Divorced CEO's Forgotten Wife Strikes Back (Riley and Bryce) novel Chapter 55

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

**Chapter 55: You’re Nothing to Me Anymore**

“My company’s in a bit of a financial bind at the moment. It’s going to be quite a challenge to gather all that cash at once. So, maybe…”

Bryce’s voice trailed off, his eyes fixed on the floor rather than meeting Bella’s gaze. It was understandable; ever since the launch of his startup, he had been the one with the money to burn, flaunting his success. Now, here he was, standing before Bella, asking for her help.

Bella’s expression was uncertain, a mixture of concern and hesitation. “Well…” she began, her brow furrowing slightly. “I just started this co-pilot job, so I don’t have much cash readily available. My parents might appear to be wealthy, but most of their fortune is tied up in antiques, jewelry, and real estate. There isn’t much liquid cash I can access.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Bryce’s face, the weight of his predicament pressing heavily on him.

“I have about a hundred thousand dollars in cash. You can borrow it if you need to,” Bella offered tentatively, her voice softening as she spoke.

“Forget it. That’s not enough. I’ll figure something else out,” Bryce replied, a hint of frustration creeping into his tone. In the grand scheme of things, compared to the staggering 1.53 million dollars he needed, a hundred thousand felt like a mere drop in the ocean.

Bella’s eyes dimmed with guilt. “I’m really sorry, Bryce. I wish I could do more to help.”

“It’s okay,” he murmured, trying to brush off the disappointment that lingered in the air between them.

“Actually,” Bella interjected, her voice gaining a spark of hope, “you don’t have to pay her in cash. You could use your company shares to cover the amount. That way, you won’t have to worry about the cash flow.”

Bryce frowned, shaking his head. “My company shares are still locked up. I can’t trade them yet.”

The company had just gone public, and although he was sitting on a mountain of shares, they were frozen in place, inaccessible for the time being.

“She can wait until the lockup period ends,” Bella insisted, her confidence returning. “Trust me, if she’s serious about the divorce, she’ll take the deal.”

Bryce contemplated her words, weighing his options. “Alright, let’s go with that then.”

He hated the idea of swallowing his pride and borrowing money, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

After they finished their meal, Bryce walked Bella to the flight duty room, where she was scheduled to work that day.

As they stepped into the corridor, they were met with an unexpected sight—Riley was emerging from the senior management office of the airline.

Their eyes locked in a tense moment, the air thick with unspoken words.

Riley maintained her composure, seemingly unfazed, and was about to sidestep them when Bella took a bold step forward, blocking her path. “Riley, what are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice firm.

She had merely stopped by Cloud Airlines to arrange for her parents’ remains to be transported back to Carmel.

When senior management learned they were dealing with fallen heroes, they had practically rolled out the red carpet for her.

“If you hate me, I wish you’d just come out and say it instead of pulling sneaky stunts behind my back,” Bella challenged, raising her chin defiantly and shooting Riley a disdainful look.

“Bella, I don’t hate you,” Riley said calmly, as if the very thought was absurd.

Hate was far too strong an emotion, and Bella simply wasn’t worth the energy.

Caught off guard, Bella blinked in surprise, and even Bryce looked at Riley in disbelief.

She… really doesn’t hate Bella?

“Anyway,” Riley continued, her voice steady, “I’ll be divorced from Bryce soon. You two can be together however you like. There’s no need to keep pretending to be ‘friends.’”

Just then, a group of Cloud Airlines staff walked past in the corridor, their ears catching Riley’s words. They turned to look, curiosity piqued.

Bella’s face flushed with embarrassment, the heat rising to her cheeks before draining away, leaving her pale and shaken.