The Billionaire's Silent Wife (Ryan and Eve) novel Chapter 135

Chapter 135 A House Bought with Silence

Claim

As the evening unfolded, Steven’s business partners gravitated toward Ryan. Men in tailored suits. Easy

smiles. Too-easy confidence. Some greeted Eve warmly, others studied her like a curiosity.

“You must be Eve,” one of the men said, offering his hand. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

“All lies, I hope,” she replied calmly.

He chuckled. “On the contrary. It seems you have a talent for disappearing and then returning at exactly

the right time.”

Ryan’s gaze sharpened. “Careful. That almost sounded like a compliment.”

The man lifted his glass. “It is.”

Another partner joined them, looking Eve over with open curiosity. “I was at your grandmother’s burial”, he

said casually.

“I don’t remember seeing you.” Eve replied with a smile.

He frowned slightly. “You don’t remember?”

Ryan stepped in before she had to say more. “It was a difficult time,” he said coolly. “Some details aren’t

worth revisiting.”

The man lifted his hands. “Of course. My apologies.”

Eve let the topic die.

Her attention remained fixed on Alissa.

Every laugh.

Every reaction.

Every unguarded moment.

She watched the way Alissa’s hand curled around Steven’s arm when she laughed at something he said. The way she leaned into him when he introduced her as though she believed, fully, that she was stepping

into a life of stability and protection.

Does she know? Eve wondered.

Does she know how this house was paid for?

Does she know the currency Steven traded in wasn’t money alone, but secrets, leverage, fear?

Or was she simply another woman drawn into the orbit of power without seeing its cost?

At one point, Alissa caught Eve watching her and smiled a little nervously. “Is something wrong?”

Eve shook her head. “I’m just… trying to figure you out.”

14

Chapter 135 A House Bought with Silence

Alissa laughed quietly. “That sounds ominous.”

“It isn’t,” Eve said. “I just… wasn’t sure what kind of person would say yes to him.”

Steven appeared at Alissa’s side just then. “Careful, Eve. I might start feeling judged.”

“You already are,” Ryan murmured.

Steven rolled his eyes. “Fortunately, I’ve stopped trying to impress Ashbrooks.”

“You never impressed us,” Ryan said mildly. “You intimidated them.”

“And you?” Steven asked.

Ryan’s gaze was steady. “I’m not easily intimidated.”

The arrival of Jonathan and Leah shifted the air immediately..

Clam

The announcement wasn’t verbal; it moved through the room like a ripple, a subtle straightening of spines,

a sudden interest in one side of the hall. Old money met newly displayed power.

Eve’ saw them before they saw her.

Jonathan in his perfectly tailored suit, every inch the patriarch.

Leah in an elegant dress, makeup flawless, expression composed into a diplomatic smile.

They had not expected to see Ryan and Eve.

The surprise flashed across Leah’s face first, a quick crack in the mask before she hurried to rearrange it.

Jonathan recovered faster, because of course he did.

“Ryan,” he said as he approached, his voice smooth, public. “I didn’t realise you were coming.”

Ryan turned slowly, every movement controlled. “I received an invitation,” he replied. “I responded.”

Jonathan’s gaze flicked to Steven. “You didn’t mention…”

Steven smiled easily. “It’s more fun this way.”

Leah’s eyes slid to Eve, cold calculation hiding behind polite curiosity.

“Eve,” she said with a tight smile. “You look… different.”

“Pregnant?” Eve supplied mildly.

A few nearby guests hid smiles,

Leah’s lips thinned. “I meant more… confident.”

“Side effect of not being hunted by the police,” Eve replied calmly. “Does wonders for a person’s posture.”

Ryan almost choked on his drink.

Steven smothered a laugh in his glass.

<Chapter 135 A House Bought with Silence

Clam

Jonathan cleared his throat sharply, desperate to steer the conversation elsewhere. “The house is

impressive, Steven.”

“Thank you, sir,” Steven said smoothly. “I learned a lot from Ashbrook Corp. Including what not to do.”

Jonathan’s jaw tensed.

Ryan placed a light hand at the small of Eve’s back. “Come on,” he murmured to her. “We didn’t come here to argue.”

He deliberately guided Eve away, refusing to give Leah the satisfaction of a scene.

Once they were out of earshot, Eve muttered, “I think I behaved.”

“You did,” Ryan said. “Which is why you’ll be rewarded later.”

“Ryan,” she scolded, heat creeping up her neck.

“What?” he asked innocently. “I’m just saying I appreciate your restraint.”

Ethan found her soon after.

“Eve.”

She turned, and her face softened instantly.

“Ethan.”

He was taller than she remembered, shoulders broader, eyes still carrying that same mix of defiance and vulnerability. He pulled her into a hug without hesitation, careful of her bump.

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