Destroyed Us for Your Bastard? Say Hi to Your Cellmate, Ex! - Chapter 102: Chapter 102
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That evening, Sophie called Riley to meet her at a coffee shop.
But when Riley arrived, it wasn't Sophie waiting—it was Ethan.
He'd rented out the entire café for just the two of them.
Every surface was covered in champagne roses, her absolute favorite.
He sat at the grand piano in the center, playing a melody just for her.
The beautiful music paired with the soft lighting overhead made everything feel like a dream.
When the song ended, he slowly extended his hand.
Riley felt drawn to him like a magnet, placing her hand in his.
He guided her to sit beside him at the piano, their fingers dancing across the keys together.
She remembered now—little Ethan had been the one to teach her piano all those years ago.
Her very first music teacher.
If the Blackwood family hadn't sent him to boarding school in Europe...
If her parents hadn't shipped her off to live with nannies in the city after he left...
Everything might have been different.
The music faded but they didn't move apart.
Ethan's fingers intertwined with hers.
"I know what's tearing you up inside. I know what you're afraid of."
"But here's what I need you to understand—I couldn't care less that you were married before. I don't give a shit that you were carrying another man's child. What destroys me is that I wasn't here to protect you when you needed it most. What I regret is choosing to study abroad, thinking I could come back and give you a better life."
Riley's breath caught. This was the first time Ethan had ever completely opened his heart to her.
She felt overwhelmed and tried to pull her hand away from the piano keys.
But Ethan caught her hand and held it tight.
"Riley, don't tell me you don't feel anything for me."
Her hand was wrapped in his warmth, and suddenly she didn't want to pull away.
As his face moved closer, Riley felt frozen in place, like vines had wrapped around her.
Maybe she was just desperate for someone to care. Or maybe she recognized her own pain reflected in Ethan's eyes.
Her heart broke for him. For both of them.
She thought maybe, just maybe, she could trust this man.
She stopped fighting. Stopped resisting.
When his lips brushed against hers, electricity shot through her.
He was so careful, so gentle, slowly claiming her heart piece by piece.
Something cool touched her ring finger.
She looked down in shock.
The diamond sparkled like it had captured starlight.
"Riley, marry me."
Even though their families had already arranged everything, he was still asking for her permission.
Ethan wanted her to choose him.
For some reason, her eyes filled with tears.
She smiled and nodded.
"Ethan, thank you."
Thank you for respecting me. Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for still treating me like something precious after everything I've been through.
They pulled each other close, lost in their kiss.
Sophie picked the perfect moment to give the signal.
Fireworks exploded across the night sky above them.
Blake's car happened to be passing by just as the fireworks lit up the darkness.
Seeing the romantic display lifted his spirits somehow.
He pulled out his phone and called his assistant back in the city.
"Riley must love fireworks. Add that to the wedding plans. I want the whole city to witness our big day!"
His assistant scrambled to write it down, then hesitated.
"Mr. Harrison, we got a wedding invitation from the Blackwood family. Weird thing is, they didn't put the bride's name on it."
Thinking about the Blackwoods reminded Blake of that pink diamond ring.
He sounded genuinely disappointed."Doesn't matter. Put together an expensive wedding gift—I'll deliver it myself. And since they got that pink diamond, contact the world's best ring designers. I want something even more spectacular for Riley."
He wasn't about to let his woman settle for anything less than the best.
Meanwhile, Riley was completely overwhelmed by wedding planning.
She'd never realized how much went into a proper ceremony.
Her marriage to Blake had been a courthouse quickie—he'd been paranoid about media attention, so they'd kept everything bare-bones.
She'd agreed to the secret wedding without telling her parents, which caused the biggest blowout of her life.
But they'd still shown up on the day.
Seeing Riley in a clearly last-minute wedding dress, her mother looked devastated.
"Honey, are you absolutely certain Blake is who you want to spend your life with?"
She hadn't been sure.
She'd known Blake didn't love her.
But she'd wanted to fight for herself, just once.
For one day, she didn't want to be Blake's "buddy" Riley.
She'd wanted to be his wife.
But she'd gambled and lost.
But when Riley arrived, it wasn't Sophie waiting—it was Ethan.
He'd rented out the entire café for just the two of them.
Every surface was covered in champagne roses, her absolute favorite.
He sat at the grand piano in the center, playing a melody just for her.
The beautiful music paired with the soft lighting overhead made everything feel like a dream.
When the song ended, he slowly extended his hand.
Riley felt drawn to him like a magnet, placing her hand in his.
He guided her to sit beside him at the piano, their fingers dancing across the keys together.
She remembered now—little Ethan had been the one to teach her piano all those years ago.
Her very first music teacher.
If the Blackwood family hadn't sent him to boarding school in Europe...
If her parents hadn't shipped her off to live with nannies in the city after he left...
Everything might have been different.
The music faded but they didn't move apart.
Ethan's fingers intertwined with hers.
"I know what's tearing you up inside. I know what you're afraid of."
"But here's what I need you to understand—I couldn't care less that you were married before. I don't give a shit that you were carrying another man's child. What destroys me is that I wasn't here to protect you when you needed it most. What I regret is choosing to study abroad, thinking I could come back and give you a better life."
Riley's breath caught. This was the first time Ethan had ever completely opened his heart to her.
She felt overwhelmed and tried to pull her hand away from the piano keys.
But Ethan caught her hand and held it tight.
"Riley, don't tell me you don't feel anything for me."
Her hand was wrapped in his warmth, and suddenly she didn't want to pull away.
As his face moved closer, Riley felt frozen in place, like vines had wrapped around her.
Maybe she was just desperate for someone to care. Or maybe she recognized her own pain reflected in Ethan's eyes.
Her heart broke for him. For both of them.
She thought maybe, just maybe, she could trust this man.
She stopped fighting. Stopped resisting.
When his lips brushed against hers, electricity shot through her.
He was so careful, so gentle, slowly claiming her heart piece by piece.
Something cool touched her ring finger.
She looked down in shock.
The diamond sparkled like it had captured starlight.
"Riley, marry me."
Even though their families had already arranged everything, he was still asking for her permission.
Ethan wanted her to choose him.
For some reason, her eyes filled with tears.
She smiled and nodded.
"Ethan, thank you."
Thank you for respecting me. Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for still treating me like something precious after everything I've been through.
They pulled each other close, lost in their kiss.
Sophie picked the perfect moment to give the signal.
Fireworks exploded across the night sky above them.
Blake's car happened to be passing by just as the fireworks lit up the darkness.
Seeing the romantic display lifted his spirits somehow.
He pulled out his phone and called his assistant back in the city.
"Riley must love fireworks. Add that to the wedding plans. I want the whole city to witness our big day!"
His assistant scrambled to write it down, then hesitated.
"Mr. Harrison, we got a wedding invitation from the Blackwood family. Weird thing is, they didn't put the bride's name on it."
Thinking about the Blackwoods reminded Blake of that pink diamond ring.
He sounded genuinely disappointed."Doesn't matter. Put together an expensive wedding gift—I'll deliver it myself. And since they got that pink diamond, contact the world's best ring designers. I want something even more spectacular for Riley."
He wasn't about to let his woman settle for anything less than the best.
Meanwhile, Riley was completely overwhelmed by wedding planning.
She'd never realized how much went into a proper ceremony.
Her marriage to Blake had been a courthouse quickie—he'd been paranoid about media attention, so they'd kept everything bare-bones.
She'd agreed to the secret wedding without telling her parents, which caused the biggest blowout of her life.
But they'd still shown up on the day.
Seeing Riley in a clearly last-minute wedding dress, her mother looked devastated.
"Honey, are you absolutely certain Blake is who you want to spend your life with?"
She hadn't been sure.
She'd known Blake didn't love her.
But she'd wanted to fight for herself, just once.
For one day, she didn't want to be Blake's "buddy" Riley.
She'd wanted to be his wife.
But she'd gambled and lost.
End of Destroyed Us for Your Bastard? Say Hi to Your Cellmate, Ex! Chapter 102. Continue reading Chapter 103 or return to Destroyed Us for Your Bastard? Say Hi to Your Cellmate, Ex! book page.