Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! - Chapter 11: Chapter 11
You are reading Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival!, Chapter 11: Chapter 11. Read more chapters of Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival!.
Stella and Ryder's engagement hit Chicago's elite circles like a bombshell.
The Ravenwood, Steele, Kane, and Vale families all sent people to investigate Ryder's background, trying to figure out why the Whitmores suddenly chose this "sworn enemy."
Corporate spies and private investigators took turns, but Ryder's background was like an impenetrable wall.
What they could dig up publicly was his Swiss operations—low-key but massive, with deep partnerships across European consortiums, even connections to certain unspeakable forces.
"How the hell does he have this kind of power?" Chase slammed the investigation report on his desk, eyes sinister. "Some spoiled brat who got bullied by Stella since childhood—what gives him the right?"
Marcus looked thoughtful: "Maybe... we never really knew him."
Sophia wasn't having it.
She'd schemed so hard to steal Chase and the others away, wanting to see Stella crying and miserable—not still sitting pretty on her throne...
Sophia took several deep breaths, suppressing her rage, and made a phone call.
The next day, Stella had barely stepped into her usual private club when she heard sultry moans from down the hall.
"Chase... not here..." Sophia's voice was sickeningly sweet with deliberate tremors.
Stella paused, looking up.
Chase had Sophia pinned against the wall, fingers working at her collar, kissing her shamelessly.
Sophia caught sight of Stella from the corner of her eye, lips curving triumphantly as she deliberately raised her voice: "Chase, if Miss Whitmore sees us like this... she'll be heartbroken..."
Chase sneered: "When she picked Ryder, did she think about my feelings?"
Stella watched this scene with complete detachment.
In her past life, such displays had torn her apart, but now she just found it pathetic.
She turned to leave but crashed into a wall of muscle at the corridor turn.
Ryder stood there, staring at her with unfathomable eyes.
"Seen enough?" His voice was low with barely detectable coldness.
Stella raised an eyebrow: "You following me?"
Ryder didn't answer, his gaze moving past her to the entangled couple.
Sophia was provocatively looking over, red lips parted as she silently mouthed: "Loser."
Stella scoffed and started walking away, but Ryder grabbed her wrist.
"That's all you got?" His voice was quiet but cutting.
Before Stella could react, he grabbed a wine bottle from a passing server's tray and strode toward Sophia.
"SPLASH—"
The entire bottle of red wine cascaded down, instantly turning Sophia's white dress crimson.
"AH!" She screamed, jumping back. "Ryder! Are you insane?!"
Wine dripped from her hair, ruining her perfect makeup and leaving her completely disheveled.
Chase exploded: "Ryder, how dare you…"
But Ryder didn't spare them a glance, dragging Stella away.
Behind them came Sophia's hysterical curses, but he just smirked, his thumb pressing into Stella's wrist hard enough to leave marks.
The black Maybach raced through the night.
The atmosphere inside was suffocating.
Stella glanced at Ryder in the driver's seat. He gripped the wheel with one hand, his jawline tight as a wire.
"You mad?" she asked.
Ryder said nothing, but suddenly accelerated.
Stella smiled: "Because I went to see Chase?"
"SCREECH—"
Tires shrieked against asphalt as the car jerked to a stop roadside.
Ryder turned to look at her, his eyes dark and dangerous: "Stella, I'm asking you one more time—why did you really choose me?"
His voice was calm, but Stella caught the suppressed fury beneath.
"If it's to piss off Chase, mission accomplished," he sneered. "But don't use me as your pawn."
Stella stared at him quietly, then suddenly reached up to touch his face.
Ryder went rigid, his intimidating aura instantly deflating.
"Ryder," Stella's fingertips traced his brow bone. "Are you actually... jealous?"
The air crystallized.
The next second, Ryder grabbed her wrist and pressed her back against the seat.
"Don't play with fire."
His breath was close enough to feel, carrying whiskey's richness and dangerous aggression.
