The Billionaire's Silent Wife (Ryan and Eve) novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43 The Price of Loyalty.

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The restaurant was eerily quiet after the last guests left, the polished silverware glinting under the golden lights. Only three figures remained near the dining area, Miter, Kamila, and Kimberly Ashbrook, with Luan standing slightly behind her, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

Kimberly turned toward Miter, a look of incredulous disgust twisting her face. “You adopted h

er?”

Miter crossed his arms, his expression calm, steady, and unreadable. “Yes. Evelyn is my daughter now.”

Kimberly scoffed. “Trust me, you don’t want to be regarded as her father. Her father was our former driver turned blackmailer. He clawed his way into society by threatening my parents with secrets that should’ve died with him.”

Miter chuckled softly, his eyes narrowing slightly. “That’s not news to me, Miss Ashbrook. She told me everything. Besides,” he took a step closer “, if your parents had clean hands, there’d be nothing to blackmail them with.”

A wave of murmurs rippled through the few lingering patrons and staff who’d stayed behind, pretending to tidy up but clearly listening.

Kimberly’s smile faltered for just a second before she regained her composure, but the embarrassment showed in her eyes.

“Regardless,” she said sharply, flicking an invisible speck of dust from her sleeve, “I’m going to make sure your restaurant is blacklisted for daring to stand against my family. Trust me, no one will dare help you after this.”

Her tone was as cold as the frost in her diamond earrings.

Miter’s heart sank. He knew she wasn’t bluffing. People like the Ashbrooks, old money, deep connections, power like roots beneath the earth, could destroy a lifetime of work with a whisper. Everything he had built, every brick, every meal, every review that had put Rodrigo’s on the culinary map, could be erased overnight.

But how could he blame Evelyn? She hadn’t done any of this. She was an innocent soul caught in someone else’s war.

Before he could speak, Kamila stepped forward, wringing her hands, her voice trembling. ” Please, Miss Ashbrook. Consider our situation. My husband and I have owned this place for over thirty years. We’ve worked with dignity. I beg of you, be gentle, be kind.”

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< Chapter 43 The Price of Loyalty.

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Miter touched her hand softly, urging her to calm down, even as his own stomach twisted with dread. He knew what was coming, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Kimberly crossed her arms, her tone dripping venom. “What about my family? My brother, whom everyone now believes murdered his wife? Our name, dragged through the dirt because of her and her father’s greed? Who fixes that?”

Her voice rose slightly, her anger barely controlled. The other patrons in the corner exchanged looks, their curiosity piqued by the scandal unraveling before them.

Miter sighed heavily. “You can’t change the truth by shouting it louder, Miss Ashbrook.”

Kimberly’s eyes flared. “The truth? The truth is that she ruined my brother’s life. She made him the city’s laughingstock. And now you want me to spare her and the people sheltering her?”

Before Miter could respond, the glass doors swung open.

Evelyn stood there.

Her face was pale, her eyes swollen from tears she hadn’t meant to cry. She had left, hoping to protect the Rodrigos from this mess, but her heart wouldn’t let her stay away.

Kamila turned toward her immediately, tears glistening in her eyes. The look on her face told Evelyn everything, she knew that something terrible had been said while she was gone.

“Evelyn…” Kamila whispered, her voice breaking.

Eve’s gaze shifted to Kimberly. The smugness on the woman’s face made her pulse hammer

in her throat.

“So you came back,” Kimberly said mockingly, her tone soft but cruel. “A bit too late, don’t you think? The Rodrigos will be blacklisted. Oh, don’t worry, they’ll still be open, for peasants and passersby who want cheap food. But the elite? They won’t touch this place again. And you know what that means, good food costs money. Let’s see how long your little family lasts

without it.”

Luan smirked beside her, her manicured fingers running lazily along her wine glass.

Evelyn wanted to speak, to defend them, to scream, but she stopped herself. The fight wasn’t worth it. Not here.

Had the restaurant been hers, she would have fought to the last breath. But Rodrigo’s had taken her in, fed her, given her a home when she had nothing. She couldn’t let her pride destroy them.

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Her heart twisted painfully as she thought of their mounting tax debt, their sleepless nights trying to keep the restaurant afloat.

If she wanted to save them, she’d have to do the one thing she swore she’d never do, go back to the hell she escaped.

She rested her hand lightly on her lower belly.

Her secret, her unborn child, was the only thing that gave her strength.

She would do this one last thing for the Rodrigos.

Then she would find another way to free herself from the Ashbrooks forever.

Her eyes locked on Kimberly’s. “You want me to return to Bexlin City and clear Ryan’s name because of my father’s allegations? Will that make you leave the Rodrigos alone?”

“Evelyn, no!” Miter’s voice was sharp, desperate. He could see it in her eyes, the steel, the

sacrifice. She was about to throw herself into the lion’s den for their sake. “Don’t even think

of it,” he said firmly, shaking his head.

But she barely looked at him.

Kimberly’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. “Of course I’m fighting for my brother. For our family’s name. It’s about time you did the right thing.”

The remaining patrons murmured in agreement.

Eve straightened her shoulders. Her voice came out calm, controlled, almost businesslike. ” Very well. I’ll go back. But under two conditions.”

Kimberly raised an eyebrow, amused. “And what would those be?”

“One,” Eve said steadily, “you will leave the Rodrigos alone. They’ll continue their business without interference. Two..”, she looked Kimberly squarely in the eyes, “you’ll pay me ten million dollars to return to Ryan and clear his name.”

The room gasped.

Even Miter froze, disbelief written on his face.

Kamila’s hand flew to her mouth. “Evelyn…” she whispered, her voice trembling with horror

and heartbreak.

Kimberly blinked, then burst out laughing. “You’ve finally stopped pretending. So the little gold digger shows her true colours.”

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Eve smiled faintly, though her heart ached so badly she thought it might split in two. “Believe what you want. I’m done arguing. Do we have a deal or not?”

Her tone was sharp, efficient, leaving no room for sentiment.

Miter shook his head slowly, despair written in every line of his face. Kamila’s tears flowed freely. They both knew, Evelyn was doing this for them, to save everything they had worked

for.

And they hated that they couldn’t stop her.

The truth was simple, if Rodrigo’s got blacklisted, they’d be ruined. The fines, the taxes, the debt, they wouldn’t survive.

Evelyn had already done the math. She knew.

Kimberly’s eyes narrowed. “And what’s the guarantee that you’ll keep your end of the bargain?

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