THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: Marry To Rival's Son novel Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Mia practically sprinted down the hallway to her room, her bare feet silent against the cold marble floor. Her heart. hammered against her ribs like a caged bird desperate to escape.

What is wrong with me?

She slipped into her room and pressed her back against the door, sliding down until she sat on the floor, knees pulled to her chest. Her face burned with mortification. Image of what she had just done was so clear.

She had touched Stefan Sterling. Inappropriately. While he slept. Like some kind of… of…

“Oh God,” she whispered into her knees, covering her face with her hands. “I’m losing my mind.”

The worst part wasn’t even what she’d done. The worst part was how right it had felt. How natural. How much she’d wanted to keep touching him, to trace every line and curve of his body, to…..

Stop!

She shot to her feet, pacing across her room like a caged animal. This was insane. This was Stefan Sterling, the man she’d entered a contract marriage with purely for revenge. Cold, calculating, dangerous Stefan Sterling who made grown men tremble with a single look.

Stefan Sterling who had somehow made her feel safer than she’d felt in years.

“This is just exhaustion,” she told herself firmly, stopping in front of her mirror. Her reflection stared back, hair scattered, cheeks flushed, eyes wide and confused. “It’s been an emotional day. And he had let her cry on his shoulder. That’s all this is.”

But even as she said it, she could still feel the warmth of his skin under her fingertips. Could still see the peaceful expression on his face, so different from his usual guarded mask.

The smart thing would be to pretend tonight never happened. To keep their arrangement purely business. And maintaining a relationship just for cameras alone.

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the dining room, casting golden light across the dinning table. Mia, Stefan and Mose were seated, eating their meals quietly.

Mia sat rigidly in her chair, her eyes fixed firmly on her untouched plate of eggs as if it held the secrets that everyone was searching for.

She could feel Stefan’s presence at the head of the table like a physical weight. Every clink of his fork against his plate, every quiet sip of his coffee, made her shoulders tense further. She’d barely slept after she got to her room, replaying every mortifying second of her midnight exploration of Stefan’s body.

Just act normal, she told herself. Pretend nothing happened

But normal was impossible when she could still feel the warmth of his skin under her fingertips.

Stefan, meanwhile, ate his breakfast with infuriating calm. His movements were precise and controlled, exactly as they always were. He might as well have been reading the morning stock reports for all the emotion he showed. It was like last night, her touching him, her frantic escape from his room, had never happened at all.

The bastard was eating like nothing happened. And she was here suffering alone.

Were you not the one that touched him when he was sleeping? Her subconscious shut her up completely.

Elena breezed into the dining room with a cheerful smile, settling into her usual chair across from Mia. “Good

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morning, you two! Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

Mia mumbled something unintelligible into her orange juice.

“Mia, darling,” Elena’s voice took on a sing-song quality that made Mia’s stomach drop. “You look a bit tired. Did you sleep well last night?”

Mia’s fork clattered against her plate. “I slept fine.”

“Really? Because you have that look… you know the one. Like you’ve been tossing and turning all night, thinking about….”

“Elena.” Mia’s voice was sharp with warning.

But Elena was like a dog with a bone when she sensed gossip. Her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief as she buttered her toast. “I’m just saying, sometimes when we can’t sleep, it’s because our minds are… occupied. With thoughts. Or maybe certain people.”

Mia’s face burned. She could feel Stefan’s presence like a magnetic field, but she refused to look at him. “Can we not do this right now?”

“Do what? I’m just concerned about your sleep schedule. As your friend, it’s my duty to make sure you’re getting proper rest. Especially after such an… eventful evening. You practically came back curled in Stefans’ arms”

“Elena, I swear to God….’

“All that… movement. And warmth. And close proximity to another person’s body….”

Mia wanted to disappear into the floor. She could practically feel the mortification radiating from her pores.

Stefan’s voice cut through Elena’s teasing like a sharp knife “I noticed you and Mose haven’t stared at each other. Why are the both of you acting like strangers?”

His tone was casual, but the effect of the question was immediate. Elena’s mouth clamped shut. Her teasing died mid-sentence. She dropped her fork with a soft clink and quickly busied herself with her toast.

Mia looked up at Stefan for the first time that morning, her brown eyes wide with gratitude. He was watching Elena quietly.

Across the table, Mose stared at Stefan, caught off guard. His jaw tightened a little. So that’s how he wants to play it? Drag me into his mess just to silence Elena?

Mose shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Ever since Elena had told him that they were “just strangers,” he had kept his distance. He came around only when Stefan needed him and even then, he stayed as invisible as possible.

It wasn’t like Stefan didn’t notice. He’d never asked about i directly, but he was too sharp not to know. He let him stay away, gave him space, didn’t push.

Until today.

Today, he had called him over early, said they had business to handle together. Mose had known better than to say no. When Stefan wanted something done, it got done. That’s the kind of man he was.

Elena cleared her throat and muttered, “I’m eating. And it’s not nice to talk while eating.”

Mia turned her head slowly to stare at her, disbelief painted across her features. So now she suddenly knows manners?

She studied Elena’s suddenly demure expression, noting the way she kept her eyes down and chewed her food with exaggerated care. There was something almost… flustered about her behavior. Like she was affected by the

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mention of Mose in a way that went beyond simple embarrassment.

Interesting.

But she didn’t say anything. Instead, she turned back to her own breakfast, finally able to eat now that Elena’s relentless teasing had stopped.

Mose cleared his throat and stood. “I’ll be in the study when you’re ready,” he told Stefan.

Stefan nodded once, not bothering to look up.

Mose shot Elena a quick glance, but she didn’t look his way She just sipped her juice, expression unreadable.

The rest of breakfast passed in relative silence. Mia found herself stealing glances at Stefan, trying to read his expression, but his face remained frustratingly neutral.

Was he just pretending it never occurred, or had he genuinely been asleep the entire time?

The uncertainty was killing her.

Stefan caught Mia sneaking another look at him. She quickly looked away, cheeks reddening again.

He allowed a small smirk to tug at the corner of his mouth.

As Stefan finished his coffee and prepared to leave, he paused beside Mia’s chair. She tensed, every nerve ending suddenly alert.

“I’ll be late tonight,” he said quietly, his voice pitched for her ears alone. “I and Mose have something important to take care of.”

Mia nodded, not trusting her voice.

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