THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: Marry To Rival's Son novel Chapter 133

133 MY NAME IS JAMES

Chapter 133

Elena cried harder at that, but it seemed like a different kind of crying now. Not the hopeless grief of someone who had given up, but the cleansing tears of someone who was finally letting herself feel everything she had been holding back.

When Mia had been drowning in her own darkness months ago – the chaos with her father, the kidnapping, the fear that had followed her everywhere – Elena had been there. Her anchor. Her strength. Her rock when everything else was shifting sand.

Now it was Mia’s turn to be that for Elena. To hold her friend while she fell apart and put herself back together again. To remind her that she wasn’t alone, that love didn’t disappear just because it became complicated.

She held Elena until the crying finally subsided into exhausted hiccups, until her breathing evened out and her body relaxed into the kind of sleep that only comes after you’ve cried out every tear you thought you had.

But Mia stayed awake a little longer, staring at the ceiling and listening to Elena’s peaceful breathing. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new fears, new impossible decisions. But tonight, in this moment, her friend was safe and loved and not alone.

And sometimes, in the middle of the worst storms life could throw at you, that was enough to keep going.

A year later

A black SUV pulled up to the front of Stefan’s mansion on a quiet Tuesday morning. Mia stood by the window, her hands shaking as she watched the passenger door open.

A year had passed since that terrible night at the hospital when they feared they’ll lose Mose forever. A year of grief, guilt, and carefully constructed lies to keep the Santiago family believing he was dead.

But the man who stepped out of the car was not the Mose they remembered.

Stefan had prepared them for this moment, but seeing it with her own eyes still took Mia’s breath away. The doctors had done an incredible job.

His face was completely different – broader jaw, different nose, even his eye shape had been altered. He was taller too, his shoulders wider, his entire build more muscular than before. If she had passed him on the street, she would never have recognized him.

“Elena,” Mia called softly to her friend who was sitting on the couch reading. “He’s here.”

Elena’s book fell from her hands as she rushed to the window. When she saw the stranger walking toward their front door with Stefan, her heart began racing.

This was supposed to be the man she loved, the man she had grieved for, the man she had dreamed about every night for a year. But he looked like a complete stranger.

“That’s really him?” She whispered, her voice barely audible.

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“The surgery was necessary,” Mia explained gently even though Elena already knew. “So he wouldn’t be recognizable. They had to reconstruct almost everything.”

Elena nodded, trying to prepare herself mentally. She had imagined this reunion so many times. In her dreams, Mose would walk through the door, sweep her into his arms, and everything would go back to the way it was before.

But looking at this unfamiliar man, she realized how naive those dreams had been.

The front door opened and Stefan walked in first.

“Ladies, I’d like you to meet James,” Stefan announced, using the new identity they had created. “James, this is Mia and Elena. Mia is my wife. And Elena, she’s….. Family”

The man who used to be Mose stepped forward with a polite smile. “Nice to meet you both. Stefan’s told me so much about his family.”

His voice was different too. Not just because of the physical changes, but the way he spoke. The old Mose had been quiet, measured, almost whispered when he talked. This man spoke clearly, confidently, like someone who was comfortable being the center of attention.

Elena stepped forward, her eyes filling with tears. “Mose, it’s….”

“James,” he corrected gently but firmly. “My name is James”

“Right. James.” Her voice cracked slightly. “I’m Elena. We were… we knew each other very well before your accident.”

Mose looked at her with polite interest but no recognition. “Stefan mentioned that. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember much from before. The doctors said the head trauma affected my memory pretty severely.”

She felt like she had been slapped. She was aware, but hearing it directly from him made it real in a way that broke her heart all over again.

“That’s okay,” she managed to say, forcing a smile. “We can start over. Get to know each other again.”

James nodded politely. “That sounds nice.”

But she could tell from his tone that he was just being courteous. There was no warmth in his eyes when he looked at her, no spark of connection. She was just another stranger he was meeting for the first time.

“I’ll show you to your room,” Stefan said, sensing the tension in the air. “You must be tired from the journey.”

As they headed upstairs, Elena sank onto the couch and buried her face in her hands. Mia sat beside her and rubbed her back.

“Give it time,” Mia said softly, “The doctors said some memories might come back gradually. But it might take time because of the injection they gave to him.”

“Did you see the way he looked at me?” She whispered. “Like I was nobody. Like I meant absolutely nothing to

him.”

“He doesn’t remember……”

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“It’s not just that he doesn’t remember, Mia. It’s like he actively doesn’t care. When I told him we knew each other well, he looked… bored.”

Upstairs, Stefan was helping Mose settle into his new room, they had redecorated it completely to make it feel more comfortable.

“This is nice,” he said, looking around. “Much better than the hospital.”

“I’m glad you like it. And Mos…. James, about Elena…”

“What about her?”

“You two were very close before the accident. She cared about you deeply.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and raised his brow looking at Stefan with confusion. “How close exactly?”

Stefan hesitated. He had debated how much to tell him about his past relationship with Elena. The doctors had advised keeping things simple at first, not overwhelming him with complex emotional information.

And this Mose looks and act so different, it felt like he was someone else entirely.

“You were just really close,” Stefan said finally. “You cared about each other a lot.”

“Huh.” Mose said, processing the information with the same casual interest he might show for the weather report. “I don’t feel anything when I look at her. Should I?”

“Not necessarily. Your feelings might come back over time, or they might not. The important thing is that you’re alive and healthy. Just give it time.”

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