The Strange Groom's Cursed Bride-Chapter 78: Drive, finally!

The urge to stay buried under her pillows, mortified and invisible, was strong.

Overwhelming, even. But the sleek black key, the glossy, bank-nameless card, and the gate pass lay on her nightstand, a silent, audacious dare.

Hades had told her to go out. To drive. To shop. To do... whatever women do. And despite every fiber of her being screaming no, bad idea, you’ll be kidnapped by a rival conglomerate, a tiny, rebellious spark flickered.

It was only a few minutes past 8 PM. The city lights would be waking up. Fresh air sounded like a miracle. Good food was a distant, delectable memory after days of endless torment. Well, except for the steak at the restaurant Hades had taken her to. Where she had totally made a fool of herself.

Now, she desperately, utterly, unequivocally wanted out.

She grabbed the key, the card, and the pass. Her reflection in the full-length mirror showed a woman still flushed, a little wild-eyed, but with a flicker of something new; resolve. She threw on some actual clothes that weren’t loungewear, tied her hair short back, and took a deep breath.

The car waiting in the underground garage made her eyes pop. It was a phantom, all sleek curves and silent power, more concept car than daily driver. The key in her hand was practically just for unlocking; it hummed to life as she approached, the door gliding open with a soft sigh, not giving her the chance to use the handle. A self-driving EV. Good, because she honestly had no idea how she would have managed to pilot this spaceship on wheels.

She slipped into the butter-soft leather seat, the interior smelling faintly of newness and expensive electronics. Her hands trembled slightly as she gripped the gate pass. Anxiety was a cold knot in her stomach.

Now, where to go? She looked at the blank card, the symbol of limitless funds. The runaway fantasy flared. She’d watched enough movies to know a card like this meant a fully funded escape. But escape wasn’t just impossible, it was unthinkable.

Paula. And also... Vivian. She was still in a hospital somewhere, known only to Priscilla.

Wait... Paula.

A new thought ignited. If she had this freedom, this mobility... could she find Paula? A wave of suspicion, cold and familiar, washed over her. She didn’t trust them. Not Hades, not Milo, not Rowan. Especially not with this sudden, convenient "freedom."

She first let the car drive to the front of the building. Then she paused at once.

She looked around the luxurious car, her gaze sweeping over every curve of the dashboard, every subtle indicator light. Was this bugged? Tracked? Probably. So, what did she do? She needed information, and she needed it from someone she could, reluctantly, rely on.

She called. Gavin.

---

In a separate, considerably less chaotic part of the apartment, Hades sat in his study as usual, since he had nothing else to do other than plot and keep plotting.

Papers covered his expansive desk, marked with his precise, almost brutal, annotations.

Gavin sat opposite him, leaning back in a chair, a tablet resting on his knees. They were deep in discussion, the low hum of their voices punctuated by the rustle of documents.

"It’s hard to know how the Malay Corporation or Priscilla is involved in this drug thing. The best resources had been deployed to get the men out." Gavin stated.

"The Wildfires must be involved somehow," Hades noted, his voice devoid of inflection, his gaze fixed on a projected photos on the screen.

Gavin nodded, keeping his eyes on the screen as well. The images were those of the drug dealer recently released, then the board member from the Wildfire main chair suspected to be in cahoots with him, and finally, Priscilla’s photo, sharp and clear.

"Priscilla’s involvement is beginning to make it clearer. But there must have been something else to push her this far."

"Getting involved in something like that when the stocks are rising just fine," Hades said casually, a dangerous undertone to his detached tone. "It could be... a blackmail."

Just then, Gavin’s phone buzzed with an incoming call. He glanced down at the screen, then looked up at Hades, a bombastic brow raised.

"Your little bride," Gavin drawled.

Hades’s eyes, which had been fixed on the screen, flickered to the device. He seemed uninterested, a faint crease forming between his brows. But when Gavin was about to answer the call, Hades held out a hand, a single, unadorned gesture.

Gavin seemed completely open to the idea of passing the phone. He smoothly passed it to Hades.

Hades took it, his long fingers wrapping around the sleek device. He answered the call without preamble, lifting it to his ear.

"What?" he asked, his voice clipped, uninterested, and utterly without warning.

Alice, who had been expecting Gavin, jumped, nearly dropping her phone. The abrupt, unadorned question startled her, jolting her out of her anxious reverie.

"H-Hades?!"

There was a beat of silence. "You expected someone else?" His tone was flat, but Alice could almost feel the unspoken accusation in the air.

Her mouth opened and closed like she’d just bitten a lemon. "I— You said I should only communicate through Gavin."

She reminded him. So yes, why shouldn’t she expect someone else?

"Now what? You want to speak with him?"

Why did his tone sound like he was accusing her of something? Like she was trying to pick up Gavin instead of him? The absurdity almost made her laugh, but the anxiety kept it at bay.

"I just... well, I’m going out." She tried to sound casual, but her voice still wavered.

"So?" His tone was a blank wall of disinterest.

"I... w-want to know if this car is bugged or there is a tracker in it." She stuttered, but managed to keep her voice firm, a defiant edge creeping in.

"Why?" He asked casually, as if she’d inquired about the weather.

Why?

WHY!? Her mind screamed. Because it’s a terrifyingly expensive, self-driving luxury vehicle gifted by my psychotic, aloof husband! And I don’t want to say something here or go find Paula, only to be tracked down!

This chapter is updat𝓮d by fre(e)webnov(l).com