Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO

Chapter 91: Expired

Stefan narrowed his eyes. Something about her tone was off. Too casual. Too... slick and more than that, he needed to know why she was in his house, relaxed and talking to him the way she was. He folded his arms slowly. "What exactly are you implying?"

Eliana tilted her head, the soft curls of her dark hair falling slightly to one side. "Only that for someone so intelligent, you’ve been rather blind to Ivy’s manipulations all these years. It’s tragic, really. She’s a pitiful little fool, and somehow you still let her crawl back every time."

Stefan’s jaw tensed. His expression darkened, but he didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he stared at her—really stared. The angles of her face, the curl of her painted lips, the bitterness in her gaze as she spoke about the woman she called her friend.

For some weird reasons, Ruby had never liked Eliana, even he never did and now... now he could see why. She was a snake.

He took a slow step forward. "Tell me something," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "Isn’t Ivy your best friend? Or was all that just for show too? I wonder what she’ll say when she hears the poison you’re spitting behind her back."

Eliana chuckled. The sound was humorless, cold. "Oh, please. I’m not losing sleep over Ivy. I came here to warn you, Stefan. Because whether you like it or not, she’s planning something. Something desperate. You might think she’s given up on you but I tell you, she’s not."

He raised a brow. "And what makes you think I care?" he asked, not wanting to give her the benefit of thinking he was enjoying listening to her rubbish.

Eliana’s eyes gleamed. "Because it concerns her. Ruby."

At the sound of her name, something shifted behind Stefan’s eyes. A flicker of rage. A thread pulled taut but Eliana didn’t stop. Infact, she knew that was when she needed to continue.

"Ivy’s scared, Stefan. She knows she can’t compete with Ruby. She never could. So now she’s planning her next move—cooking up meals, and delivering it to you, pretending to be some mysterious caterer, hoping you’ll soften up. She was going to show up at your office when you’re vulnerable and say she cares." Eliana scoffed. "She’s trying to manipulate you, Stefan. To keep you from going after the woman you actually—"

"Eliana," came a sharp, breathless voice from the hallway.

Both Stefan and Eliana froze as they heard the voice, louder and clear. It was Ivy’s.

She was standing near the arched entryway, her eyes wide, face pale, one hand trembling beside her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, disbelief carved into every inch of her face.

you?" Ivy whispered, her

her this way? Did she have any

have just said so? Why do this to her? Didn’t she suggest

trusting this snake blindly? How could Eliana of all people do this to her? What the hell had gotten into her? Ivy thought, unable to provide answers to the questions burning to be

room fell deathly still as even Stefan had his own thoughts occupying

slowly toward Ivy, his gaze dark and unreadable. And Eliana? For once, her

going on and he couldn’t help but compare it to what had happened that day

friends when all she knows what to do to people are betrayal? She shouldn’t be hurt, not at all, Stefan thought. She was

her voice suddenly soft. "You weren’t supposed

That’s what you were going to say, right? I wasn’t supposed to know you’ve been stabbing me in the back while pretending to

you," Eliana snapped, eyes flashing. "You’ve embarrassed yourself enough,

it came out hollow. "You think this is help? Betraying me to him?" Her voice cracked, and she turned to Stefan, her eyes glossy with emotion. "She offered to talk to you for me. She said she’d help me apologize, tell you I was wrong and that I was sorry and I believed her. I fucking believed her!" Ivy said feeling very

seemed to tore at her heart. How was she ever going to get past this betrayal? One thing was sure: she would never not in

but icy. "You said you were here

tightened. "I was helping you too. You don’t see what she’s doing. She’s desperate—she’ll do anything to stop you from going

time, there was no kindness in his eyes. No softness. Only clarity—sharp and unforgiving. "You don’t get to talk about Ruby. Not in this house.

her mouth, but the words died on her

clenched. "You need to leave," she said, voice trembling

the power she thought she had was rapidly slipping away. Still, she raised her chin defiantly. "Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn

and strode out,

slammed shut,

everything, his mind spinning. When he finally turned toward her, her eyes were