THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: Marry To Rival's Son novel Chapter 174

SOMEONE HAS TAKEN HIS MOTHER

Chapter 174

“Hmm,” Mia said, letting a teasing note creep into her voice as she studied her friend’s face. “You’re absolutely glowing. I like that look on you.”

The blush that spread across Elena’s cheeks was answer enough. Even through her own emotional turmoil, Mia felt a genuine moment of happiness for her friend.

At least someone in this complicated mess was getting something good out of it.

Elena ducked her head, trying to hide her smile, but the joy radiating from her was impossible to miss.

There was something different about her today – a lightness that had been missing for weeks, a spark in her eyes that Mia hadn’t seen since before everything fell apart.

“So you and Ethan worked things out?” Mia asked, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it confirmed.

Elena nodded enthusiastically, her smile bright and genuine. “I went to his penthouse yesterday evening, and he… he finally let me in. Really let me in this time.”

Mia could see that Elena had fallen completely head over heels in love with Ethan, and despite everything else weighing on her mind, she found herself genuinely happy for her friend.

Ethan was a good man – handsome, intelligent, and mature beyond his twenty-six years. She wasn’t thinking this way just because he was her brother. Far from it, actually.

Sometimes Ethan acted more grown up and responsible than she did, even though she was two years older.

He had this way of approaching problems methodically, thinking through consequences before acting. It was one of the things that made him so different from their father, and one of the reasons she trusted him completely.

But if Elena was happy, and if Ethan had finally stopped pushing her away, it meant he was getting close to something important.

Close enough to whatever truth he was chasing that he felt safe letting Elena back into his life and his heart.

Which also meant he was probably in more danger than he had ever been before.

Her mind was racing as she listened to Elena gush about their reunion. Stefan was stressed and secretive, jumping at every phone call and working late into the night on mysterious projects.

Ethan was gathering evidence and keeping it from her, probably thinking he was protecting her and the baby. Everyone around her was dealing with life-or-death situations while treating her like some fragile ornament that might break if exposed to too much reality.

Well, she was done with that approach. She might be four months pregnant, but she wasn’t an invalid. She wasn’t some delicate flower who needed to be protected from the truth, especially when that truth involved her own family and friends.

If everyone was going to keep secrets from her, she would just have to uncover the truth herself.

“Tell me everything,” she said, settling in more comfortably for what she knew would be a detailed recounting of Elena and Ethan’s romantic reunion. “And I mean everything.”

Elena launched into the story with enthusiasm, describing how Ethan had swept her up in his arms, how they’d talked everything out, how he’d finally opened up to her about his fears and motivations.

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EONE HAS TAKEN HIS MOTHER

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When Elena started getting into the more intimate details of their night together, Mia held up her hand with an exaggerated look of disgust that was only half-feigned.

“Okay, that’s my little brother you’re talking about,” she said, making a face that had both women dissolving into laughter. “I’m happy for you, truly I am, but I absolutely do not need a play-by-play of your sex life.”

“Sorry,” Elena giggled, looking not sorry at all. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and she was practically bouncing with happiness.

As her friend continued talking, sharing smaller details about their evening together, Mia found herself only half- listening.

Her mind kept drifting to those files on her phone, to the questions they raised and the secrets they implied.

As her friend continued talking, Mia found herself only half-listening. Her mind kept drifting to those files on her phone, to the questions they raised and the secrets they implied.

She would get to the bottom of this, she decided. Even if she had to do it alone.

*****….

Across town, Stefan sat at his desk in his office, going through a stack of financial files that had been keeping him awake at night.

These particular documents had been looking suspicious for weeks now, and the more he dug into them, the more convinced he became that something was seriously wrong.

His assistant had come to him that morning with concerns about discrepancies in their client accounts.

Numbers that should have matched were off by significant amounts, and there were transfers that no one could explain or justify.

“I think someone has been skimming from us,” his assistant had said quietly, closing the office door behind him. “The amounts are small individually, but over time, we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Stefan had asked him to go through every file thoroughly, cross-referencing transactions and looking for patterns. That level of detailed analysis was how they had been able to catch the irregularities in the first place.

Someone had been systematically stealing from the company, taking small amounts regularly but documenting larger expenditures to cover their tracks.

It was sophisticated and well-planned, which meant it was probably someone with intimate knowledge of their financial systems.

He didn’t want to jump to conclusions about who might be responsible, but the evidence was pointing in some uncomfortable directions. He needed to get to the bottom of this situation before it got any worse.

His phone rang, interrupting his concentration. He glanced at the caller ID and felt his eyebrows raise in surprise. This was a number he recognized but hadn’t heard from in months. They never called him directly unless something was seriously wrong.

His mind made a nervous flip as possibilities raced through his thoughts. He hoped nothing bad had happened.

“Hello,” he said into the phone, trying to keep his voice neutral.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Sterling.” The voice on the other end was shaky and uncertain. “I’m afraid I have some disturbing news about Mrs. Grayson.”

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