CHAPTER 251: GRACIE LEARNED RIYA’S SECRET

The photoshoot wrapped up, and everyone appeared cheerful.

"Wait a second—where are Liam and Nathaniel?" Hayley asked, realizing the two men were nowhere to be seen. "Did they disappear somewhere?"

"Oh, don’t worry about them," Gracie replied with a casual wave. "They are old buddies. Probably off celebrating on their own."

Hayley chuckled. "Right, right. Let them have their fun."

While everyone stayed busy chatting and laughing, Riya quietly slipped away from the group, unnoticed.

"Mommy, I’m hungry," Zane said, tugging at Zara’s hand and rubbing his sleepy eyes.

Zara’s expression softened with guilt. She hadn’t realized how tired the little boy was while she had been caught up with the others.

"Alright, let’s get you something to eat." She guided him toward the buffet table.

Zane’s eyes lit up when he spotted a chocolate smoothie. His sleepiness vanished. "Mommy, I want that."

Zara smiled, gently ruffling his hair. "Go ahead, sweetheart. Take whatever you like."

He eagerly picked up the glass and settled at a nearby table. Zara filled a plate with chicken fries and rice, then brought it to him.

"Do you want some chicken fries?" she asked.

Zane nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes, I want them too."

"Alright, here you go." Zara placed the plate in front of him and sat across, watching affectionately as he began to eat.

Inside the lounge...

Liam explained Zachary’s blackmail to Nathaniel but deliberately left out his father’s infidelity. Then, he handed Nathaniel a pen.

"This one is special," he said. "The ink disappears after a few hours. No one will suspect a thing."

Nathaniel examined the pen skeptically. "Are you certain about this?"

"Absolutely," Liam assured him. "I’ve tested it myself. I use it in marking the fabric. It works perfectly."

After a moment’s hesitation, Nathaniel finally signed the documents.

While the two men focused on the papers, Riya was setting her own plan in motion.

She handed a thick wad of cash to a waitress. "Be careful," she warned coldly. "I don’t want any mistakes. Understand?"

The waitress nodded, greed flickering in her eyes as she clutched the money. "Got it," she replied before slipping away.

But she froze when she saw someone approaching. She tried to hide the cash behind her back, but it was too late.

Gracie stepped forward and snatched the money from her hand. She had come looking for Riya, but what she found left her stunned.

Riya’s face went pale as fear surged through her. She had been caught red-handed bribing the waitress. Her lips parted to defend herself, but no words came out as if she had lost her voice.

Gracie shot the waitress a sharp glare. "Get out," she spat.

The waitress flinched and then bolted, not daring to look back at either of them.

Gracie’s furious gaze shifted to Riya. "So Zara was right all along," she snapped. "You’ve been poisoning Vincent and now," she lifted the wad of cash, "you are bribing that waitress to poison his drink."

Riya shook her head frantically.

"Don’t even try to lie," Gracie cut her off sharply. "I heard everything with my own ears. You told her to add poison to his glass. How could you do this? Why would you want to harm him?"

Riya opened her mouth, but her throat tightened. Fear stole her voice.

Gracie stepped closer, her voice trembling with rage. "We trusted you, loved you, treated you as our own. We gave you the honor of being part of this family and even married you into one of the most respected families in the city. And this is how you repay us? With hatred?"

"Mom..." Riya managed to whisper, her voice barely audible.

"Don’t you dare call me that," Gracie barked. "I’m not your mother. I defended you, doubted Zara because of you, and even scolded her for your sake. What a fool I was. We raised a snake under our roof. I regret the day I ever agreed to adopt you."

Tears welled up in Riya’s eyes. But she was not crying out of guilt. But her tears were from sheer terror of being exposed. If Nathaniel and Vincent found out about it, she was finished. Her reputation, her career—everything she had built would crumble.

And Nathaniel... he wouldn’t hesitate to have her thrown in jail.

She couldn’t allow that to happen. She had to stop Gracie. "Mom, please, listen to me first. You misunderstood me," she pleaded, reaching for her hand.

But Gracie caught her hand instead, her grip iron-tight. "Enough of your lies. You can’t deceive me anymore. I’m telling Vincent and Nathaniel everything. They should see your true color. You’ll be exposed tonight."

She began dragging Riya toward the staircase.

"No, wait, please," Riya begged, panic rising in her voice. "We can talk this out calmly."

Gracie ignored her completely. "There is nothing left to talk about. Whatever you have to say, say it to them."

Riya’s heart pounded violently. She couldn’t face them. Nathaniel would destroy her, and prison would be worse than death.

"No, I’m not going anywhere," she cried in desperation, jerking her arm free with all her strength.

The force sent Gracie stumbling backward. Losing her balance, she twisted her leg and fell, tumbling down the stairs.

Riya gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as horror flooded her face. Her heart plummeted when she saw Gracie lying motionless on the flight of the stairs, a dark streak of blood trailing down her forehead.

Panic shook her entire frame. She glanced around—no one was there. Without wasting a second, she turned and slipped away before anyone could see her.

She darted into the restroom and locked the door behind her, pressing her back against it as her pulse raced uncontrollably.

’Is she dead?’

The thought made her blood run cold. Her body trembled even more as dread spread through her veins.

’I killed her,’ her mind screamed. ’I actually killed her.’

Images of Gracie’s kindness flashed before her—the warmth in her voice, the way she had always protected and trusted her. And now... she was gone.

A crushing weight of guilt and horror gripped her chest. Just as she was about to sink into remorse, another, colder voice inside her whispered, ’It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t mean to do it. She fell by accident. You only tried to defend yourself.’

Her breathing steadied slightly as she clung to that thought. "Yes," she muttered under her breath, trying to convince herself. "I didn’t push her. It was an accident. There is no reason to panic. No one saw it. If I act normally, no one will ever suspect."

She quickly fixed her makeup, forcing composure back onto her face, and opened the door. But the moment she stepped out, her heart nearly stopped.

Liam was standing right there, tall and still, his sharp eyes fixed on her.

’Why is he here?’ she thought, her stomach twisting in dread. ’Did he find out?’

Her face drained of color as his piercing gaze locked onto hers.