The Billionaire's Silent Wife (Ryan and Eve) novel Chapter 106

CHAPTER 106 A Day Borrowed From Peace

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CHAPTER 106, A Day Borrowed From Peace

Ryan wasn’t sure when the tension of the morning began to ease, but it happened somewhere between buttoning his shirt and glancing over at Eve, who stood by the mirror fastening her earrings. The resentment and fury from his argument with Leah still clung to him like shadows, but the moment he looked at his wife, all of it softened into something quieter, something grounded. He reminded himself that today was for her. For them. For the small pocket of joy they had managed to preserve in the midst of

chaos.

“Ready?” he asked, his voice gentler than he felt.

Eve turned, her smile small but warm. “Yes.”

Those three letters worked magic on him. They always had.

They got into the car, and the drive into the city felt unusually serene. The morning traffic was a gentle hum around them; the sun streamed through the windows in warm, forgiving rays. Ryan drove with one hand, the other resting loosely on Eve’s thigh, not possessive, just present. A touch that said, I’m here. I’m not letting anything ruin this.

Eve looked out the window, the cityscape rolling by in a shimmer of glass buildings and morning bustle. She seemed lighter today, truly lighter, as if every moment outside her father’s shadow restored some piece of her she didn’t know she’d lost.

“Where are we going first?” she asked.

“You’ll see,” he replied, a playful edge creeping into his voice.

She rolled her eyes. “Ryan…”

He smirked. “Trust me.”

“I do,” she said quietly.

Those words sank into him more deeply than she knew.

The first store was a luxury boutique with wide glass doors and soft golden lighting spilling onto marble floors. The attendants straightened the second they walked in, some with professional smiles, some with thinly veiled envy, some with downright curiosity. It wasn’t every day Ryan Ashbrook walked into a store with a woman by his side. And it was certainly not every day that woman looked at him the way Eve did.

“Good afternoon, sir… madam,” one of the attendants greeted, her smile bright and polished. Others

looked Eve up and down, some discreetly, some not so discreetly.

Eve didn’t seem to notice. She was too busy trying not to gape at the rows of designer dresses.

Ryan noticed, though, the way two of the girls whispered behind their palms while pretending to rearrange a display. The way another narrowed her eyes slightly, assessing Eve as if trying to place her worth. The

way a fourth straightened, suddenly nervous, suddenly intimidated.

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CHAPTER 106. A Day Borrowed From Peace

He almost laughed.

If only they knew.

“Choose anything you like,” Ryan said softly.

Eve blinked. “Ryan… these dresses probably cost more than a car.”

“So?” he asked with a shrug.

“So?” she repeated, incredulous, eyes wide. “I can’t just,”

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“Eve,” he said, stepping closer, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her shoulder. “Let me do this. Let me

spoil you. You deserve it.”

She opened her mouth to argue again, but the sales attendant, quick to sense a sale, stepped forward with

a bright smile.

“We have a new collection that would suit madam’s figure beautifully. Would you like to see it?”

Ryan glanced at Eve.

She sighed. “Fine.”

But the faint blush on her cheeks gave her away, and Ryan found himself smiling as she followed the

attendant deeper into the store.

The first dress she tried on was a soft champagne-coloured satin, fitted at the waist with a gentle flare. When she stepped out of the changing room, Ryan’s breath caught. Literally caught.

She looked… ethereal.

The kind of beauty that didn’t demand attention but commanded it effortlessly.

The whispering attendants stopped whispering.

One of the jealous ones stiffened visibly, as if shocked that Eve looked better than their expectations

allowed.

The kinder one gasped quietly.

And Ryan…

Ryan forgot how to breathe.

“Is it too much?” Eve asked, smoothing the fabric nervously.

Too much?

She could have stepped straight off a runway and he still wouldn’t have found the word.

“It’s perfect,” he said, voice low, steady, unfiltered.

Her cheeks warmed. “You’re just saying that.”

CHAPTER 106. A Day Borrowed From Peace

“No,” he murmured, standing up. “I’m not.”

She looked away, shy but pleased.

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Dress after dress, the reactions repeated themselves, Eve transforming each piece into something more beautiful than what it had been designed to be. Ryan watched her with calm intensity, never interfering, simply admiring. Every time she stepped out, he felt his chest tighten in a way he couldn’t fully hide.

Some attendants warmed to her genuinely; others grew more resentful with each outfit she pulled off

effortlessly.

One girl muttered under her breath, “Of course she would look good in everything…”

Ryan heard.

Eve didn’t.

He decided to let it go, for now.

By the time they left the boutique, Eve carried several bags she protested over for ten straight minutes while Ryan ignored every word.

“Ryan, this is too much,”

“No, it’s not.”

“It is, ”

“It isn’t.”

“You’re impossible.”

“You married me.”

She threw her hands up in mock surrender. “I did. Unfortunately.”

He grinned. “You love it.”

She tried to hold back a smile. She failed.

Lunch was at one of the most prestigious restaurants in the city, a place known for its award-winning chef, panoramic views, and astronomical prices. The kind of place that refused walk-ins and treated reservations like gold.

Ryan had made the call that morning.

The second they stepped out of the car, flashlights burst from across the street.

Paparazzi.

Ryan’s hand immediately slid around Eve’s waist, pulling her into him, shielding her from the frenzy.

“They’re taking photos,” she whispered.

CHAPTER 106 A Day Borrowed From Peace

“I know,” he murmured. “Ignore them.”

Ponts

It wasn’t the first time paparazzi had seen him with a woman, but something about today felt different, perhaps because for the first time, he didn’t care. Let them photograph. Let them write. Let them obsess.

He wanted the world to know she was his.

Inside, the maître d’ rushed forward, overly eager. “Mr Ashbrook, welcome. Your table is ready.”

As they walked through the restaurant, Eve became the centre of attention.

Men, single, married, old, young, turned their heads to look at her. Not with disrespect, but with stunned admiration. The kind that came involuntarily, instinctively, hopelessly.

Ryan noticed every glance.

And to his own surprise… he didn’t feel threatened.

He felt proud.

Let them look.

Let them want.

Let them wonder.

Because at the end of the day, she was going home with him.

“You’re staring,” Eve whispered as they reached their table.

“So is half the restaurant,” he said.

“Ryan…” she started, shy again.

He leaned in. “They can look. You’re mine.”

Her breath caught.

God, he loved doing that to her.

Their lunch was… perfect.

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