Divorced CEO's Forgotten Wife Strikes Back (Riley and Bryce) novel Chapter 35

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

**Chapter 35**

The main screen flickered to life, casting a harsh glow across the banquet hall, illuminating the faces of the guests who were frozen in shock.

Beside him, Bella’s complexion had drained of color, her expression one of disbelief and horror.

What on earth is happening? she thought frantically, her mind racing. She had been aware of Amanda and Claire’s malicious scheme to target Riley, but the sight of it being broadcast for all to see? This was beyond anything she could have imagined. Who had orchestrated this betrayal?

As Bella struggled to comprehend the unfolding chaos, Riley’s voice, strained and breathless, broke through the tension. “You do realize you’ll go to prison for this, don’t you?” she managed to articulate, her defiance flickering like a candle in the wind.

Claire’s laughter echoed through the hall, sharp and mocking. “Ha! The law? Who’s going to believe any of this? You’re the one who took the room key and walked right in here. The reservation is in your name, along with all of your personal details. When this night is over, everyone will assume you arranged this rendezvous with these two men!”

Bryce, standing frozen in place, felt his heart drop as he processed Claire’s words. His sister, who had always seemed so sweet and innocent in his memories, was now grinning with malice as she reveled in such a cruel plot.

“None of you Murphys are good!” Lara’s voice pierced through the tension as she lunged at Bryce, grabbing his collar with a fierce grip, her eyes ablaze with fury. “Which room did your mother and sister take Riley to? If those men so much as touch her, I swear I will make them pay dearly!”

“What? They’re in a room in this hotel?” Bryce stammered, shock washing over him like a cold wave.

“Your mother called Riley and told her to meet at the hotel!” Lara’s voice trembled with guilt and frustration. Why hadn’t she been more vigilant? Why had she only cautioned Riley to be careful? She should have insisted that Riley never go alone!

If anything were to happen to Riley…

“Quick, we need to find out which room it is!” Lara barked at the hotel staff nearby, her urgency palpable as she noticed Bryce’s blank expression.

“Yes, right away!” the staff member responded, his urgency matching hers as he grabbed his walkie-talkie, eager to alert others and track down Riley’s location.

In the midst of this chaos, Bryce found himself attempting to defend his family. “This might just be a misunderstanding. Perhaps there’s some other—”

But before he could finish his thought, Claire’s venomous voice erupted through the speakers, her words slicing through the air like a knife. “Oh, and I’m going to take some more exciting photos. If you dare to call the police, your intimate photos will be splattered all over the internet for thousands of men to gawk at!”

Lara’s fury ignited like a wildfire as she turned her ire on Bryce. “Misunderstanding? Misunderstanding my ass! Bryce, Riley was cursed the day she married into your family!”

Bryce felt the heat of shame wash over him, rendering him speechless. He couldn’t muster a single word in defense of his sister.

“Do you really think Bryce will forgive you after what you’ve done?” Riley’s voice echoed from the screen, filled with a mixture of hurt and defiance.

“Ha! My brother will probably thank me,” Claire replied with a laugh that dripped with malice. “Now that you’ve cheated, he has a legitimate reason to divorce you and openly pursue Bella. Besides, my brother has always had eyes for Bella. You’re nothing but a burden to him, a wife he can’t wait to discard!”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify