Divorced CEO's Forgotten Wife Strikes Back (Riley and Bryce) novel Chapter 66

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

**Chapter 66**

Nicolas was here!

The atmosphere crackled with tension, a palpable energy that seemed ready to ignite at any moment.

Suddenly, a familiar figure emerged from the crowd. “Riley, why don’t you just let them check the urn?” His voice was steady, but the underlying urgency was unmistakable.

Riley’s heart dropped, her breath catching in her throat as she turned to face him. Bryce? What on earth was he doing here?

Bella, ever the inquisitive one, stepped closer to Bryce. “What brings you here?” Her tone was light, but there was an edge of concern beneath her words.

Bryce hesitated, the words stuck in his throat. He felt a flush of embarrassment creep up his neck. He had trailed Riley’s car all the way to the airport, unable to shake the feeling that he should be there for her. When he saw her carrying the urn, he had deduced that she was taking her parents’ ashes back to Carmel for a final farewell, and he felt compelled to follow her, to be a silent support in her moment of grief.

“Don’t tell me you knew about my flight today and came to say goodbye,” Bella teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Bryce replied, his voice awkward and uncertain, before quickly redirecting his attention back to Riley. “Bella’s just worried about security. It’s only a quick check!”

“Check?” Riley’s voice sliced through the air, sharp and laced with fury. “Bryce, are you seriously asking me to disturb my parents even after they’ve passed?”

“Look, I just think that if there’s no problem with it…” Bryce stammered, his words trailing off under the weight of Riley’s glare.

“I already filed everything through the proper channels!” Riley interjected, her tone unforgiving. “If Bella didn’t get the paperwork, that’s her screw-up. Instead of making Bella do her damn job, you want me to hand over my parents’ ashes for her to inspect? Are you out of your mind, Bryce?”

Bryce stood frozen, the icy intensity of Riley’s gaze immobilizing him. He couldn’t muster the courage to meet her eyes, feeling as if he were being stripped bare.

Bella, growing impatient, turned to the security guards. “What are you waiting for? Get that urn away from her! What if there’s a bomb inside? Who’s going to take responsibility then?” Her words were a spark that ignited the security team into action.

The guards, sensing the urgency, quickly encircled Riley, their expressions a mix of determination and trepidation.

Lara, a friend of Riley’s, attempted to intervene, but the guards blocked her path, their presence imposing and unyielding.

Riley clutched the urn tightly against her chest, feeling the coolness of the ceramic against her skin. When the military had inquired about moving the ashes, she had resolutely chosen to handle it herself—taking her parents back to Carmel, laying them to rest in the Veterans Cemetery where they belonged.

She had navigated the labyrinth of Cloud Airlines’ regulations, meticulously filled out every form regarding the transportation of remains, and explained the entire situation in detail.

Yet, she never anticipated this level of harassment. With a fierce determination, she glared at the encroaching crowd and shouted, “Don’t you dare touch it!”

In that moment, an aura of ferocity enveloped her—a palpable energy that spoke of someone who had faced the harsh realities of combat. The security guards, sensing this shift, felt a wave of instinctual fear wash over them, and none dared to advance.

“What are you waiting for? Get her!” Bella barked at the guards, her frustration boiling over.

Reluctantly, the guards surged forward, but Riley was ready. She clutched the urn fiercely and kicked the first guard, sending him sprawling backward.

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