THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: Marry To Rival's Son novel Chapter 92

Chapter 92

The next morning, the scent was what hit Mia first. Warm ginger. Honey. A hint of lemon.

She stirred beneath the soft sheets, one arm slipping out from under the comforter as her eyes cracked open to golden sunlight.

Her gaze swept the familiar space slowly.

Wait… no, why was it familiar. Her breath hitched.

This was their suite.

She sat up abruptly, heart skipping once. She remembered clearly….. she hadn’t slept here. Her hand instinctively reached out, brushing over the other side of the bed. It was cold and empty.

But beside her was a small tray. On it, a mug of something steaming. And two little white pills.

She squinted at them. Ginger tea… hangover relief?

Her head did ache a little. Not pounding….. just a soft, annoying throb behind her eyes.

She picked up the mug and inhaled. It was perfectly warm. Fresh. Like someone had just made it. Her lips met the rim slowly, and she took a careful sip.

Warmth bloomed down her throat. Her chest tightened as she thought of the possibility of Stefan bringing it for her. Does it mean he cares for her?.

She didn’t remember how she got here. The last thing she remembered was curling up in the guest room, still wrapped in the frustration and embarrassment of being rejected. Her fingers tightened around the mug.

He brought me back. The thought made her chest sting.

She placed the mug down, slid off the bed, and padded into the bathroom. After a quick rinse, she tied her robe and combed through her hair with her fingers. Then she walked out, bare feet, following the faint sound of clinking plates.

And then she saw him at the dining table. Phone in hand, legs crossed, dressed in a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up neatly. His hair was damp, like he’d just come out of the shower.

He looked up. And smiled. “Good morning.

.” Her steps stopped halfway across the room. For a second, her brain didn’t register anything except the curve of his lips.

He smiled at her? Not the tight-lipped smile he gave. No….. this one reached his eyes.

“Good morning,” she whispered after a while.

Her legs moved, but her brain was still stuck. Still trying to catch up. Did he forget everything from last night? Or is he pretending? Is this his way of saying sorry?

She reached the table, expecting him to stay seated. But instead, he stood. Her eyes widened a fraction.

He moved around the table, pulled out a chair gently, and held it.

What… what is happening? She stared at the chair. Then at him.

His expression didn’t change. It remained steady and calm. Like this was completely normal routine.

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92 WHAT-IN-THE-WORLD IS HAPPENING

Before she could decide how to react, his hand brushed her arm….. lightly guiding her down.

She sat stiffly, eyes still locked on him. She didn’t even realize she was holding her breath until she let it out shakily.

Was this guilt? Or was this some elaborate performance to cover for humiliating her?

She muttered, almost to herself, “What’s going on? Did you win a lottery?” She asked even though she knew him winning a lottery wouldn’t be anything special to him.

Stefan smiled again and walked back to his seat. “Did you think I need to win a lottery to treat my wife well?”

She was mid-sip when he said that. “Wife”

The word echoed like a shout in her head. And suddenly, she coughed hard. The tea went down the wrong way, and she sputtered, hand flying to her mouth.

“Mia?” Stefan was at her side instantly, alarm flashing across his face. “Easy. Hey, here…. drink this.”

He held a glass of water near her lips, his hand firm but gentle behind her neck. “Small sips.”

She drank, gasping lightly between gulps. Her face felt like it was on fire.

“You okay?” he asked again, brushing a thumb against her shoulder. “You have to be careful.”

His voice was soft and filled with concern.

She blinked at him. Her throat still burned, but not as much as the confusion tightening around her chest. He was looking at her like she mattered.

Did she wake up in a parallel universe? Was she in the future? Did someone change him?

This was too much.

She gently moved his hand off her, setting the water down slowly.

She needed air. Space. Anything.

The room felt too loud, even in silence.

Stefan said nothing else. Just nodded and returned to his seat. “Be careful next time,” he murmured.

Mia sat there, blinking. Her heart was still racing. And in her head, only one thought repeated:

This man is going to destroy me, and not even know he’s doing it. All the anger she felt has all disappeared. How can she stay angry when he was looking at her this way.

They ate in comfortable silence, the soft clinking of cutlery against plates filling the space between them. Mia occasionally glanced at Stefan, wondering what was going on in that mysterious head of his.

Halfway through his eggs, Stefan paused, fork mid-air, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

“I was thinking…” he began, drawing her attention, “maybe we should go out today.”

Mia blinked. “Out?”

“Yeah,” he nodded slightly, still looking at his plate. “Enjoy the honeymoon properly. Sightsee. Take a few pictures. Maybe send some to Elena and Mose.”

Oh… just to send to Elena and Mose.

The thought stung, just a little. She reminded herself why they were here. This wasn’t a love marriage, no matter

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92 WHAT IN THE WORLD-GS HAPPENING

how real his hands felt holding hers last night. No matter how his lips tasted when they kissed.

Mia gave a small nod. “Sure. That’s… why we came, right? To enjoy.”

He looked up briefly, studying her face like he was trying to read something written behind her eyes. “Exactly,” he said with a small smile, then returned to his meal.

When they finished, Stefan pushed back his chair and stood. “Go get ready. I’ll be quick after you.

Mia nodded and left the table. She could still feel his gaze on her back as she walked away.

In the room, she changed into a soft pink polo tucked into a denim jeans. She ran a brush through her hair and tied it in a low ponytail, keeping it neat but casual. A pair of white sneakers completed her look. Something about dressing simply made her feel like herself again.

When she stepped out, Stefan looked up from his phone. His eyes moved from her face to her shoes, back up again… just for a second. Then he stood and, without saying a word, walked past her into the room to change.

Mia stood by the entrance, trying not to think about that tiny moment. Did he like what he saw? Did he even notice?

A few minutes later, Stefan emerged.

Mia barely lifted her head when Stefan stepped out and said, “We should go.”

She was still curled up on the lounge chair, her phone resting on her thigh as she scrolled through a funny video. A soft chuckle escaped her lips.

Stefan’s voice didn’t quite register until he walked toward the car and clicked the keys. That was when she finally looked up.

He was already at the passenger side, opening the door for her like a perfect gentleman.

Mia stood slowly, slipping her phone into her crossbody purse. “Thanks,” she muttered with a quick glance up.

And that was when she saw it. Her footsteps faltered. Her brows pulled slightly, eyes narrowing as she stared at Stefan’s outfit.

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