Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! - Chapter 21: Chapter 21
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A private jet cut through clouds as Chase stared out at the shrinking city below, IV needle marks still visible on his hands.
Medical parole meant permanent exile from America, and everyone who once surrounded him had scattered.
Marcus was hiding overseas under assumed names, Preston worked as a regular office drone, Damien was still serving time.
A flight attendant offered champagne. Just as he reached for it, he spotted a financial magazine cover featuring Stella and Ryder standing together.
The headline read: #Business Power Couple Blackthornes Acquire Ravenwood Core Assets.
Chase violently hurled the magazine away, triggering his electronic ankle monitor—alarms shrieked piercingly.
In front of Santorini's blue-domed church, Stella's white veil caught the sea breeze in elegant arcs.
"Nervous?" Ryder noticed her slightly trembling fingers, asking quietly.
Stella looked at this man in his crisp suit, remembering her past life when he knelt crying at her grave, eyes suddenly welling up: "I was thinking..."
The priest's ceremony was suddenly interrupted.
"I object!"
The seated guests erupted in chaos.
A woman in sunglasses burst in, but removing them caused even bigger commotion.
It was Sophia!
Her face was deathly pale, fresh self-harm scars on her wrists.
"Ryder!" She pointed hysterically at Stella. "This woman was reborn! She's a monster!"
The entire venue fell silent.
Stella's blood turned to ice. She instinctively looked at Ryder, but saw him calmly adjusting his cufflinks: "Security."
Four bodyguards immediately restrained Sophia.
"Karma's gonna bite you in the ass!" Sophia shrieked as they hauled her off. "Stella, you're gonna pay for…"
Ryder covered Stella's ears, leaning down to kiss her.
As guests applauded, he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered: "Did I win this lifetime?"
Stella smiled and kissed him back: "You won long ago."
Three years after marriage, Blackthorne Tower's top floor got renovated.
Stella, hand resting on her slightly rounded belly, directed workers hanging a painting called Spring Mountain Mist—the mentor's work Ryder had paid triple to carefully restore.
"Mr. Blackthorne, Mrs. Blackthorne skipped lunch again." Nathan helplessly handed over a tablet. "I really can't talk her into eating."
The surveillance showed Stella secretly dumping her nutritionist-prepared pregnancy meals in the trash.
Ryder shut down his laptop and personally went to grab her newest craving—pickle-topped burgers.
Paparazzi caught shots of the business world's king carefully carrying a paper bag, protecting the warm food inside.
#Blackthorne Couple trended again.
On delivery day, the usually calm Ryder nearly tore the hospital apart.
"C-section! Right now!" He grabbed the director's collar, roaring. "She's been in pain for twelve hours!"
Stella weakly tugged his sleeve: "Ryder... calm down..."
"How can I be calm?!" This man who never wavered in boardrooms was trembling. "You..."
When the baby's cries finally rang out, Stella saw the business world's emperor kneeling by her bed, tears streaming.
The nurse smiled: "What's the baby's name?"
"Hope Blackthorne," Stella said softly.
Ryder kissed her sweat-dampened forehead: "Hope, Hope."
On baby Hope's first month celebration, Stella discovered a locked safe in the walk-in closet.
The password was the date of her rebirth.
Inside were the original investigation reports.
"You..." Stella turned to find Ryder holding their daughter in the doorway. "You knew all along?"
Ryder put the sleeping baby in her crib, wrapping his arms around Stella from behind: "Started investigating the day your parents came to find me." He kissed her head. "Something as crazy as rebirth..."
"But you still believed it."
"Because you said it."
During a drizzly All Saints' Day, Stella laid white roses on the nameless headstone—her past life's grave.
Ryder held a black umbrella while baby Hope in his arms curiously reached for falling raindrops.
"Who's Mommy talking to?" the little girl asked sweetly.
Ryder knelt down, gently touching the cold stone: "Someone very important."
Stella turned with red-rimmed eyes to see her husband's tender profile in the rain.
"This lifetime," he stood and embraced his wife and daughter, "I'll stay with you both until we're old."
In the car heading home, baby Hope slept peacefully in her car seat.
Stella leaned on Ryder's shoulder, suddenly noticing his phone wallpaper was their first family photo from the delivery room.