Stella looked up at him, lips curving: "What if I said... I want to?"
The Ravenwood, Steele, Kane, and Vale families all sent people to investigate Ryder's background, trying to figure out why the Whitmores suddenly chose this "sworn enemy."
Corporate spies and private investigators took turns, but Ryder's background was like an impenetrable wall.
What they could dig up publicly was his Swiss operations—low-key but massive, with deep partnerships across European consortiums, even connections to certain unspeakable forces.
"How the hell does he have this kind of power?" Chase slammed the investigation report on his desk, eyes sinister. "Some spoiled brat who got bullied by Stella since childhood—what gives him the right?"
Marcus looked thoughtful: "Maybe... we never really knew him."
Sophia wasn't having it.
She'd schemed so hard to steal Chase and the others away, wanting to see Stella crying and miserable—not still sitting pretty on her throne...
Sophia took several deep breaths, suppressing her rage, and made a phone call.
The next day, Stella had barely stepped into her usual private club when she heard sultry moans from down the hall.
"Chase... not here..." Sophia's voice was sickeningly sweet with deliberate tremors.
Stella paused, looking up.
Chase had Sophia pinned against the wall, fingers working at her collar, kissing her shamelessly.
Sophia caught sight of Stella from the corner of her eye, lips curving triumphantly as she deliberately raised her voice: "Chase, if Miss Whitmore sees us like this... she'll be heartbroken..."
Chase sneered: "When she picked Ryder, did she think about my feelings?"
Stella watched this scene with complete detachment.
In her past life, such displays had torn her apart, but now she just found it pathetic.
She turned to leave but crashed into a wall of muscle at the corridor turn.
Ryder stood there, staring at her with unfathomable eyes.
"Seen enough?" His voice was low with barely detectable coldness.
Stella raised an eyebrow: "You following me?"
Ryder didn't answer, his gaze moving past her to the entangled couple.
Sophia was provocatively looking over, red lips parted as she silently mouthed: "Loser."
Stella scoffed and started walking away, but Ryder grabbed her wrist.
"That's all you got?" His voice was quiet but cutting.
Before Stella could react, he grabbed a wine bottle from a passing server's tray and strode toward Sophia.
"SPLASH—"
The entire bottle of red wine cascaded down, instantly turning Sophia's white dress crimson.
"AH!" She screamed, jumping back. "Ryder! Are you insane?!"
Wine dripped from her hair, ruining her perfect makeup and leaving her completely disheveled.
Chase exploded: "Ryder, how dare you…"
But Ryder didn't spare them a glance, dragging Stella away.
Behind them came Sophia's hysterical curses, but he just smirked, his thumb pressing into Stella's wrist hard enough to leave marks.
The black Maybach raced through the night.
The atmosphere inside was suffocating.
Stella glanced at Ryder in the driver's seat. He gripped the wheel with one hand, his jawline tight as a wire.
"You mad?" she asked.
Ryder said nothing, but suddenly accelerated.
Stella smiled: "Because I went to see Chase?"
"SCREECH—"
Tires shrieked against asphalt as the car jerked to a stop roadside.
Ryder turned to look at her, his eyes dark and dangerous: "Stella, I'm asking you one more time—why did you really choose me?"
His voice was calm, but Stella caught the suppressed fury beneath.
"If it's to piss off Chase, mission accomplished," he sneered. "But don't use me as your pawn."
Stella stared at him quietly, then suddenly reached up to touch his face.
Ryder went rigid, his intimidating aura instantly deflating.
"Ryder," Stella's fingertips traced his brow bone. "Are you actually... jealous?"
The air crystallized.
The next second, Ryder grabbed her wrist and pressed her back against the seat.
"Don't play with fire."
His breath was close enough to feel, carrying whiskey's richness and dangerous aggression.
Stella looked up at him, lips curving: "What if I said... I want to?"
End of Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! Chapter 11. Continue reading Chapter 12 or return to Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! book page.