Divorced CEO's Forgotten Wife Strikes Back (Riley and Bryce) novel Chapter 212

**TITLE: Dreams Refuse Gravity by Leo Arden Knox 212**

**Chapter 212: We’re Definitely Getting Married!**

Ever since Bryce had openly declared his relationship with Bella, the inevitable repercussions had been impossible to escape. The moment her scandal erupted into the public eye, he found himself, along with Murphy Tech, thrust into the chaos that followed.

By the time Bryce had navigated through the urgent public relations crisis and finally arrived at Bella’s apartment, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting a soft glow of twilight through the windows.

“Bryce!” Bella exclaimed, throwing herself into his embrace the moment she spotted him. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up.”

“Come on,” Bryce replied, mustering a reassuring smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “As if I’d leave you in the lurch.”

“I still can’t wrap my head around all of this,” she said, pulling back to look at him, her expression a mix of disbelief and frustration. “Sure, I didn’t manage to save that colleague, but I was a part of that fire. How can they just strip away the ‘Firefighting Hero’ title as if it means nothing?”

“And Cloud Airlines—firing me without so much as a heads-up?!” Her eyes sparked with indignation. “They’ll regret this. I refuse to go down without a fight.”

She tilted her head back, locking eyes with him. “You believe I’ll rise again, don’t you? When I do, those who turned their backs on me will choke on their own words.”

Bryce’s heart sank at the weight of her words. “Yeah. I believe in you,” he said, though his voice lacked conviction.

Bella let out a sigh, a hint of satisfaction washing over her features. “How are your mom and sister doing? They were a bit overwhelming at the mall today, but I’ll let that slide this time. Listen—once all this blows over, what do you think about getting engaged? We’ve wasted enough time already, and I’m done waiting.”

Bryce shifted uncomfortably, his arms loosening around her as he processed her words. “Let’s… talk about that later,” he suggested, his heart racing.

Her body tensed at his response. “Are you having second thoughts?” she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.

“No, it’s just—” He hesitated, searching for the right words. “With everything that happened today, Murphy Tech’s stock took a nosedive. My mom and Claire… they’re already under so much stress. I don’t want to add to it.”

“So, this is you breaking up with me?” Bella stepped back, her eyes narrowing as hurt flickered across her face. “I thought you were different. Turns out you’re just like everyone else. Fine. Pretend I never saved your life.”

“No! That’s not it!” Bryce’s voice rose in alarm, panic creeping into his chest. “Bella, I’ll never forget what you did for me. I’m just saying… let’s wait until the company stabilizes and your situation clears up. Then I can talk to my parents about it.”

She scrutinized his face, searching for any signs of insincerity. “Really?”

“Cross my heart,” he promised hurriedly. “If I ever betray you, may I—”

At last, Bella’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. She leaned back into his arms, her voice dropping to a low, possessive tone. “You better keep that promise, Bryce. I don’t care what the world throws at me—but you? You don’t get to turn your back on me.”

Bryce pressed his lips together, pulling Bella into a tight embrace. He couldn’t let her down.

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