Divorced CEO's Forgotten Wife Strikes Back (Riley and Bryce) novel Chapter 13

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**TITLE: Dreams Refuse Gravity by Leo Arden Knox**

Riley felt the tension in the air, a palpable reminder of the rumors that had been swirling around her. Cheating rumors, to be precise, and the last thing she wanted was for them to reignite like a wildfire.

At that moment, Bella appeared, riding high on her horse, looking down at Riley with a smirk that dripped with condescension. “Is this your only trick, Riley? Clinging to men and employing underhanded tactics to bring other women down? Do you really think that’s how you’ll win Bryce back?”

Lara’s temper flared like a match struck in a dark room, but Riley managed to hold her back, locking eyes with Bella with a gaze that could cut glass. “You’re the one entangled with a married man, and you dare to call me dirty? That’s rich, coming from you.”

Bella’s eyes flashed with indignation. “Love’s not a crime!” she shot back, her voice sharp and defiant. “Three years, and you still couldn’t make Bryce love you. Doesn’t that speak volumes about you? A woman like you wouldn’t grasp what I’m saying. You’ll never have the confidence of a woman who lives life on her own terms, the kind that men actually admire!”

With a flick of her reins, Bella urged her horse into a gallop, racing across the ranch with a wild grace that left onlookers clapping in admiration, impressed by her audacity.

Bryce watched her go, his gaze lingering on her fiery spirit. After a moment of silence, he turned to Riley, his voice low and almost conspiratorial. “Women like Bella don’t sweat the small stuff that you obsess over, Riley. Stop being so petty and quit following me.”

With that, he rode off in pursuit of Bella, leaving Riley standing there, a whirlwind of emotions swirling within her. She felt torn, caught between the urge to laugh and the sting of tears.

Lara’s face twisted in outrage, her voice rising in disbelief. “The nerve of those two! Following him? As if anyone cares enough to stalk him!”

“Let it go,” Riley replied, her tone calm but distant, almost detached. “Once we’re divorced, they can do whatever they want. It won’t matter to me.”

“But I can’t just swallow this!” Lara fumed, her frustration palpable. “And that Bella! So what if she can ride a horse or fly a plane? Back in the special forces, you could do anything! You flew fighter jets, Riley! She’s nothing compared to you, spouting that nonsense.”

Riley’s eyes softened with nostalgia, memories flooding back. She could almost feel the rush of wind against her face from her days in the military, the exhilarating thrill of soaring through the clouds, and the unbreakable bond with her comrades forged in blood and fire.

“Let’s go,” she finally said, shaking off the memories. “We’re here for your business.”

“Right, right, gotta catch Sebastian,” Lara said, snapping back to focus. They both knew that missing this opportunity could mean waiting an eternity for another chance.

The ranch stretched out before them, vast and sprawling. They walked for what felt like an eternity, another fifteen minutes, before finally spotting Sebastian in the distance, surrounded by a small group of people.

Riley recognized one of them immediately; it was Calvin Haynes, a man who had previously worked with Lara’s company. Lara had learned through Calvin that Sebastian would be visiting the ranch today, and that knowledge had brought them here.