off.

What is that supposed to mean? Is she jealous? Or is she just tired of fighting me and finally giving in?

Just then, Joan stepped out of the bathroom in a fitted black satin nightgown.

Landon stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, still in the suit he’d worn all day. He seemed lost in thought.

He had put her in the guest room instead of the master bedroom.

He and Elise had painted the master bedroom together, and, he’d assumed Joan wouldn’t feel comfortable 17:17 sleeping there.

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a five-star hotel suite.

Moonlight poured through the windows. Beyond them, trees and flowers framed a quiet lake.

Joan had never imagined living like this.

People said there was no going back once you got used to luxury.

Now that she’d had a taste of it, she had no intention of returning to her old life.

Landon caught the faint scent of her perfume.

A moment later, Joan wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and rested her cheek against his back.

“Can you stay tonight?”

“This place is huge.” She held him tighter. “I hate being here alone.”

Landon knew exactly what she was asking.

He couldn’t deny that he wanted her.

17:17

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further. But whenever he started undressing her, Elise’s cold expression would flash through his mind.

His desire would disappear, and he’d pull away.

The night Joan got pregnant, he’d been drunk. Most of it was a blur.

He only remembered fragments-being on top of her and hearing her say it hurt.

Joan turned him around, rose onto her toes, and kissed

him.

For a moment, Landon let himself respond. His breathing grew heavier.

The dog scampered into the room, the bell on its collar jingling. With a soft whine, it wriggled between them.

As Mochi brushed against him, Chloe’s words came rushing back.

Elise had given up on adopting a dog because he’d lied about being allergic.

4/7

His chest tightened.

1 17:17

18

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still have work to finish. Mochi can keep you company.”

He bent down and ruffled the dog’s curls. “Keep Mommy company, okay?”

Without another look at Joan, Landon left the home he and Elise had once planned to share and drove straight to

the White Manor.

The staff told him Elise had moved out two weeks ago.

Leonard and Sharon had never paid much attention to her. Neither of them even knew where she was living now.

Anger surged through Landon, with nowhere to go.

She’s been gone for two weeks, and she didn’t tell me?

We’re not even officially over.

******

The next day, Elise went to work at Novatech Global as

usual.

17:17

She couldn’t spend all her time on Echoes of Will. That would make her intentions too obvious.

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She polished the AI-generated drafts and adjusted the dialogue to fit each character’s voice.

That afternoon, she presented her work during a meeting

with Landon.

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