The Billionaire's Silent Wife (Ryan and Eve) novel Chapter 23

23 The Audit

23 The Audit

Ryan’s POV

+25 Points

The drive back to the main house felt heavier than Ryan could remember in years. He hadn’t wanted to come. Every instinct in him screamed against it, but when Jonathan Ashbrook summoned his children, there was no ignoring the call. The old man had built an empire on dominance, and even now, in his sixties, he carried the authority of a general who had never lost a

battle.

Ryan’s hands clenched the wheel tighter as he turned into the long driveway lined with oak trees. The mansion loomed ahead like a fortress, its stone walls glimmering beneath the late afternoon

sun. It was home, but it had never be

warm. Every brick felt like it had been laid with expectation

and consequence.

And today, it was worse.

The accusations still gnawed at him. He had barely slept the night before, Carter’s words echoing in his ear as he promised to slow the legal wheels now turning against Eve. It had been reckless to lie for her in front of Jonathan, reckless to take the blame for those forged checks. But it was all Ryan could do to buy her time. Because deep down, he

know if she had taken the money or if

it was yet another setup, another knife driven between them by their families’ endless war.

He killed the engine, sat still for a long moment, and exhaled. His jaw was tight, his chest knotted with tension. Then, with deliberate slowness, he stepped out of the car and walked up the marble

steps.

Inside, the atmosphere was already charged. His father sat at the head of the great dining hall, a bank statement spread wide across the polished mahogany table. Leah stood behind him, her pearl necklace gleaming, her lips already curved into the faintest sneer.

Jonathan’s voice cut through the silence like a blade.

“How can you let this happen to you, Ryan?”

Ryan stayed standing, his hands buried in his pockets, his expression unreadable.

“Right under your nose,” Jonathan continued, stabbing a finger against the statement. “That wife of yours stole money from the company. One million, eight hundred and seventy thousand dollars. Had I not requested an audit, I would not have known. And I learned this has been brought to your

attention for over two months now, and you haven’t done a damn thing about it.”

Ryan’s throat tightened. He parted his lips to speak but Leah’s sharp inhale cut across the room.

Jonathan didn’t wait. He slammed the paper flat with the palm of his hand. “It’s bad enough that

bastard Steven Reynolds has taken so much from us. He’s now part of the top hundred richest

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people in the city, and still he dares to bleed us dry. This we can’t overlook. I want her brought here to explain herself.”

Leah’s eyes glittered with satisfaction. “Finally,” she murmured, her tone laced with venom. “At last, we’ll see some accountability.”

Ryan’s temper flared. “I wrote those checks,” he lied, his voice low but steady. “This matter is between me and the company. Leave Eve out of it.”

Leah’s eyes widened before narrowing again. “Lies She took a step forward, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. “Do you think I don’t know? I heard you were shocked when the account brought this to you. How dare you try to cover for her now? What’s wrong with you,

Ryan? What has that woman done to you?”

Ryan’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t look away. “It is what I said it is. Nothing more.”

Jonathan scoffed. “The accountant testified. The bank manager testified. She submitted the checks written by you. They didn’t bother to confirm because she’s your wife. Maybe that’s why you want to cover for her now. Regardless, I want to hear it from her. Bring her here!”

Ryan dragged a hand through his hair, the truth pressing at his throat. But he couldn’t keep it back any longer.

“She is not in my house,” he confessed quietly. His voice reverberated in the stillness. “She hasn’t

been there for three months now.”

Leah froze. Shock etched across her face, quickly giving way to suspicion. “What do you mean? Didn’t you say she was on vacation?”

Ryan’s eyes lifted, steady, defiant. “She left me. She left me.”

The room fell into silence. Jonathan leaned back, his gaze narrowing. Leah, however, wasted no

time recovering.

“Of course she did,” she spat, her voice sharp as glass. “After stealing nearly two million dollars from us, what else would she do? She’s probably living a new life somewhere, spending our money,

while her good-for-nothing father keeps milking us for all we’re worth.”

Ryan’s control snapped. “Don’t you dare blame me for Steven Reynolds’ blackmail!” His voice thundered, echoing off the high ceilings. “This is your mess, you used me to clean it up. I wouldn’t

have been forced to marry Eve if it weren’t for whatever secret you were keeping with that man.”

Jonathan’s face darkened. “Watch your tone.”

But Ryan stepped closer, his posture unyielding. “What did you do that gave him leverage over us,

Father? What was so damning that you’d sacrifice me, my life, for it?”

For the first time, Jonathan’s anger faltered. His eyes flicked to Leah, who stood rigid, her nails

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23 The Audit

+25 Points

digging into her palms. The silence between them was heavy, a shared secret too dangerous to speak aloud.

When Jonathan finally spoke, his voice was clipped cold. “That is not important right now. What

matters is finding her and recovering what she took. She might have bought a house, started a

new life somewhere. I say we declare her wanted by the police so she won’t have anywhere to

hide. We should escalate to Interpol if needed.”

Ryan’s breath left him in a sharp exhale. “She left. That is her crime? You want to use the police for

this?”

Jonath Jaze hardened. “It’s theft until she confirms otherwise.”

“I’ll transfer the sum back to the company’s account,” Ryan snapped. “That settles it. Leave her out

of this. I’ve told you, I wrote the checks.”

Leah’s palm cracked across his cheek before the words had even finished leaving his mouth.

The sting burned hot, but Ryan didn’t flinch. He merely turned his head slowly back to her, his eyes

dark, controlled fury simmering beneath.

“I didn’t raise a boy,” Leah hissed. “I raised a man. Start acting like one. Stop behaving like a fool

whipped by the driver’s daughter, a woman beneath you, beneath your status.”

Jonathan’s low chuckle followed, grim and unad. “Indeed. You and your sister, spoiled. You

say it’s just a couple of million. Do you know how many people work their entire lives and never see

that kind of money? Do you think life is that simple, Ryan?”

His words struck, but Ryan stood firm

“I know what I’m doing,” he said flatly. “And I won’t let you turn her into collateral damage for your

pride.”

But Jonathan wouldn’t listen; he just pressed the phone to his ear. Ready to make the call that would make Eve’s life difficult

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