THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: Marry To Rival's Son novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The room fell into a heavy silence. It wasn’t just quiet, it was the kind of stillness that pressed against your chest, the kind that made breathing feel like a task.

Elena stood frozen, unsure of what to do, a mix of shock and pity swirling in her chest. Her heart pounded, her throat felt dry. She had heard rumors about Stefan, about how ruthless he could be. but seeing Mia stand up to him like that? Slapping him, with no fear in her and his bodyguard presence?

She watched as Mose hesitated, taking a cautious step toward Mia, like he wasn’t sure if he should get involved.

But Mia spoke before he could reach her. Her voice was quiet, not weak, but so steady.

“That bag…” she said, her fingers tightening around the leather strap like it was her lifeline, “…holds the last pieces of my mom.” Mose froze.

Elena swallowed the lump rising in her throat.

“My mom,” Mia went on, her words raw, but her spine straight as an arrow, “is the only person who ever looked at me and saw something worth believing in. When the whole world laughed… when they said I’d never be enough… she was the one who told me I was born to lead.”

A tear slid down her cheek. She didn’t wipe it away. She let it fall. She stood tall, proud, her pain laid bare for

everyone to see.

“I don’t live for the approval of men who don’t know me,” she said, her voice low and clear. “I live to honor the woman who did.”

She turned to Elena and Mose, her gaze softer now. “I’m sorry if I put you both at risk,” she whispered, “but if I had to do it again… I’d still choose to protect her memory. Every damn time.”

And with that, she walked away, her head high, her back straight, like a queen who knew the price of loyalty and was willing to pay it.

Elena blinked rapidly, feeling tears sting the back of her eyes. She hurried after Mia, her heart breaking. Because she knew, how much Mia misses her mom.

Stefan stayed rooted to the spot, his fists clenched at his sides. He wasn’t a man who let his emotions get the best of him, but today was different. Today, he had crossed a line he wasn’t sure he could uncross.

He knew, deep down, that his words had been cruel. But her words… her words had carved straight through the armor he spent years building around himself.

For a second, just a second, he saw himself standing where she was. A boy who had once sworn he’d do anything to protect the memory of his own mother.

And for once, a small, stubborn part of him whispered that maybe, just maybe, he had been wrong.

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But pride was a cruel master. And Stefan Sterling would die before he admitted he was wrong. Not to anyone. Not even to himself.

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Mose stood silently nearby, watching him. He already knew what Stefan was thinking, even if he’d never say it out loud. He regretted it. Especially now that he knew it was about Mia’s mother.

If it had been about his own mother… Mose didn’t even want to imagine what Stefan would’ve done.

Stefan finally turned, jaw tight, and disappeared into his office, leaving the room colder than before.

Elena didn’t’t know the full story, not yet, but right now, it didn’t matter. Her friend needed her, and she would be there, no questions asked.

She found Mia curled up on the bed, facing the wall, her shoulders trembling just enough to make Elena’s throat tighten. Without a word, Elena climbed in behind her, wrapping her arms gently around Mia’s small frame.

She held her tightly, the way you hold someone when you’re afraid they might fall apart if you let go. Mia didn’t say anything, she didn’t need to. Her hand reached up and clutched Elena’s arm, holding on like a lifeline.

They stayed like that, breathing together in the quiet, the pain between them heavy but somehow lighter because they were carrying it together.

A soft knock broke the moment. Elena reluctantly untangled herself, wiped the tears she hadn’t even realized were falling, and opened the door.

Mose stood there with food, his face softer than she’d ever seen it. No words were exchanged, she took the bags, whispered a “thank you,” and closed the door gently.

Back inside, she coaxed Mia to eat, spoon by spoon. Mia barely touched the food, but Elena counted even the smallest bites. Afterwards, they crawled back into bed, still no words.

Just Elena wrapping her arms around Mia again, pressing their foreheads together. Mia fell asleep first, exhausted from all she had gone through the day.

Elena lay awake for a long time, staring into the dark, her arms still wrapped around her best friend. Whatever storms were waiting outside that door, whatever battles Mia would have to fight, she wouldn’t fight them alone. Not while she, Elena still had breath in her body. She wasn’t going to leave her

The next morning, Elena woke up to an empty bed. For a moment, panic gripped her chest. But then she saw Mia standing by the window, already dressed in a long floral dress, with a split that stops just below her right hips. She looked sharp, composed, with no trace of last night.

“Go get ready. We have a mission to win,” Mia said, her tone steady and fierce. Elena blinked at the dress, feeling the fabric between her fingers, soft, luxurious, definitely worth more than everything she owned put together.

She raised an eyebrow at Mia, silently asking why this? but Mia just gave her a look that said, trust me. No more questions.

Elena nodded once, grabbed the dress, and disappeared into the bathroom. The warm water washed away the heavy night, but not the tight knot in her chest.

When she stepped out and slipped into the dress, she barely recognized the woman staring back at her in the mirror. She felt stronger, braver and ready.

She smoothed the fabric over her hips, took a breath, and followed Mia out. The living room was silent when

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