RETURN OF THE FORGOTTEN BRIDE

ChapterNineteen

JENNA’S POV

It was raining when I made the decision. I watched the droplets streak down the glass of the cabin window, obscuring the city lights beyond. The sound was soothing, almost meditative, as I planned my next move. I had been patient long enough. Natalya, my dear mother, and Lana, Richard’s overly protective one, had resisted for far too long. Now, I would leave them with no choice but to give me what I wanted.

The door clicked open behind me, and Caleb stepped in, shaking off his umbrella. “Storm’s getting worse out there,” he said, brushing rain from his coat. He didn’t bother with pleasantries; he never did. “I assume you’ve been thinking.”

“Always,” I replied, turning to face him. “We’re running out of time, Caleb. Richard isn’t going to wait forever, and I can’t have Natalya or Lana interfering any longer.”

Caleb dropped his coat onto the chair and fixed me with his trademark smirk. “Good. Then we’re on the same page. I’ll handle Lana. She’s predictable, easy to manipulate if you know which buttons to press.”

“And I’ll handle my mother,” I said, pacing the room. Natalya’s resistance had been admirable, but it was wearing thin. I knew her weaknesses better than anyone, and it was time to exploit them.

Caleb raised an eyebrow. “You think she’ll cave? She’s your mother, but she’s no pushover. And as you know, like mother like daughter”

“She doesn’t need to cave,” I said sharply. “She just needs to stop standing in my way. Once she realizes there’s no benefit in opposing me, she’ll fall in line. They both will.”

Caleb nodded, satisfied. “What about Richard? You’ve got him where you want him, right?”

I smiled, a slow, calculating smile. “Richard’s already mine. He just doesn’t know it yet. But there’s something else I need to deal with before we move forward.”

Caleb frowned. “What’s that?”

“A pawn,” I said simply.

Caleb’s confusion turned into intrigue. “Who?”

“You don’t need to know,” I replied, my tone dismissive. “It’s better that way. Just focus on Lana. Make her see reason—or make her afraid not to.”

He hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “Fine. Just don’t let your side of this fall apart. If you fail with Natalya, this whole thing collapses.”

I laughed softly. “Don’t worry about me, Caleb. I always deliver.”

The next morning, I sat across from Natalya in her pristine living room. She sipped her tea with the poise of someone who believed herself untouchable, and it annoyed me more than it should have.

“You’ve been busy,” she said, her tone neutral.

“I always am,” I replied, leaning back in my chair. “But you knew that already, didn’t you?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “What are you playing at, Jenna? Richard is not the man for you, and you know it. This isn’t about love.”

I scoffed. “Don’t lecture me about love, Mother. You wouldn’t know it if it stared you in the face. This is about power, yes, but it’s also about control. Richard needs someone who can help him navigate the wolves circling him. I’m the only one who can and I thought you understood that.”

Natalya set her cup down, her lips pursed. “Richard’s mother will never agree to this. You know that.”

“Lana will change her mind,” I said confidently. “Caleb’s working on her as we speak. And when she does, you’ll be the last holdout. But that’s not why I’m here.”

“Oh?” she asked, her tone skeptical.

“I’m here to offer you a choice,” I said, leaning forward. “You can keep fighting me, trying to block what’s inevitable. Or you can step aside and secure your position when all of this is done. You’ve taught me the value of alliances, Mother. I’m offering you one now.”

Her expression didn’t waver, but I could see the gears turning in her mind. Natalya never acted without weighing every possible outcome.

“And what if I refuse?” she asked.

I smiled, sweet and venomous. “Then you’ll lose everything when I win.”

“Mother knows best,” Natalya said. A phrase she used often while I was growing up. It most times meant trouble.

This time it was subtle and that was good for me

By the time I left Natalya’s house, I knew I had planted the seeds of doubt. She wouldn’t admit it, not yet, but she was beginning to see the futility of her resistance.

I returned to the hotel to find Caleb waiting for me, his expression a mixture of amusement and irritation.

“Lana’s a tough nut to crack,” he said, pouring himself a drink. “But I’m making progress. She’s scared, which is exactly where I want her.”

“Good,” I replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Scared people make mistakes. We’ll use that.”

He raised his glass in a mock toast. “And you? How did Mommy dearest take your ultimatum?”

“She’s thinking,” I said. “She’ll come around. But I still have one loose end to tie up.”

“The pawn,” Caleb said, his curiosity evident.

I nodded. “Yes. The pawn. Someone who could undo everything if I’m not careful.”

“Care to share?” he asked, though I knew he didn’t expect an answer.

I shook my head, my expression hardening. “Just trust me, Caleb. When this is over, you’ll have your share, and I’ll have mine. But first, I need to make sure there’s no one left to challenge us.”

The rain had stopped by the time I reached my destination. The pawn was closer than anyone suspected, moving in the shadows but watching, waiting for a moment of weakness.

But I didn’t have any weaknesses. Not anymore.

As I stood outside the modest apartment building, I reminded myself why I was doing this. Lana, Natalya, Richard—they were pieces on the board, but I was the one controlling the game. And if I had to remove a piece to secure my victory, I wouldn’t hesitate.

I pressed the buzzer, my resolve unshakable. The game was mine to win, and no one—not even this pawn—would stop me.

AMAYA’S POV

Life had finally started to feel normal again. The nightmare of the event which took place in the past few days seemed like a distant memory as I lounged in Dr. Pete’s luxurious penthouse, sipping on freshly squeezed orange juice. He was charming, attentive, and a man who made me believe I could trust again.

But then his phone began buzzing incessantly.

At first, I ignored it, assuming it was work-related. Pete was a respected therapist, always helping others. But the frequency of the notifications tugged at my curiosity, especially since he had been unusually secretive about his phone lately.

“Back in a second,” Pete said as he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the phone on the kitchen counter.

The screen lit up again, and I caught a glimpse of the name Jenna. My stomach flipped. Jenna. A name I hadn’t heard in a while but one tied to darkness, manipulation, danger and the one event I had been trying to silence out. Natalie’s kidnap.

Before I could second-guess myself, I picked up the phone. The lock screen didn’t require a passcode—something I never expected from someone as private as Pete. My hands trembled as I scrolled through the messages.

“Keep tabs on her.”

“Amaya is getting too comfortable.”

“Make sure she doesn’t run again.”

I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. Pete was working for Jenna. My past wasn’t behind me—it had been watching me, waiting to strike.

Suddenly, the sound of the bathroom door creaking open snapped me out of my shock.

Pete’s reflection appeared in the shiny fridge door. He froze when he saw me holding his phone. His expression darkened instantly.

“Amaya,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “Put the phone down.”

I backed away, adrenaline coursing through me. “You’re working for Jenna? You lied to me?”

He took a step closer, his hands clenched into fists. “You weren’t supposed to find out.”

I saw the shift in his eyes, the moment he decided I wasn’t walking out of here alive. He lunged, but instinct and sheer terror took over. Grabbing the closest object—a heavy glass vase—I swung it with all my strength.

The vase shattered against his head, and Pete crumpled to the floor.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I stared at his unconscious form. There was no time to think. I grabbed my bag and ran, not looking back.

Freedom had come at a cost again, but I wasn’t about to let Jenna win. Not now. Not ever.