Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Don’t Cry Over the Spilled Milk
“…the hell?”

The curse slipped out of Stephanie’s mouth as soon as she read Leon’s texts. Eyes widening, she almost threw the phone out of her hands.

“48 hours? Two days? Is he nuts?”

Stephanie repeatedly blinked her eyes, unable to believe the messages sent by Leon. Her brows arched before they merged into a frown, a physical evidence of her palpable distress.

This damn man wanted her answer in forty-eight hours?

As if he gave her a choice whether to say yes or no!

Like hell she would marry him!

Leon had been pressuring Stephanie to marry him for a few days already. Even though he didn’t use any harsh words, it was clear as day he was threatening her.

‘More importantly… what had he done to that bitch?’

Biting her lower lip, Stephanie raked her fingers through her messy blond hair. She recoiled in disgust once she noticed how greasy and tangled her strands were due to lack of care.

But! She had no time to look after herself now!

Cursing more under her breath, Stephanie looked from the phone to the closed door of her bedroom. She held back from rushing out to seek clarity about the situation Lariette was in.

‘Should I ask Dec and Ray? But… what if they become suspicious of me? No! They can’t!’

Various thoughts were conjured in Stephanie’s mind as she tried weighing every possibility. Without her realizing it, she almost chewed her lower lip until it bled.

Tossing the phone to the bed, Stephanie circled the room, anxiousness clawing into her heart. The uneasiness from the situation made her momentarily forget Matthias.

Stephanie had stopped locking herself in the room since last night. She allowed the worried Samantha and Alaric to come inside to comfort her.

The maids also could come in to bring Stephanie food, but she barely touched them. She also didn’t do anything to smoothen her haggard appearance.

“Oh… look at you, my darling. Don’t be sad. If Matthias treated you like this, he didn’t deserve you at all. We should sue him! He has humiliated you in public!”

“Phanie, don’t worry. I’ll make sure people won’t talk about this. I’ll drag that bastard Leon and force him to tell the truth. He blackmailed you, didn’t he?”

Stephanie was relieved to know Samantha and Alaric were steadfastly on her side. She wouldn’t know what to do if her mother and second brother turned their backs on her.

Jonathan also visited Stephanie but, only for a short time. The middle-aged man cited that he still had many issues to deal with, most of them related to the ruined wedding ceremony.

But…

“This is how you repaid us, Stephanie? Why did you have an affair with Leon? You ruined the marriage arrangement because of your foolishness. The Silveras won’t ever accept you again.”

For the first time in forever, Jonathan looked at Stephanie with a pair of frosty eyes as he harshly scolded her. It was obvious that the scandal started to change how he viewed her.

Samantha and Alaric were present when Jonathan berated Stephanie. What followed next was a fight, led by Samantha who was angered by her husband’s remarks.

“Do you really think it’s our Phanie’s fault? Leon dragged her into this! She was blackmailed!”

“I don’t have time to fight with you. I have enough problems already, all because of your beloved daughter!”

The fight ended quickly because Jonathan refused to entertain Samantha. He hurriedly left Stephanie’s room, leaving his grumbling to be heard before he fully disappeared.

Stephanie remembered how her gut twisted as she watched Jonathan leave. The shock from being berated harshly by him had yet to wear off.

Jonathan’s changes rang alarm bells in Stephanie’s mind. Throughout the decades, her father had never shown his anger and dissatisfaction to her.

And… Declan and Rafael’s behaviors next didn’t help to settle Stephanie’s worries.

“Phanie, I know you’re unhappy but, don’t throw the blame onto others.”

An exhausted Declan and a worn-out Rafael came to see Stephanie when the sun had just set below the horizon. Both of them wore the same look of disappointment as they stood opposite her.

“What do you mean… I blame others? Are you saying you believed everything that damn Leon told you?!”

Enraged, Stephanie raised her voice, her entire body shaking from the flaring anger. She clenched her fists, holding back from shouting louder than she just did.

“What’s there to doubt if the evidence is solid enough? You shot yourself in the foot.”

Rafael seemed annoyed as he retorted, clearly showing he was not on Stephanie’s side.

“Ray? You too? You should’ve sided with me!”

“I don’t side with cheaters.”

“Ray!”

Declan had to step in to avoid Stephanie and Rafael continued fighting.

“Get some rest. Don’t cry over the spilled milk. We’ll handle the rest.”

After saying those words, Declan dragged Rafael out of the room, leaving a tear-stricken Stephanie. She kept calling them back, saying she wasn’t at fault but, none of her two brothers returned.

Samantha appeared shortly after. She most likely heard Stephanie and Rafael’s brief shouting match.

“Phanie? Oh, my darling. Are you alright?”

As Stephanie cried in Samantha’s arms, she heard her mother saying…

“That brat was in trouble. Your brothers Dec and Ray hurried to your grandpa’s place. Please don’t take what they said to heart. That girl has stressed them.”

Surprised, Stephanie quickly asked what Samantha had just brought up. Her breath almost hitched when she heard Lariette being in trouble.

“Oh, I don’t know the details. Something about her got attacked when she visited one of the tiny islands. Tsk, your brothers should pay the same attention to you.”

Stephanie stared blankly at Samantha as her mother voiced her dissatisfaction. Her mind quickly recalled Leon’s cryptic messages about doing something to hinder Lariette from being accepted by the Elsher family.

When Stephanie tried asking for details, Samantha couldn’t answer her. It was clear that the middle-aged lady didn’t bother about the trouble Lariette was in.

This was good. At least, this showed that her mother was still completely on her side.

Shaking her head, Stephanie returned to reality. Her frown was still deep on her forehead as her eyes returned to the phone screen, now darkened for the lack of activity.

‘What should I do? Should I… try checking what’s going on?’

Stephanie doubted Samantha knew more about the situation. She ruled out asking Declan and Alaric, afraid of stirring any suspicions.

Lariette was attacked? By who? How severe were her injuries?

Did Leon plan all this? Was he not afraid of people finding it out?

Stephanie refrained from cursing out loud, knowing doing so wouldn’t help at all. As her feet shook in jitter, she continued racking her brain for any plausible way to get the information she needed.

“That’s it!”

Stephanie’s eyes brightened when an idea crossed her mind. Curling up her lips, she inwardly laughed at herself for not thinking of the easiest method.

She would ask the maids!

Stephanie didn’t intend to rely on the useless maid who got caught being her spy. There were still more she could use as her tool.

Now… Shouldn’t she find this out?