THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: Marry To Rival's Son novel Chapter 17

Chapter 17

“Chaos?” Mia repeated, raising a brow, not exactly saying no.

Elena lit up like she’d just been handed a golden ticket, she turned to Stefan who’d been silent, watching the conversation unfold like this was the last place he wanted to be. “Stefan,” she said, careful and a little too cheerful, “come stand beside Mia.”

Stefan’s eyes snapped to her. Cold and sharp, like he was calculating how fast he could disappear her.

Elena flinched and instantly ducked behind Mia. “Okay! Wow. Talk to your husband, please. He looks like he wants to murder me.” Mia didn’t laugh. But she didn’t back down either. She and Stefan weren’t close, far from it. If she could get out of this fake marriage, she’d do it in a heartbeat. But she needed him.

“I’m not asking you to propose,” Elena added, staring at Stefan with an innocent look. “Just… pretend to. Kneel, hold her hand, look like you’re madly in love. Simple.” she gave Mia a nudge at side, silently calling for help.

“You agreed to follow whatever I want,” Mia said softly, but firmly to Stefan. “Remember?” That was all it took to make Stefan oblige.

Stefan didn’t say anything, but he moved. Every step toward her was calm and deliberate, like he was walking into something dangerous but already committed.

Then, without a word, he knelt. His hand brushed hers, just a simple touch, but it sent a strange rush through her body, quick and unexpected. Her stomach flipped, her heart beat faster, like someone had plugged her into a live wire. She tried to control her breath.

He took her hand, slid the ring back onto her finger. Slow. Steady. His fingers were warm, his touch firm. Not tender, but not careless either.

Their eyes met, their gaze locked. Mia couldn’t explain what she was feeling, she only knew it made her forget

to blink.

Elena, trying to keep the energy up, started snapping photos. “Alright, Stefan. Look at her like she’s the only woman on earth.” Stefan didn’t even try. His expression remained cold, like Elena hadn’t uttered a word. 1

Elena sighed loudly. “Okay, that’s as romantic as a funeral procession. But I’ll work with it.”

Mia didn’t say a word. She couldn’t. Her hand still felt the heat of his, even though he was already standing up and brushing off his pants like nothing had happened.

The rest of the photoshoot was a blur. Elena did her best to direct them, clearly avoiding looking directly at Stefan. Mia just stood still, aware of him beside her, his presence heavy even without a single touch.

Nearly an hour passed by the time Elena finished taking what she called “acceptable” shots. Dozens were discarded, some were too cold, others too staged. But finally, she had her gold.

Three photos, one for each of them. A close-up of Mia’s hand adorned with the glittering ring, Stefan’s shadow falling beside her.

A side profile of Stefan holding Mia’s hand, his expression unreadable but striking. Her face not visible.

1/3

SEBASTIAN SHRUNG AND MIA MEYER POSTED THE SAME DING, AT THE SAME TIME

+25 Bonus

And finally, one of Mia looking down at him and the ring, a perfect mixture of defiance and seduction. But his head was faced down, leaving no clue. Just enough to tease the media.

“Each of you posts one, Stefan the one that has just you. While I’ll post for Mia, the one that doesn’t include Stefan” Elena said, holding up Mia phone like it was a trophy. “Same caption. No tags. Just enough to drive everyone nuts.”

Stefan handed his phone to Mose without a word. “Post whichever one you want,” he muttered, already turning

away.

At the same time, Elena stood beside Mia, eyes glued to the screen as she tapped ‘share.’ “Done,” she said with a grin, as if she’d just set a fuse to a bomb.

Two posts. Same background, same hand, same glittering ring. No faces, no names. Just one line, “Said yes to the love of my life.”

It was a bait. A perfectly timed trap to make the internet spiral in confusion before the press conference. Speculation was already bubbling, and that’s exactly what Elena wanted. She quickly rushed and created a new account and posted with a caption ” who noticed that Stefan Sterling and Mia Meyer uploaded the same thing, at the same time “A big mischievous smile was planted on her face.

“Remember,” Elena added, casually slipping her phone into her back pocket, “you both have to kiss when you’re up there.” The room went dead silent.

Mose blinked. He looked at Stefan, who had yet to react, and then at Elena, who seemed far too comfortable giving orders. If someone had predicted a week ago that his boss’s quiet, calculated life would turn into this circus, Stefan probably would’ve had their head on a silver tray.

Now here he was, watching Stefan deal with not one but two unpredictable women. One was his legal wife. The other? A sharp-mouthed friend who didn’t know when to stop.

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