THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: Marry To Rival's Son novel Chapter 163

Chapter 163

For days, the police kept calling Elena in for interrogation. Each time, the same detective with tired eyes would ask her the same questions over and over again. Each time, she would sit quietly with Stefan’s lawyer and repeat that she was innocent.

“I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill her. I’ve never even thought of harming anyone my life” She’d always repeat.

She was tired of the constant questioning wasn’t what was eating her alive. It was the deafening silence from

Ethan.

He hadn’t called her. He hadn’t texted. He hadn’t even tried to see her. She had tried calling him dozens of times, but every call went straight to voicemail. Her messages went unanswered. It was like he had completely erased her from his life.

She sat in her room at Stefan’s house, staring at her phone and willing it to ring. The engagement ring was still on her finger, but it felt heavy now, like a reminder of everything she had lost.

Maybe he really does think she killed his mother, she thought, her heart breaking a little more with each passing day.

She knew Ethan was grieving, knew he needed someone to be there for him during this impossible time. That’s why she had begged Mia to help her reach out to him.

“Please,” Elena had pleaded with her friend. “Just go check on him. Make sure he’s eating, make sure he’s not completely falling apart. I’m worried about him. He’s your younger brother, don’t turn your back on him because of me.”

But Mia couldn’t visit Ethan very often because of her pregnancy. Stefan was being extra protective, insisting that she rest and avoid stressful situations. And whenever Mia did manage to visit Ethan, she would come back with vague answers that didn’t really tell Elena anything.

“He’s fine,” Mia would say. “He’s just… processing everything.”

Elena had driven to Ethan’s penthouse multiple times, desperate to see him face to face. But every time, the building security told her that Mr. Meyer wasn’t home. She had no idea what he was doing, or if he’d ever come back to his penthouse

The not knowing was driving her crazy.

After two weeks of complete silence, Elena was starting to wonder if she was cursed when it came to love. Maybe she wasn’t meant to be in a relationship with anyone. Maybe she was destined to be alone forever.

First Mose lost his memory and fell in love with someone else, now Ethan thinks she’s a murderer. Maybe the universe is trying to tell her something. She thought bitterly.

She’d managed to convince her mom to go back, Mose and Sienna had helped her drive her back because she couldn’t leave the city.

What Elena didn’t know was that Ethan was going through his own kind of hell.

Every fiber of his being wanted to call her, to hold her, to tell her that he believed in her innocence. But he forced himself to stay away because he was convinced that someone was watching them, waiting to see how he would

react.

He had spent the first few days after his mother’s death in a fog of grief and confusion.

All the evidence pointed to Elena – the argument at the salon, the timing of the murder, even the fact that Cassandra had been found dead just hours before their wedding.

Like Elena had made sure Cassandra doesn’t stop their union, but no stupid person would do such knowing they’d be the first suspect.

For one terrible moment, he had actually wondered if Elena could have done it. The doubt had lasted maybe thirty seconds, but it had been there, and he hated himself for it.

That’s when Mia had shown up at his door like an avenging angel.

“If you even think for one second that Elena is capable of murder, then you don’t deserve her,” Mia had said fiercely, standing in his living room with her hands on her hips despite being pregnant.

“Mia, I know you want to defend your friend, but……”

“No,” Mia had interrupted. “Listen to me very carefully. I have known Elena Santos for most of my life. I have seen her at her best and her worst. I have seen her angry, hurt, desperate, and broken. But I have never, not once, seen her be cruel or violent. She wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone kill someone.”

Ethan had looked at his sister, seeing the absolute conviction in her eyes.

“She loves you, Ethan,” Mia had continued, her voice softer now. “She loves you so much that she would rather suffer in silence than cause you any pain. Do you really think someone capable of that kind of selfless love could also be a cold-blooded killer?”

That conversation had cleared Ethan’s head completely. Of course Elena was innocent. The question was: who had really killed his mother, and why?

“Someone planned this,” Ethan had realized out loud. “Someone wanted Elena to be blamed. But why?”

“To separate you two,” Mia had said immediately. “Think about it. Your mother dies the day before your wedding, and all the evidence points to your fiancée. It’s the perfect way to destroy your relationship.”

“But who would do something like that? And what would they gain?”

Mia had been quiet for a long moment before answering. “I don’t know. But I think we should find out.”

That’s when they had come up with their plan. Ethan would pretend to believe Elena was guilty. He would refuse to see her, ignore her calls, and act like their relationship was over. Meanwhile, he and Mia would secretly investigate his mother’s murder.

“We can’t tell Stefan,” Mia had insisted. “He’ll want to help, but he’ll also insist that I stay out of it completely. He’s already being overprotective about the pregnancy.”

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