All Chapters of His Bride By Contract: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Mia’s POV The lights were blinding, the camera's red-eyed beasts staring me down. My palms trembled in my lap, but I kept my chin steady. Xander sat beside me, solid and unyielding. His hand rested lightly over mine, an anchor. The interviewer smiled politely. “Mia Evans… or should I say, Mia Blake? The world has a lot of questions tonight.” My throat tightened. “I’ll answer them.” She leaned forward. “Then let’s start with the obvious. People say you destroyed Liam Carter’s career. That you left him when he needed you most. Did you?” My breath caught, but I forced myself to speak. “No. Liam destroyed himself. I stood by him longer than I should have.” The interviewer’s brows arched. “So you’re saying he’s lying?” 

Mia’s POV The phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Not a pause, not a courtesy buzz, a relentless peel that threaded the room with panic. I yanked it from under the pillow, saw the avalanche of alerts, and shoved it back in like I could bury the noise. My fingers found my face instead, palms flattening the world for a second. “What have I done?” I breathed, the words small and surprised. The door crashed open. Sophie filled the doorway like she’d been cut out of urgency. “Mia, the internet is exploding. Do you know what they’re saying?” I shook my head, the movement tight, because my voice felt foreign if I loosened it. She dumped her bag on the couch and fished her phone out with nails that trembled just enough. “Half of them are praising you. Brave, finally speaking up.” She inhaled, and the next words came cl

Xander’s POV “Eric, status,” I said without preamble. “We’ve assembled a team,” he replied. “Forensics, digital forensics, private investigators, people who don’t leave fingerprints in public records. They’re on standby.” “Good.” My fingers tapped the desk. “Start with the gala. Every angle. Every vendor. Pull the original electrical logs. Interview the tech crew again under oath. No leaks.” Eric’s pen scratched. “Understood. Also, legal has prepped subpoenas in case we need them.” I stood and walked to the window, watching the city move like a chessboard. “Bring me names. I want contacts, bank transfers, any paper trail linking Carter’s PR to the tabloids. And background on anyone who filed statements about the blackout.”

Xander’s POVEric’s voice was clipped when he stepped in. “He flipped.”I didn’t let him finish. “Cross?” I asked.“Cross,” Eric confirmed. “He’s talking. We have him on record implicating Voss as the point man and naming intermediaries tied to Carter’s PR. He’s offering testimony in exchange for immunity recommendations.”A rush of cold satisfaction rolled through me. “Good. Wire it. Secure the transcript. Get legal to draft the terms.”Eric hesitated. “There’s more. Cross says he never imagined Carter himself would authorize the Jacob angle. He says he was told to ‘sow doubt’, not outright accuse. Someone higher pushed the narrative harder than he expected.”I let out a slow breath. “Then make Cross useful. He gives us the chain and we follow it. No theatrics. No leaks.”“You want him flipped quietly?” Eric asked.“I want the truth,” I said. “Quiet or loud depends on the moment. For now, control it.”Eric nodded. “Legal is prepping. Cross is willing to do a recorded statement if we

FLASHBACK.~Mia’s POV~ The phone almost slipped out of my hand as I scrolled. #MiaEvansMurderer. #SheKilledForLove. #BloodOnHerHands. My throat tightened. The words screamed louder than any headline before. The trending hashtags weren’t just rumors anymore, they were accusations. People believed I killed someone. Not just anyone, but Xander’s brother. I whispered, almost choking, “No… no, this can’t be real.” The screen blurred as my eyes filled with tears. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might tear out of my chest. Xander’s brother. Dead. And now they were saying I did it. I pressed my palms against my face, trembling. My mind pulled me back, unwilling, to that night years ago.~~*~~I