Finally, this life was whole.
Medical parole meant permanent exile from America, and everyone who once surrounded him had scattered.
Marcus was hiding overseas under assumed names, Preston worked as a regular office drone, Damien was still serving time.
A flight attendant offered champagne. Just as he reached for it, he spotted a financial magazine cover featuring Stella and Ryder standing together.
The headline read: #Business Power Couple Blackthornes Acquire Ravenwood Core Assets.
Chase violently hurled the magazine away, triggering his electronic ankle monitor—alarms shrieked piercingly.
In front of Santorini's blue-domed church, Stella's white veil caught the sea breeze in elegant arcs.
"Nervous?" Ryder noticed her slightly trembling fingers, asking quietly.
Stella looked at this man in his crisp suit, remembering her past life when he knelt crying at her grave, eyes suddenly welling up: "I was thinking..."
The priest's ceremony was suddenly interrupted.
"I object!"
The seated guests erupted in chaos.
A woman in sunglasses burst in, but removing them caused even bigger commotion.
It was Sophia!
Her face was deathly pale, fresh self-harm scars on her wrists.
"Ryder!" She pointed hysterically at Stella. "This woman was reborn! She's a monster!"
The entire venue fell silent.
Stella's blood turned to ice. She instinctively looked at Ryder, but saw him calmly adjusting his cufflinks: "Security."
Four bodyguards immediately restrained Sophia.
"Karma's gonna bite you in the ass!" Sophia shrieked as they hauled her off. "Stella, you're gonna pay for…"
Ryder covered Stella's ears, leaning down to kiss her.
As guests applauded, he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered: "Did I win this lifetime?"
Stella smiled and kissed him back: "You won long ago."
Three years after marriage, Blackthorne Tower's top floor got renovated.
Stella, hand resting on her slightly rounded belly, directed workers hanging a painting called Spring Mountain Mist—the mentor's work Ryder had paid triple to carefully restore.
"Mr. Blackthorne, Mrs. Blackthorne skipped lunch again." Nathan helplessly handed over a tablet. "I really can't talk her into eating."
The surveillance showed Stella secretly dumping her nutritionist-prepared pregnancy meals in the trash.
Ryder shut down his laptop and personally went to grab her newest craving—pickle-topped burgers.
Paparazzi caught shots of the business world's king carefully carrying a paper bag, protecting the warm food inside.
#Blackthorne Couple trended again.
On delivery day, the usually calm Ryder nearly tore the hospital apart.
"C-section! Right now!" He grabbed the director's collar, roaring. "She's been in pain for twelve hours!"
Stella weakly tugged his sleeve: "Ryder... calm down..."
"How can I be calm?!" This man who never wavered in boardrooms was trembling. "You..."
When the baby's cries finally rang out, Stella saw the business world's emperor kneeling by her bed, tears streaming.
The nurse smiled: "What's the baby's name?"
"Hope Blackthorne," Stella said softly.
Ryder kissed her sweat-dampened forehead: "Hope, Hope."
On baby Hope's first month celebration, Stella discovered a locked safe in the walk-in closet.
The password was the date of her rebirth.
Inside were the original investigation reports.
"You..." Stella turned to find Ryder holding their daughter in the doorway. "You knew all along?"
Ryder put the sleeping baby in her crib, wrapping his arms around Stella from behind: "Started investigating the day your parents came to find me." He kissed her head. "Something as crazy as rebirth..."
"But you still believed it."
"Because you said it."
During a drizzly All Saints' Day, Stella laid white roses on the nameless headstone—her past life's grave.
Ryder held a black umbrella while baby Hope in his arms curiously reached for falling raindrops.
"Who's Mommy talking to?" the little girl asked sweetly.
Ryder knelt down, gently touching the cold stone: "Someone very important."
Stella turned with red-rimmed eyes to see her husband's tender profile in the rain.
"This lifetime," he stood and embraced his wife and daughter, "I'll stay with you both until we're old."
In the car heading home, baby Hope slept peacefully in her car seat.
Stella leaned on Ryder's shoulder, suddenly noticing his phone wallpaper was their first family photo from the delivery room.
Finally, this life was whole.
End of Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! Chapter 21. View all chapters or return to Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! book page.