THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: Marry To Rival's Son novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Her pulse pounded, anger clawing its way back to the surface. She knew who would pull such a stunt, who would think locking her in her room was the solution to silencing her. Her father. Or perhaps that woman downstairs, the one who dared call herself her soon-to-be stepmother.

Mia’s fingers curled into fists as she stepped back from the door, glaring at it as though sheer willpower could make it open.

The tightness in her chest grew heavier, frustration mixing with fury as she grabbed her phone off the bed. She stared at the screen, scrolling through her contacts in search of someone who could help.

Then she called the only one who she trusted the most.

Mia paced her room as the phone rang in her hand, her breaths uneven as frustration and desperation warred within her. When Elena picked up almost immediately, Mia felt a flicker of relief, though the situation was far from resolved.

“Mia, are you okay?” Elena’s voice came through, sharp with concern.

Mia bit her lip, glancing at the locked door. “Please, where exactly are you?” she asked, trying to steady her voice.

“I’m home,” Elena replied, her tone softening. “It’s my day off. Why? What’s going on?”

Mia hesitated for a brief second before answering. “I need your help. I need you to do something for me,” she said, checking her watch. It was past six, he’d already be back.

“Who’s back?” Elena asked, her voice laced with confusion.

Mia froze for a moment, realizing she hadn’t meant to say that out loud. “I’ll explain everything soon,” she said quickly. “For now, I need you to go to this address. I just forwarded it to you. Tell him you’re from me. Let him know I’m being locked up by my dad and that I’ll be waiting for him here.”

Elena gasped audibly. “Your dad locked you up?” Her tone shifted, firm but carrying an edge of disbelief. “You don’t need to explain now, but Mia, you have a lot of explaining to do when this is over. I’ll head out right away. Give me an hour-I’ll get back to you.”

Mia exhaled, a wave of gratitude washing over her. “Thank you so much, Ell. I love you,” she said, her voice softening.

“I love you too, bestie,” Elena replied. “Stay strong. I’ll handle this.” And with that, the call ended.

Mia stared at the phone for a moment, her heart pounding as she tried to steady her breathing. She glanced at the door again, her frustration simmering beneath the surface. For now, she had done all she could. All that was left was to wait, and hope.

Minute after minute crawled by, each one feeling heavier than the last as Mia paced her room. Her phone sat in her hand, the screen lighting up periodically as she checked the time, her messages, anything. The silence in the room was unbearable, broken only by the faint creaks of the house settling around her. Her heart thudded in her chest, faster with every passing second. She hated waiting-it made her feel powerless, trapped.

1/3

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, her phone buzzed in her hund. There with lands, wh Mia let out a shaky breath. She didn’t waste a second, swiping to answer

But when she pressed the phone to her ear, it wasn’t Elena’s voice that greeted her

my

“Mia,” came the low, commanding voice she recognized immediately.”I need you follow yon.Co you?”

“Stefan?” she whispered, startled. The urgency in his tone left no room for pleaseserios, “1. I can, tell me wha

to do,” she stammered.

“Go to your balcony,” he said. “On the left, there’s a vine covered wall. It’s sturdy enough Wow, thow’s a gardener’s shed. Grab the ladder there and climb over the perimeter wall?

Mia blinked, stunned for a moment. She had even forgpaten do the garden orderingperacery, Bove How did he know those details? How could he possibly know do the garden or do the structure of her home. She pushed the thought aside, moving towards the garden. That wasn’t importante com a dont the cameras?” she said immediately she spotted all he said.

“Taken care of,” he assured, “Move now. I trust you.”

Those three words sent a strange flutter through her chest, but she quickly shock dif. She don’t have fame to dwell on that now. “I’ll need a minute,” she said, hurrying back inside.

She grabbed her laptop bag, carefully placing her mother’s things inside, photos, her fanfte scat, the pend her life she couldn’t bear to leave behind. She slung the bag onto her back, the wege goudigier Cortes could be replaced, but these things couldn’t. She threw a final glance around the room before textgraccont to the balcony, the scent of flowers wrapping around her like an embrace

Her mother had chosen this room for her because of its view of the garden. She had loved flowers, always safig they carried whispers of freedom and hope. And now, in a poetic twist, those very flowers, and the vines they both nourished, would be her escape. It felt almost as if her mother were helping her guiding heresa

She gripped the balcony railing tightly, her knuckles pale as she looked down at the vines twisting dong the mansion wall. They twisted and turned, their thick stems promising stability but still leaving her stomach in knots. The ground felt impossibly far away, and every rational part of her mind screamed at her to stop. The dim light of dusk had faded, and the shadows stretched long across the garden below. Her breath hitched. The darkness made the climb feel even more daunting

She inhaled sharply, trying to calm the tremor in her hands. But still, the fear gnawed at her.

Her grip faltered for a moment, her chest tightening, What if the vines didn’t hold? What if she slipped? The thought was paralyzing, but Stefan’s words came back to her like an anchor: “I trust you

Mia closed her eyes briefly, the confidence in his voice cutting through her panic. She imagined him waiting for her, counting on her, and her resolve hardened. “I can do this,” she told herself, forcing her fingers to tighten around the railing, One breath at a time, she swung her legs over and began her journey.

The vines felt rough against her palms, the weight of her bag pulling at her shoulders as she carefully searched for footholds, each movement slow and deliberate. The creaking of the structure beneath her made her heart pound faster, but she forced herself to move. The cool evening breeze brushed against her face, mixing with the faint scent of roses from the garden.

213

STEFAN STERUNG TRUSTS MIA MEYER

+25 Bonus

Finally, her feet touched the cool grass below, and she let out a shaky breath of relief. But the moment was short -lived. She froze as she spotted movement from the corner of her eye.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify