The Tycoon's Secret Wife's Escape

Isabella

When I woke up, I found myself in a private hospital ward, a water drip attached to my arm. My head throbbed, and everything seemed off balance.

'What happened?'

I blinked until my vision cleared and met Grayson's stormy gray eyes, filled with worry.

"Are you alright, Bella?" His voice trembled as he spoke, betraying the composure he always tried to maintain.

My heart lightened at the sight of him. He was the first person I saw, and his presence steadied me.

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"You're back," I said softly, lifting my hand to his cheek. His face was etched with exhaustion, the dark circles under his eyes telling me he'd barely rested.

His fingers trembled against mine. "I wrapped up everything I needed to do abroad as soon as I found out you'd been brought to the hospital. Martha said you hadn't eaten for two days and stayed locked in your room the whole time. Thank God Cassie came to check on you at the villa."

Before I could respond, someone cleared their throat behind Grayson. Only then did I notice my friend standin her arms crossed, a disapproving expression on her face.

Arby,

At the exact moment, there was a knock at the door. Elliot peeked in, his gaze flicking between Grayson and me. The two men seemed to have an unspoken understanding as if they could communicate without words.

"I'll get the doctor," Grayson said, pressing his lips to my knuckles; his touch lingering before he slipped from the room.

The door had barely closed when Cassie rounded on me, her glare sharp enough to cut.

m still not okay with your relationship!" she snapped.

"Why?"

"Because he's always abroad or on some business trip! He's forgotten he has a wife here. Who knows what might have happened to you if I hadn't gone to his villa? You were sick, Bella, and no one even knew!" Her eyes burned with frustration as she shot me another glare.

"I was supposed to go with Grayson to the UK, but since I'm his new talent manager in SummitGlow, I needed to stay and oversee things," I explained, trying to soothe her anger. "Besides, he's young, ambitious, and busy with business."

Cassie's glare didn't soften. "Well, I almost thought he kidnapped you or stuffed you in a sack and took you far away!"

I blinked at her in confusion.

'Dear, what drama have you been watching lately?' I wanted to ask, but her dramatic imagination was the least of my

concerns.

"Sorry... it's all my fault," I said softly, giving her a small smile.

"If I hadn't heard Mr. Blake did everything he could to get back to Los Angeles as soon as possible, I'd still be mad at him." Cassie shared how Grayson even took an economy seat because his private jet wasn't available until the following day.

So that's why my husband looked so exhausted. It explained the wrinkled Italian suit, the dark circles under his eyes, and even the coffee stains on his cuff. A wave of guilt swept over me as I smiled faintly.

"Actually," Cassie added, "Gabriel called me too. He thought you blocked his number again. He said he couldn't reach you and wanted to know if I could find you."

The mention of my ex-fiancé's name made my face sour.

"Wow," Cassie teased. "I never thought I'd see the day you'd look so disgusted just hearing his name

"I'm married, Cassie," I replied firmly. "But right now, my family thinks I'm married to Gabriel. They're probably already verifying the document I showed them with the civil registry, trying to see if it's fake*

I shared with Cassie everything-the dinner at the Prescotts' mansion, how my parents had practically sold me to a ma twice my age, and the unbearable pain they caused me.

"How could they do that to me, Cassie?" I vented, my voice breaking. "Am I not their only child? Why can't I feel the love I deserve from them?”

Cassie frowned thoughtfully before responding, "Honestly, if you didn't look so much like your grandmother. Id think you weren't really their child. No offense, but Charlotte looks more like their daughter than you do

And that's what makes it hurt even more.

"So," she said gently, studying my face like only a best friend could, "Gabriel's really out of your heart, huh?"

I followed Gabriel for five years, and he hurt me more than I can put into words. "This isn't the first time he cheated, after all," I said, my voice laced with sadness. Cassie shot me a sharp look. "And I almost thought you'd never wake up and leave him"

A bitter smile crossed my lips. "I was naïve the first time, babe. Gabriel was my first boyfriend, and it felt different. He tried to deny the other woman, and I believed him. But when I caught him with the second one, that's when I began to worry about myself... and chose to believe him.noveldrama

"I became afraid, as any woman would, and started to accept my situation. As time goes on, it becomes harder to leave a relationship. I kept thinking, I've already invested so many years, and I kept telling myself I could change him. When he proposed, I didn't realize it wasn't because he truly wanted me; it was just to keep me around, to calm me down."

Cassie's face softened a sad understanding in her eyes. I knew she felt what I was saying-after all, she'd been through her struggles with Asher Reid.

"Do you still regret the time you wasted?" she asked gently.

"I want those people to face the consequences," I said, a fire igniting in my chest.

"I want Gabriel to regret it, Cassie. He made me an outsider in his story. I want him to realize I no longer care about him."

"Speaking of unwanted chapters," Cassie shifted uncomfortably, "I saw Tina Montgomery hanging around outside Grayson's villa gates when I came to check on you."