The Billionaire's Accidental Bride

CHAPTER TWELVE

Mine to Protect I shouldn’t have eavesdropped. But hearing Cole say he was falling for me? It made everything worse. Because I was falling, too—and I hated that. The next day, Cole called an emergency press conference. He stood beside me, confident and cold as ever. “To be clear,” he announced, “my wife and I married for love. Any rumors to the contrary are lies.” Then he dropped a bomb: “The video being threatened against us is fabricated and illegal. Legal action is already underway.” My eyes widened. That was bold. After the cameras left, I pulled him aside. “You lied.” “I protected you.” “And what if they find out the truth?” “They won’t.” That night, he held me tighter than usual in bed. No touches. Just heat and silence. “Thank you,” I whispered. “For what?” “For choosing me.” He didn’t reply. But he didn’t let go. I woke the next morning to roses by the bed and a note: Let’s disappear for a while—just us. He’d planned a weekend away in the Hamptons. No assistants. No phones. Just Cole and me. And feelings we couldn’t fake anymore. That evening, as we walked along the beach, barefoot and quiet, I said it aloud. “I’m scared I’m falling for you.” He stopped walking. “I need to tell you something too,” he said. “But once I do… you might never look at me the same again.”