Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO

Chapter 152: Ivy’s Poison

Stefan’s phone buzzed insistently on the nightstand, the vibration slicing through the peaceful early morning silence. He stirred, groaning softly as he reached out blindly, his fingers closing around the device.

The screen’s brightness forced his eyes to squint, but when he saw Ethan’s name flashing across it, a strange knot twisted in his stomach. Calls this early were never good news.

He sat up, rubbing his eyes before swiping to answer. "Ethan?" his voice was gravelly with sleep.

"Stefan," Ethan’s tone was tight, urgent. "You need to see this. Check the news. Right now."

The seriousness in Ethan’s voice jolted him fully awake. His heart pounded harder as he swung his legs over the bed and reached for the tablet resting on the nightstand. With a few quick taps, he opened the trending news, his breath catching in his throat the moment he saw the headline:

Ivy Quinn Breaks Silence: Claims Twin Sister Stole Her Husband.

His fingers trembled slightly as he clicked the video attached to the article. The screen filled with Ivy’s face—tear-streaked, visibly distressed, her eyes red as she sat before what appeared to be her living room. The image alone made Stefan’s chest clench with a mixture of dread and fury.

"...I know I said I wouldn’t speak," Ivy’s voice came, soft but heavy with emotion. "I know I promised to keep quiet for the sake of the family and for the sake of peace. But I can’t do this anymore."

She sniffled, wiping her eyes delicately with a tissue. "People think... they think this is about Eliana. That my husband—Stefan—asked for divorce because of those lies spread about me about having a hand in Eliana’s accident. But the truth is far worse. The truth is... it was my own twin sister, Ruby."

Stefan’s stomach dropped as he wondered what lie Ivy was about to spill.

"I loved her," Ivy continued, her voice breaking. "I invited her into my home because she’s my sister. I trusted her. I mean, how could I not trust my own twin? But she... she on the other hand, she seduced my husband. She took advantage of our kindness. And now—" she broke down, her shoulders shaking, "now she’s pregnant with his child, and I’ve been cast aside like I’m nothing. Like I never mattered."

Her tears flowed freely now. "I stayed silent because I thought it was better for the family. But I can’t keep pretending. People need to know who Stefan Winters really is."

video ended, but the damage

veins all at once. His jaw clenched

with Ivy doing something of this magnitude, a lot

under his breath, running a hand through his hair

and Ruby. Words like "homewrecker," "cheater," and "disgrace" leapt out at him with every scroll. His heart pounded

said to her the night before. How could he have promised her a

unaware of the storm that was brewing outside their walls. He felt the weight of responsibility settle over

muttered, bringing the phone back to his ear. "Ethan, I’m going to the press. I need to set this straight. I can’t let her get away with this. She’s dragging Ruby’s name through the mud—my

what she wants. She wants you to react emotionally. You going to the

into a fist against his thigh. "So what do you suggest I do? Sit back and let her

is bigger than you or me. The only way to salvage this isn’t to argue with her lies—it’s to show the truth. To make people see Ivy for who she really is. The moment we try to defend, it’ll spiral. The public loves a scandal, Stefan. But they

to his temple, breathing heavily as his mind raced. "And how do

out," Ethan murmured. "Give me some time. But whatever we do, it has to be smart, not emotional. If we play this wrong, you’ll lose the company, Ruby’s reputation

twist painfully. The idea of her having to face the cruelty of public shaming, of whispers and stares, filled him with an almost blinding need

"I can’t let her suffer

Ethan assured quietly. "But you need to keep your head clear. For

his hands as he scrolled aimlessly through the vicious comments

Ivy stoop

needs. And now this? Painting herself as the poor, heartbroken victim while vilifying Ruby? Ruby who had been forced into all this and him whom she’d left standing at

into his hands, drawing a deep, shaky breath.

could still hear Ivy’s voice echoing in his head—her tearful accusations,

under the covers, her brows furrowed slightly in her sleep