Divorced CEO's Forgotten Wife Strikes Back (Riley and Bryce) novel Chapter 37

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

**Chapter 37: This is Murphy Family Business**

Claire felt her heart plummet into her stomach. Her brother had actually walked through that door.

So Riley was right all along? Had everyone outside truly witnessed the chaos that unfolded in this very room?

The moment Amanda’s eyes landed on Bryce, she sprang to her feet, her movements frantic and charged with urgency. “Bryce! Just in time! I caught this slut cheating right in front of me. Claire saw it too! I confronted her, and this bitch actually laid a hand on me!”

The air crackled with tension as she continued, her voice rising in indignation. “If you don’t kick this shameless snake to the curb right now, I swear I’ll disown you as my son!”

“Mom.” Bryce’s voice cut through her tirade like a knife, sharp and filled with a mix of embarrassment and disbelief. “Just stop. Everyone saw what happened in here.”

“What?” Amanda’s expression froze in disbelief. “How can this be? No, wait! This is a trap! Riley orchestrated all of this, Bryce. Don’t you dare let her manipulate you!”

The bitterness in Bryce’s mouth was palpable as he wrestled with his thoughts. He refused to buy into Riley’s supposed deception. This was a different side of his family than the one he thought he knew.

How could his own flesh and blood stoop so low, attempting to force Riley out with nothing but lies?

He glanced over at Riley, who stood just a few feet away, her presence commanding and resolute. She wore a deep blue dress that, against all odds, seemed to radiate elegance even after the tumult of the confrontation. The fierce energy she exuded made her appear almost regal, as if she belonged to a realm far beyond his reach.

They were supposed to be united as husband and wife, sharing the intimacy of their lives, yet the distance between them felt insurmountable. He couldn’t even muster the courage to take a step toward her.

“Yeah, Bryce, Riley set this whole thing up. She tricked Mom and me into coming here to catch her in the act, and now she’s flipping the script on us. You can’t trust her!” Claire’s voice snapped him back to the moment, her accusations flying toward Riley like arrows.

Bryce’s heart sank further as he realized how low his family had stooped.

“You can’t seriously believe Riley over your own family, can you? We’re the ones who have always been here for you!” Claire’s voice trembled, revealing a flicker of doubt as she searched his face for reassurance.

Amanda, oblivious to the implications, didn’t understand why calling the police was such a drastic move, but Claire certainly did.

If the authorities arrived, they would uncover the truth about how they had set Riley up!

This whole charade would explode in their faces, and they would find themselves in serious legal jeopardy.

“How could you do that?” Claire screamed, her voice rising in pitch, completely unraveling.

“Maybe we should just tell the police this was all a misunderstanding,” Bella suggested, stepping toward Bryce with a calculated calmness. “I mean, this is Murphy family business, after all. It’s not worth dragging the law into this. What do you think, Bryce?”

Every eye in the room turned toward him, their expectations heavy upon his shoulders.

Bryce licked his dry lips, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. Of course, he wanted nothing more than for this entire debacle to vanish quietly into thin air. But as he met Riley’s gaze once more, he felt an unexpected resolve building within him.