Divorced CEO's Forgotten Wife Strikes Back (Riley and Bryce) novel Chapter 227

Chapter 227 A Web of Lies

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“Five years ago, Bella used to smoke. Not a lot, but she’d light up during parties or whenever she was stressed out.

“But ever since that massive wildfire near the border five years ago, she quit completely. No one’s seen her smoke since.

“Back then, she was flying missions to the border, working with Jaxon to evacuate people trapped in the chaos. It wasn’t a walk in the park. The border was a powder keg, and those kinds of missions came with real danger.

“So, when the plane was grounded in Houston, someone saw her sneaking a smoke.”

Riley sat quietly, listening to Sebastian lay out the details, her eyes fixed on the papers in her hands.

The clues were starting to form a picture, and it all pointed to

Bella.

“I know your family has access to some high–end computer equipment and restoration tools,” Riley said, looking up at Sebastian. “I’d like to borrow them to restore a video file.”

Sebastian gave her a warm smile. Anything I have, you’re welcome to use.”

A wave of gratitude warmed Riley’s chest. “Thank you!”

“Riley,” Sebastian said softly, his voice almost a whisper “You 39 don’t ever need to thank me.‘

<Chapter 227 A Web of Lies

He worried that what he offered wasn’t enough, that it might not be enough to keep her by his side

At a dimly lit bar, Vince lounged in his chair, nursing, a drink with a casual air.

At the table next to him, a man was cozying up to a woman, their laughter spilling over as they clinked glasses.

The woman leaned in, whispering something that made the man chuckle loudly.

If Bella had been there, she’d have recognized him instantly.

Garrett, the man who’d been blackmailing her.

“Garrett, you’re splashing cash tonight,” the woman purred, nestled against him. “What’s the occasion?”

Garrett grinned, his ego puffed up. “Good news, that’s what. I’m about to make a fortune. Keep me happy, and I’ll make sure you get a nice tip.”

“Oh, thank you, Garrett,” the woman cooed, pouring him another drink. “But come on, spill! What’s the big news?”

The alcohol loosened Garrett’s tongue, and he couldn’t resist bragging.

“I got lucky. Someone hired me to dig into something, and stumbled onto a juicy secret. Turns out, someone’s been

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< Chapter 227 A Web of Lies

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to be a hero, claiming they saved a life. I’m no fool. Instead of reporting it back, I went straight to the woman who’s been lying about it. And let me tell you, she’s willing to pay big to keep my mouth shut.”

Garrett bragged, completely unaware that Vince, just a table away, had caught every word.

Vince raised an eyebrow, drained his glass, and slipped out of the bar.

The woman in Garrett’s arms also made up an excuse to slip

away.

As they crossed paths in the hallway, she whispered, “Mr. Brunson, I did what you asked.”

“Thanks,” Vince replied coolly. “You’ll get what I promised.”

The woman flashed a satisfied smile and walked off.

Later, when Lara heard the story from Vince, she frowned. “So Garrett’s been threatening Bella? And the woman he’s talking about, the one pretending to be a savior… that’s got to be Bella, right?”

“What’s the deal?” Vince asked, leaning back.

Lara sighed. “I only found out when I went to the airport with Riley. Years ago, Riley pulled Bryce out of a river and saved him from drowning with a knife wound. But somehow, Bryce thinks Bella was the one who saved him

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< Chapter 227 A Web of Lies

Vince let out a cold laugh. “Well, isn’t that a twist? I can’t wait to see Bryce’s face when he finds out he got his hero wrong, Honestly, Riley should’ve just let that jerk drown in the river.”

“Tell me about it,” Lara said, nodding furiously. “So what’s next? We can’t just let those two keep strutting around like they own the place!”

The thought of Riley being betrayed by Bryce for three years made Lara’s blood boil.

“Oh, they won’t get off that easy,” Vince said, his tone deceptively casual. “I’ve got a little show planned for Bryce and Bella. It’d be a shame to let Riley down, wouldn’t it?”

His eyes, though, glinted with a sharp, icy edge.

Bella worked fast. Two days later, she was walking Bryce through the process of securing a loan.

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