Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! - Chapter 13: Chapter 13
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Ryder turned around, his gaze settling on Stella's pale smile.
The room was so quiet you could hear the IV dripping.
"Idiot," he suddenly said.
Stella blinked: "...What?"
"I said," Ryder repeated each word, his eyes sharp as knives, "you're an idiot."
Stella's eyes widened, color finally returning to her pale cheeks: "Ryder, you…"
"Let someone drain your blood and don't fight back? Get bullied and don't hit back?" He sneered, his long finger pointing at the needle marks on her arm. "What else would you call that but stupid?"
Stella was shaking with anger, about to argue back when he cut her off.
"Lie down." He pressed her shoulder with one hand, forcing her back onto the pillow. "Rest."
His palm was warm, heat seeping through the thin hospital gown.
Stella looked up at him, noticing emotions in his eyes she couldn't read.
"This thing," he released her and grabbed his suit jacket, "I'll handle it."
The door closed softly, but it made Stella's heart skip a beat.
In the Blackthorne Industries executive office, Ryder slammed a stack of files on the desk.
"You get everything straight?"
His assistant Nathan adjusted his glasses: "Chase did force requisition of Rh-negative blood from Central Hospital last month under 'medical emergency.' The timing matches the needle marks on Miss Whitmore's arm."
Ryder's eyes instantly went cold.
"Also," Nathan continued, "Marcus, Preston, and Damien have been frequently meeting with stable managers. Before Miss Whitmore's fall, surveillance caught their people tampering with the horse feed."
The pen in Ryder's fingers snapped in half.
Just as he was about to speak, his phone buzzed. A news alert popped up on the screen—
#BREAKING! Whitmore Heiress Seduces Blackthorne Heir for Revenge Against Ex
The photo showed Stella and Ryder's staredown at the party, maliciously edited to look romantic.
Ryder sneered and called PR: "Three things."
"First, sue every outlet spreading fake news."
"Second, prepare a press conference."
"Third," he looked out the window, voice cold as ice, "release what I had you collect before."
That afternoon, Chicago's elite circles exploded.
Ryder made a rare press conference appearance, standing before cameras in his crisp suit.
Reporters fought to ask questions: "Mr. Blackthorne, about the rumors that Miss Whitmore is using you for revenge against Mr. Ravenwood..."
"My fiancée," he cut off the reporter, voice quiet but resonant, "isn't anyone else's business."
The room erupted.
Then Blackthorne Industries' official account released a series of evidence—
Original documents of Sophia forging Cambridge credentials, transfer records of her embezzling Whitmore family resources, even recordings of her privately bad-mouthing Chase.
Public opinion instantly flipped.
Stella leaned against her hospital bed scrolling through the constantly updating news feed, lips curving slightly.
Suddenly, the room door opened as Ryder walked in, tossing an even thicker file into her lap.
"Getting bullied and just taking it silently?" He raised an eyebrow, immediately mocking her. "When did the Whitmore heiress become such a pushover?"
Stella opened the file to find more detailed dirt on Sophia, including explicit photos with ex-boyfriends and evidence of massive gambling debts.
"So Mr. Blackthorne is... teaching me revenge?" She looked up, eyes sparkling mischievously.
Ryder looked down at her: "You learning?"
Stella grinned as she picked up her phone and anonymously leaked the most explosive materials to major social platforms.
Within an hour, #Sophia Get Out trended nationwide.
In the Ravenwood Industries boardroom, Chase violently smashed his tablet.
"That bitch Stella!" His eyes were bloodshot. "How dare she frame Sophia!"
Marcus frowned at the trending topics: "This evidence doesn't look fake..."
"Shut up!" Chase grabbed his collar. "Sophia's innocent! This has to be Stella and Ryder working together!"
Damien suddenly spoke up: "Ryder's been planning to acquire that westside property lately."
The three exchanged knowing looks.
"Since they're playing dirty," Preston adjusted his glasses with a cold glint, "don't blame us for fighting back."
That night, Ravenwood, Steele, Kane, and Vale Industries simultaneously announced termination of all partnerships with Blackthorne.
Word also spread that the four families were coordinating with banks to freeze Ryder's liquid assets.
When Stella learned the news, Ryder was in his study on a video conference.
She brought him coffee, hearing him calmly strategize: "Liquidate our European bonds, bring the funds back... yes, whatever it takes."
After the screen went dark, the room fell silent.
Stella set the coffee in front of him: "Need the Whitmores' help?"
Ryder looked up: "How would you help?"
"I own three mining operations," she said softly. "They can be liquidated anytime."
Ryder froze for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Stella, do you know what this means?"
