Divorced CEO's Forgotten Wife Strikes Back (Riley and Bryce) novel Chapter 102

**TITLE: Dreams Refuse Gravity by Leo Arden Knox**
**Chapter 102: Dirty Laundry**

Riley found herself taken aback by Vince’s unexpected question. “What, you don’t want to be Samuel’s brother?” she asked, her brow arching in surprise.

Vince leaned back slightly, his voice barely above a whisper. “The only person I’ll be a brother to is you, Rye.”

A soft chuckle escaped Riley’s lips, though she chose not to press him further. “Alright, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to,” she replied, her tone light yet tinged with curiosity.

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze dropping to the floor as he pondered her words. “What about you, then? You only see me as a brother?” His voice carried a hint of uncertainty, as if he feared the answer.

Riley turned to Vince, her heart heavy with the memories of their shared past. She had witnessed the transformation of the boy she once knew into a man shaped by experiences both bitter and sweet. “Not just a brother,” she said, her voice steady, “but my comrade-in-arms.”

Although they had both left the military behind, the bond forged in the heat of battle lingered in their hearts, unbreakable and profound.

Vince’s expression flickered momentarily, a mixture of emotions playing across his features. Comrade, brother—these were the titles she assigned to him in her mind, yet he felt there was so much more beneath the surface.

“What about Sebastian, then? What do you think of him?” he asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

“Sebastian?” Riley echoed, her brow furrowing. “Why bring him up?”

“I just wanted to know how you see him,” Vince replied, his tone casual, though the intensity of his gaze betrayed him.

“He’s someone I’m supposed to protect right now,” Riley said, her voice firm, yet she could feel a strange flutter in her chest.

“That’s it?” Vince pressed, his lips forming a thin line.

“What else would it be?” Riley shot back, irritation creeping into her tone. She sensed Vince’s concern but struggled to understand why it mattered so much to him.

Vince’s thoughts raced back to the peculiar way Sebastian had acted around Riley, especially that day when they made their pinky promise. The look in Sebastian’s eyes had been one of utter devotion, as if she were the sun around which his world revolved.

“Rye, do you like Sebastian?” Vince blurted out, his voice abrupt and startling.

Caught off guard, Riley choked on her own saliva, her eyes widening in disbelief. “What on earth are you talking about?” she gasped, a wave of embarrassment washing over her.

“In Washington, plenty of women were crazy about Sebastian. That face of his could make any girl fall in love with him. So I worry you might catch feelings too,” Vince said, his tone serious, as if he were issuing a warning.

“Sebastian’s not someone you want to lose your heart to,” Vince continued, his voice lowering. “Everyone in the Torres family has this streak of abnormal kind of obsession, or rather, they’re all a bit unhinged.”

“She did, naturally,” Sebastian smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Also, I’ve just learned that, Mr. Brunson, you are one to gossip behind people’s backs. Tell me, are you quite well-versed in the rumors about me?”

“If it makes Rye wary of you, then I’ll gladly be a villain and badmouth you a thousand times over,” Vince shot back, his glare fierce.

“Are you really that afraid she’ll fall for me?” Sebastian scoffed, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Vince’s anger bubbled to the surface, but then he erupted into laughter. “A woman as bright and pure as Rye would never take a shine to someone lurking in the shadows. Sebastian, most people might not know the dirty laundry the Torres family is hiding, but don’t forget, my mother is a Thornberry!”

The Thornberry family, renowned as Washington’s most prestigious legal dynasty, held secrets that could shake the foundations of many powerful families. They were privy to the undercurrents of society, collecting whispers and tales that others would prefer to keep buried.

Sebastian’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. “What exactly are you planning to tell her?” he demanded, his voice low and threatening.

Vince pressed his lips together, weighing his options. He had intended to warn Riley about Sebastian’s dangerous edge and the chaos that surrounded the Torres family. But since Riley seemed indifferent to gossip, he had held his tongue.

Now, however, standing before Sebastian, he felt emboldened. With a smirk, he declared, “I’m gonna tell her exactly what you don’t want her to know! Sebastian, your whole family’s crazy. You think Riley would ever fall for some psycho?”

Sebastian’s eyes flared with intensity, and he instinctively raised his hand, ready to seize Vince by the throat. But then he halted, a flicker of restraint crossing his features.