THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: Marry To Rival's Son novel Chapter 170

AM TRYING TO TALK TO MY WIFE

Chapter 170

When Elena woke up, she was surprised to feel someone holding her. But then she recognized the familiar scent, the way his arms felt around her, she knew immediately who it was.

She turned slowly, trying not to disturb or wake him. Ethan stirred slightly but didn’t open his eyes.

What she saw made her heart break. He looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept in days. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and he’d lost so much weight his cheekbones were more pronounced than she remembered.

His usually perfect hair was messy and unkempt, and there was stubble covering his jaw that looked like it had been growing for days without attention.

Her chest tightened painfully at the sight. This wasn’t the strong, confident man she knew. This was someone who was falling apart, piece by piece, like he was slowly disappearing before her eyes.

Had he eaten anything recently? When was the last time he’d really slept? He was drowning in grief, and she couldn’t do anything to help him.

She couldn’t be there when he needed someone to lean on most. The thought of him suffering alone while she was kept away made her stomach twist with guilt and frustration.

She knew what it felt like to lose a parent. Even just the thought of losing her mom terrified her beyond words. The idea of that permanent emptiness, that hole that would never be filled-it was her worst nightmare.

Tears started flowing down her cheeks before she realized it. She couldn’t look away from him, this man she loved who was destroying himself with pain.

Every shallow breath he took, every small movement that showed how restless his sleep was, broke her heart a little more.

A tear dropped onto Ethan’s face, and he stirred awake. When he opened his eyes and saw Elena staring at him with tears streaming down her face, shock crossed his features. For a moment, he looked confused, like he couldn’t quite believe she was really there.

Pain stabbed through his chest. He knew he was the reason she was crying. He’d promised to always protect her from hurt, and now he was the one causing it.

He’d pushed her away to protect her, and ended up hurting her anyway. His heart felt so heavy.

He reached out and gently wiped her tears away with his thumb, his touch so tender it made her cry harder. She said nothing, just watched him while biting her bottom lip so hard she could taste her blood.

“Why are you hurting yourself?” he scolded softly, pulling her lip free from her teeth with his finger before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer.

She broke down completely, sobbing against his shoulder. All the pain and confusion and sleepless nights came pouring out of her in waves that shook her entire body.

“I swear I had nothing to do with your mom’s death,” she choked out between tears, her words muffled against his shirt. “You have to believe me. Please, Ethan, you have to know I would never.”

“I know. I trust you completely.” His answer made her pull back so fast it was like lightning had struck.

“You know?” Her voice was barely a whisper, like she was afraid to hope. Ethan nodded, his eyes never leaving her face.

“When?” she asked, her eyes searching his face like his answer would determine everything. “When did you know?

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AM TRYING TO TALK TO MY WIFE

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“From the very beginning,” he said, cupping her face gently with both hands. “From the moment those officers came to you.”

“I knew you could never hurt anyone, not even my mother who treated you terribly. You don’t have a violent bone in your body, Elena. I’ve seen you cry over silly things.”

Elena slapped his hands away from her face, catching him completely off guard. The sudden change in her expression from hope to fury was like watching a storm roll in.

“You knew, but you did all that anyway? Why? Why did you stop me and my mother from coming to the funeral?” Her voice grew colder with each word, ice replacing the warmth that had been there seconds before.

Ethan ran his fingers through his hair, suddenly looking lost. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, not knowing what to say that wouldn’t make things worse.

“Are you kidding me? Are you seriously kidding me right now?” Elena’s voice was rising, and he could see the full extent of her anger building like a tsunami.

“Elena, let me explain…..”

But she was already getting up from the bed, moving like she couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

“You’re telling me I’ve been lying awake every night thinking you saw me as a murderer, and this whole time you knew I didn’t do it? But you never called once? Never answered when I tried to reach you? Do you have any idea what that did to me?”

“You wouldn’t understand….”

“I wouldn’t understand?” Elena’s body shook with fury, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “You know what? Screw you, Ethan. Screw you and screw all of this. I’m done.”

She stormed toward the door, but Ethan was already on his feet, his own panic overriding everything else. He couldn’t let her leave. Not again. He’d already lost too much he couldn’t lose her too.

He caught up with her in the living room, his longer legs covering the distance easily.

“Elena,” he called, but she acted like she didn’t even hear him, marching toward the front door with single- minded determination.

In two quick strides, he reached her and swept her up onto his shoulder like she weighed nothing, one arm wrapped around her legs to keep her secure.

“Put me down right now, Ethan!” she yelled, pounding his back with her fists hard enough that he was sure there would be bruises later.

He didn’t say a word, just kept walking back toward the bedroom with steady, measured steps.

“You absolute jerk!” she cursed, which only made him smik despite the situation. He’d missed her fire, even when it was directed at him.

“Well then, let’s go talk about why I’m such a jerk,” he said calmly, like he was discussing the weather instead of carrying a furious woman against her will.

“I don’t want to talk to you! Put me down this instant!” Elena tried to wiggle free, kicking her legs and pushing against his back, but his grip was solid.

She couldn’t believe how strong he was, he looked like he’d been wasting away, but apparently he still had plenty of strength left. “This is kidnapping, you know!”

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“Sue me,” he replied, and she could hear the amusement in his voice, which only made her angrier.

She thought about giving up the fight, but no way was she going to make this easy for him. If he wanted to carry her, she’d make sure he worked for it. She renewed her struggles, trying different angles and putting all her weight into escaping.

Ethan, meanwhile, was actually smiling for the first time in days. He was enjoying her fierce struggle-he’d missed his stubborn, fiery woman more than he’d realized. This was the Elena he’d fallen in love with, all passion and determination.

He carried her back to his bedroom and set her down on the bed, immediately positioning himself so she was trapped between his legs. He leaned over her carefully, making sure not to put his full weight on her but ensuring she couldn’t escape.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Elena snapped, trying to push him away but finding herself trapped by his solid frame.

“Trying to talk to my wife,” he said simply, his voice soft but certain.

His words made her speechless for a moment. Heat crept up her neck and into her cheeks, and she hated that he could still affect her like this when she was supposed to be furious with him.

“We’re not married, Ethan. We never signed the papers. What are you talking about?” Her voice was shakier than she wanted it to be.

“I don’t need a piece of paper to know you’re my wife, Elena,” he said softly, his eyes intense as they searched her face. “You’ve been mine since the moment you asked me to marry you. A ceremony doesn’t change that.”

His words melted some of her anger, but she wasn’t about to let him off the hook that easily. She could feel her resolve weakening, and that made her even more determined to stay mad.

“That doesn’t change what you did,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady despite the way he was looking at her like she was everything he’d ever wanted. “You let me suffer for nothing. You let me think you hated me.”

“I know.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and she could see the pain in his eyes. “And I hate myself for it. Every single day.’

“Then why?” The hurt in her voice almost broke him. “Why put us both through this? Why push me away when we should have been grieving together?” Ethan closed his eyes, taking a shaky breath.

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