The room was so quiet you could hear the IV dripping.
"Idiot," he suddenly said.
Stella blinked: "...What?"
"I said," Ryder repeated each word, his eyes sharp as knives, "you're an idiot."
Stella's eyes widened, color finally returning to her pale cheeks: "Ryder, you…"
"Let someone drain your blood and don't fight back? Get bullied and don't hit back?" He sneered, his long finger pointing at the needle marks on her arm. "What else would you call that but stupid?"
Stella was shaking with anger, about to argue back when he cut her off.
"Lie down." He pressed her shoulder with one hand, forcing her back onto the pillow. "Rest."
His palm was warm, heat seeping through the thin hospital gown.
Stella looked up at him, noticing emotions in his eyes she couldn't read.
"This thing," he released her and grabbed his suit jacket, "I'll handle it."
The door closed softly, but it made Stella's heart skip a beat.
In the Blackthorne Industries executive office, Ryder slammed a stack of files on the desk.
"You get everything straight?"
His assistant Nathan adjusted his glasses: "Chase did force requisition of Rh-negative blood from Central Hospital last month under 'medical emergency.' The timing matches the needle marks on Miss Whitmore's arm."
Ryder's eyes instantly went cold.
"Also," Nathan continued, "Marcus, Preston, and Damien have been frequently meeting with stable managers. Before Miss Whitmore's fall, surveillance caught their people tampering with the horse feed."
The pen in Ryder's fingers snapped in half.
Just as he was about to speak, his phone buzzed. A news alert popped up on the screen—
#BREAKING! Whitmore Heiress Seduces Blackthorne Heir for Revenge Against Ex
The photo showed Stella and Ryder's staredown at the party, maliciously edited to look romantic.
Ryder sneered and called PR: "Three things."
"First, sue every outlet spreading fake news."
"Second, prepare a press conference."
"Third," he looked out the window, voice cold as ice, "release what I had you collect before."
That afternoon, Chicago's elite circles exploded.
Ryder made a rare press conference appearance, standing before cameras in his crisp suit.
Reporters fought to ask questions: "Mr. Blackthorne, about the rumors that Miss Whitmore is using you for revenge against Mr. Ravenwood..."
"My fiancée," he cut off the reporter, voice quiet but resonant, "isn't anyone else's business."
The room erupted.
Then Blackthorne Industries' official account released a series of evidence—
Original documents of Sophia forging Cambridge credentials, transfer records of her embezzling Whitmore family resources, even recordings of her privately bad-mouthing Chase.
Public opinion instantly flipped.
Stella leaned against her hospital bed scrolling through the constantly updating news feed, lips curving slightly.
Suddenly, the room door opened as Ryder walked in, tossing an even thicker file into her lap.
"Getting bullied and just taking it silently?" He raised an eyebrow, immediately mocking her. "When did the Whitmore heiress become such a pushover?"
Stella opened the file to find more detailed dirt on Sophia, including explicit photos with ex-boyfriends and evidence of massive gambling debts.
"So Mr. Blackthorne is... teaching me revenge?" She looked up, eyes sparkling mischievously.
Ryder looked down at her: "You learning?"
Stella grinned as she picked up her phone and anonymously leaked the most explosive materials to major social platforms.
Within an hour, #Sophia Get Out trended nationwide.
In the Ravenwood Industries boardroom, Chase violently smashed his tablet.
"That bitch Stella!" His eyes were bloodshot. "How dare she frame Sophia!"
Marcus frowned at the trending topics: "This evidence doesn't look fake..."
"Shut up!" Chase grabbed his collar. "Sophia's innocent! This has to be Stella and Ryder working together!"
Damien suddenly spoke up: "Ryder's been planning to acquire that westside property lately."
The three exchanged knowing looks.
"Since they're playing dirty," Preston adjusted his glasses with a cold glint, "don't blame us for fighting back."
That night, Ravenwood, Steele, Kane, and Vale Industries simultaneously announced termination of all partnerships with Blackthorne.
Word also spread that the four families were coordinating with banks to freeze Ryder's liquid assets.
When Stella learned the news, Ryder was in his study on a video conference.
She brought him coffee, hearing him calmly strategize: "Liquidate our European bonds, bring the funds back... yes, whatever it takes."
After the screen went dark, the room fell silent.
Stella set the coffee in front of him: "Need the Whitmores' help?"
Ryder looked up: "How would you help?"
"I own three mining operations," she said softly. "They can be liquidated anytime."
Ryder froze for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Stella, do you know what this means?"
End of Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! Chapter 13. Continue reading Chapter 14 or return to Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! book page.