Reclaimed By My Ex-husband
Chapter 15: The princess of the Grant family

Chapter 15: The princess of the Grant family

Zara studied Riya carefully. It struck her again how blind she had been in the past five years, how Riya’s disdain had always lurked just beneath the surface. She had never noticed it until that night when everything had changed. That brutal experience had opened her eyes, peeled away the mask Riya wore so well.

Now, she could see her for what she truly was.

Zara tilted her head slightly. "Why do I smell jealousy? Do you have feelings for Nathaniel?"

Riya’s face drained of color in an instant. For someone who had spent years burying her feelings under a polished smile and perfect manners, Zara’s sharp words hit like a sledgehammer. Her love for Nathaniel had been her most carefully guarded secret, something she never dared to say aloud. To confess it would risk everything: her standing in the family, her closeness to him, the carefully constructed image she had maintained for years.

"How dare you accuse me of something like that?" Riya snapped. "That’s slander. I care about this family, and I care about Nathaniel. That’s all."

But the way her voice cracked betrayed her. Zara caught that flicker of panic behind the indignation.

Zara let out a cold sneer. In her past life, she might’ve believed Riya’s lies and ignored the signs. But that night had shown her Riya’s true nature.

Zara hadn’t come back to pick fights. She didn’t want to be entangled in drama again. All she wanted was peace for herself and the baby in her womb. But if Riya insisted on provoking her, she was more than capable of defending herself.

"Isn’t it obvious?" Zara said coolly. "You are the only one so desperate to see me gone. No one else in this family is pushing for a divorce. So it makes me wonder — why are you in such a hurry to get me out of the picture?"

Riya’s expression twisted. "Because I care about him," she shot back quickly. "I know Nathaniel better than anyone. He is not happy with you, and I don’t want to see him suffer."

"Our marriage is none of your business," Zara snapped. "Whether we stay together or not is for us to decide. Why are you getting so emotional about it? Perhaps it’s time for you to focus on your own life. Go find yourself a boyfriend and stop circling my husband."

She chose those words intentionally, aiming to provoke a reaction and force Riya to drop her façade, and she struck exactly where it hurt.

Riya’s mask shattered in an instant. "You!" she hissed, lunging at Zara with her hand raised, ready to slap her. Just then, voices echoed from outside the room. In a flash, she dropped her hand and crumpled dramatically to the floor, as if she were the one being attacked.

Zara blinked, stunned, not quite believing what she had just witnessed. One second, Riya had been feral with rage, and the next, she was playing the helpless victim.

The door opened. Zane and Paulina stepped in, both freezing at the unexpected sight.

"Grandma," Riya whimpered with fake tears in her eyes. "I only came to see how she was doing, but she lashed out at me. I don’t know what I did wrong. Why is she so angry with me..."

Zane hurried to his mother’s side, wrapping his little arms around her protectively. "Mommy, are you okay?"

Riya’s jaw clenched at the sight. Her tone sharpened with indignation. "I’m the one who got hurt. Your mommy bullied me. Shouldn’t you be worried about me?"

Paulina cut in sharply. "That’s enough, Riya. He is just a child. Naturally, he is more concerned about his mother. Don’t make a fuss over something so petty."

"Grandma!" Riya pouted, her tone full of accusation. "I was the one mistreated here, and instead of defending me, you are scolding me?"

Paulina waved her hand, clearly fed up. "Alright, enough. I’ll have a word with Zara. You should go back to your room."

Riya stood, seething. Her eyes burned with resentment as they locked onto Zara. This wasn’t how she had imagined it playing out. She wanted chaos, not calm dismissal. Clenching her fists, she spun on her heel and stormed out, her pride bruised.

Zane looked up at Zara with his innocent, questioning eyes. "Mommy, did you really bully her?"

Zara shrugged. "How could I possibly bully the Grant family’s little princess? She tripped over her own. I didn’t even move. Look at me—I’m stuck in bed, smack in the middle. And with this sprained ankle, you really think I could leap up and slap her from across the room?"

She gestured at the spot on the floor where Riya had staged her fall.

Zane burst out laughing, clearly amused. "She fell all by herself and then blamed you for it? That’s silly."

"Exactly," Zara said with a dramatic roll of her eyes. "But she sure put on a show."

Paulina walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, her expression softening. "Don’t take her words to heart. Riya has been spoiled for far too long."

She paused, the weight of memories settling over her features like a shadow. With a sigh, she began to explain. "Her grandfather, Johnson, was one of our most loyal people. He served our family for decades. When my son was diagnosed with kidney failure, Johnson didn’t hesitate to donate his kidney to save him. He was a man of deep loyalty, and his son was no different. They devoted their lives to this family."

Her voice grew distant as she stared into the past. "But everything changed the night of the accident. Riya’s father died in a terrible crash to save Nathaniel’s father. She was only a little girl, about Zane’s age, already motherless... and then left without a father. Johnson came to us, begging us to take care of her. Gracie, who always longed for a daughter but couldn’t have one due to Vincent’s health issues, didn’t hesitate. She embraced Riya like her own flesh and blood."

Paulina’s eyes glistened with the sting of those memories. "From that day on, Riya was raised as part of this family. She was loved, protected, and spoiled like a princess. But that love, I fear, turned into indulgence—and indulgence into entitlement."

Zara had heard stories about Johnson, the devoted housekeeper whose unwavering loyalty had earned him the respect of the entire Grant family. His ultimate sacrifice, donating a kidney to save Nathaniel’s father, Vincent, had etched his name permanently in their hearts. And when Riya’s father lost his life protecting his master, it left the entire Grant family feeling deeply indebted to him.

To express their gratitude to Johnson and his son, Riya had been embraced as one of their own, becoming the cherished darling of the household.

"But I’ll speak to her," Paulina said firmly, breaking Zara’s thoughts. "Riya may be a daughter to this family, but you are Nathaniel’s wife, Zane’s mother, and our daughter-in-law. She has no right to treat you with disrespect."

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