Divorced CEO's Forgotten Wife Strikes Back (Riley and Bryce) novel Chapter 108

**TITLE: Dreams Refuse Gravity by Leo Arden Knox**
**Chapter 108: Truth and Tempers**

No, there was no way she could definitively prove that she was Bryce’s savior.

Yet, in truth, that realization no longer held any weight in her heart.

“Bella,” Riley’s voice sliced through the air, steady yet laced with a sharp edge, “a stolen act of heroism remains just that—stolen. When Bryce finds himself in peril again, I sincerely hope you’re prepared to step up and save him.” With those words, she pivoted, her back turned to Bella as she prepared to leave.

Bella felt a twist of anger and disbelief coil within her. “You’re just going to walk away? Don’t you think you owe me an apology?” Her voice trembled slightly, but she stood her ground, refusing to show weakness.

“An apology?” Riley’s lips curled into a mocking smile, an expression that dripped with disdain. “For what, exactly?”

“For slandering me!” Bella shot back, her posture straightening defiantly. She understood that the bolder she appeared, the more Bryce would be convinced of her role as the true hero in this twisted narrative.

Riley’s expression darkened, her eyes narrowing. “Bella, are you genuinely seeking another opportunity to be crushed beneath my heel?”

A deep crimson crept up Bella’s cheeks, the memory of Riley’s public humiliation at the airport flashing vividly in her mind—a moment when she had felt utterly trampled, both literally and figuratively. That disgrace was a stain she could not easily wash away.

Bryce stepped forward, his brow knitted in concern. “Riley, you lied and dragged Bella’s name through the mud. You owe her an apology, plain and simple.”

Riley didn’t even spare him a glance. “You have no authority to dictate my actions,” she replied coolly.

Bryce froze, the weight of her words settling heavily around him. She was right; their marriage had ended. Riley was no longer the woman who had once complied with his every request without question.

“I just want you to be honest,” he said, his voice taut with suppressed emotion. “Your parents were martyrs. They wouldn’t want their daughter to become someone who spins tales and fabricates stories, would they?”

Before he could finish his thought, Riley’s hand shot out, delivering a sharp slap that echoed through the air. “Don’t you dare bring my parents into this! You have no right to judge me or the way I choose to live my life!”

Bryce staggered back, stunned by the suddenness of her attack, his mind racing to comprehend the shift in their dynamic.

Bella’s voice rose in indignation, her fury boiling over. “How could you hit him! I’m calling the cops, Riley. Do you think you can just walk away from this? Everyone here witnessed it!”

The last time Riley had pulled a stunt like this, Bella had found herself locked in a detention cell for days, a record that had haunted her ever since. Now, the thought of Riley facing a similar fate filled her with a sense of vindication.

“Go ahead and call them,” a cool, measured voice interjected, slicing through the tension like a knife. Sebastian stepped forward, his presence commanding the balcony with an undeniable authority. “I’m genuinely curious about what the law deems worse—a slap or the act of insulting the daughter of martyrs and a veteran.”

Bella and Bryce’s confidence faltered, their faces draining of color as they processed his words.

“And while we’re at it,” Sebastian continued, his tone deceptively calm, “I inflicted harm on Ms. Sinclair myself earlier. Why not report that as well?”

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