The cripple who claimeda principessa novel

Julian's voice was incredulous . " Wedding ? Seraphina , what are you talking about ? I'm your fiancé , aren't I ? " I feigned confusion . " Are you ? The marriage contract is clearly signed with Rhys's name . " Before Julian could respond , I hung up . I wasn't about to let some insignificant fool ruin my wedding day . Rhys stood before me , his face wreathed in smiles as he waited . Without the wheelchair , I realized just how tall he was . It turned out that after Rhys's mother had passed , Alistair remarried . His new wife , Julian's mother , was consumed by jealousy .

Determined to see her own son become Don , she orchestrated an explosion meant to kill Rhys . Rhys , aware his stepmother's schemes could prove fatal , had made a calculated choice : he yielded his inheritance to Julian . To convince everyone he was no longer a threat , he faked a crippling injury and confined himself to a wheelchair . After all , no family would ever choose a man who couldn't stand on his own two feet to be their Don .

During those years of feigned disability , Rhys had been biding his time , hiding his strength , and waiting for the right moment to dismantle the faction controlled by Julian and his mother . Unexpectedly , Julian had dug his own grave by swapping their names on the contract . I had simply played along . My family , the Donovans , was one of the most powerful forces on the East Coast . With our backing , Rhys no longer had to fear his stepmother's plots . He could finally reveal the truth and stand proudly before everyone . No one was more overjoyed than Alistair .

As the Don , he immediately announced that the inheritance would pass to Rhys , and that our wedding would proceed at once . Rhys slipped the ring onto my finger and whispered , " I'm sorry I had to deceive You're not angry , are you ? " you . I smiled and shook my head ; I knew he had his reasons . In the time I spent with him , I discovered he was a truly gentle soul . The day my mother took me to discuss the marriage was the first time I had truly met 18:18 6 Chapter 6 him . Before , it had just been a fleeting glimpse from a distant window . But up close , I found him even more handsome .

He sat in his wheelchair , his long , elegant fingers turning the pages of a book . Hearing my footsteps , he looked up and offered a warm smile , his eyes crinkling at the corners . Rhys was witty , humorous , and incredibly knowledgeable . We could talk about anything , and my initial nervousness slowly dissolved as we spoke . As we spent more time together , his consideration for me was boundless . He knew about my migraines , and whenever I'd wheel him out into the gardens, he always kept a small box of my medication in his pocket , just in case .

He offered me a tenderness I had never known . And in the process , I uncovered a secret . One day , while I was pushing his wheelchair through the garden , I noticed a familiar scar on his arm . It threw me back to the day I was first dragged into their family's wars . At a banquet , an explosion had ripped through the hall . Acting on instinct , I shoved a member of the Griffin family to safety , and was engulfed by the flames myself . Just as I was losing hope , a hand grabbed me and pulled me from the inferno . I remembered that arm had a scar identical to this one .

I hadn't seen my rescuer's face clearly , only that he was one of Alistair's sons . Because everyone knew Rhys's legs were supposedly useless , I mistakenly assumed the man who saved me was Julian . That single act of mistaken heroism was why I had remained faithful to him for all those years . When I later asked Julian about a scar , he just brushed it off , saying it had healed . I didn't press him . Seeing me stare at his scar , Rhys chuckled softly . " I think you've figured it out . The one who saved you that day was me . I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner .

If my stepmother had found out I was faking my disability , she would have had me killed ." I didn't blame him . I only hated myself for wasting so much love on the wrong man . Our story began with a lie , but that lie had led me to a beautiful truth . And for that , I suppose I had Julian to thank . After all , he was the one who pushed me right into Rhys's arms . 18:18 Lucia Morh Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she's not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.