THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: Marry To Rival's Son novel Chapter 173

HER BROTHER WAS KEEPING EXPLOSIVE SECRETS FROM HER

Chapter 173

Elena woke up wrapped in Ethan’s arms, feeling more content than she had in weeks. But as reality crept in with the morning sunlight streaming through the curtains, her mood shifted dramatically.

She had to leave. They’d agreed to keep their reconciliation a secret, and that meant going back to pretending they were still at odds with each other.

She hated it. Hated having to hide the fact that she was finally happy, that the man she loved had finally let her back in. But she understood the necessity of it, even if it made her want to scream with frustration.

“I don’t want to go,” she mumbled against his chest, her voice muffled by his skin.

Ethan’s arms tightened around her reflexively. “I know, baby. I don’t want you to either. But it’s just temporary, okay? Once this is all over….”

“I know,” Elena interrupted, not wanting to hear the promises again. They both knew how dangerous empty promises could be. “I just… I wish things were different.”

“Soon,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I promise you, soon.”

They got dressed in comfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts. When it came time for Elena to actually leave, she found herself dragging her feet like a child being forced to go to school.

At the door, Ethan pulled her into his arms one last time, holding her close enough that she could feel his heartbeat against her cheek.

“Before you go,” he said quietly, pulling back to look at her. “I’m going to send you a file. But I need you to promise me something.”

Elena’s brow furrowed. “What kind of file?”

“Something I need you to keep safe. But you can’t open it unless I specifically ask you to, okay? And you can’t tell anyone about it. Not even Mia.”

The request felt strange, but the serious look in his eyes told her this was important. More than important, it was potentially life or death.

“Okay,” she agreed. “I promise.’

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“Good.” He kissed her then, soft and sweet and full of all the words he couldn’t say. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered back, then forced herself to step away from him and walk out the door.

The hardest part was having to sneak around like some teenager hiding from her parents. Elena felt ridiculous creeping through the hallways of his building, but she couldn’t risk anyone seeing her leave Ethan’s penthouse. Not when so much depended on their secret staying safe.

Mia was alone in the house that morning, and the silence felt oppressive in a way it never had before.

Stefan had left early after receiving a phone call that had completely changed his demeanor. One minute he’d been relaxed and sleepy, pulling her closer in bed, and the next he was tense and alert, already reaching for his clothes.

“What’s wrong?” she’d asked, watching him dress with quick, efficient movements.

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HER BROTHER WAS KEEPING EXPLOSIVE SECRETS FROM MER

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“Nothing,” he’d said, but his voice had been tight with stress. “Just work stuff. I’ll be back later.”

She’d wanted to press him for more information, but something in his expression had warned her off. Stefan was keeping secrets too, it seemed. Everyone in her life was keeping secrets, and she was getting tired of being the only one left out because she was pregnant.

She was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when she heard Elena’s familiar knock on the front door.

“I’ll be out in a minute!” she called out, spitting toothpaste into the sink.

“I’ll wait in my room!” Elena called back.

Mia smiled despite her mood. It would be good to have Elena around, good to have someone to talk to. Maybe her friend would be more forthcoming than everyone else in her life seemed to be lately.

When she finished getting ready, Mia made her way to Elena’s room. The door was open, which meant Elena was expecting her, but she could hear the shower running in the attached bathroom.

She settled herself on Elena’s bed to wait, idly glancing around the room. It looked like Elena had been in a good mood when she’d undressed, her clothes from the night before were scattered around with the careless abandon of someone who’d had more pressing things on her mind than being neat.

That’s when Elena’s phone chimed.

Mia wasn’t trying to snoop, really. The phone was right there on the nightstand, close enough that she couldn’t help but see the notification that appeared on the screen.

“Please keep this file safe even from Mia.”

The sender was listed as “The One.”

Mia’s eyebrows shot up. She knew immediately who that had to be, Elena had always been dramatic about her contact names, and if she was calling someone “The One,” it had to be Ethan.

But why was he telling Elena to keep something from her specifically? What could they possibly be hiding that they didn’t want her to know about?

Her first thought was that it might be their marriage certificate or some other document related to their relationship. Maybe they were planning to make things official and wanted to surprise everyone.

But curiosity got the better of her. Before she could talk herself out of it, Mia picked up the phone and opened th

message.

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