Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO
Chapter 74: Difficult

Chapter 74: Difficult

Stefan sat quietly in the back seat, the sonogram resting like a weight in his inner coat pocket, pressing against his chest like it held a secret he wasn’t meant to discover—not yet.

His fingers tapped against his knee absentmindedly, his thoughts tangled in loops of confusion and suspicion. He kept replaying Ivy’s expression in his mind—the genuine confusion, the hesitation, the shift in her eyes when he asked if it was true.

What was she thinking then? Was it real? Was it hers? If not, then why was her name on it? And most importantly, what other truth was she hiding? He’d seen the fear in her eyes. She must’ve thought something else when he asked that question. What was it?

He was still lost in thought when he noticed it—the occasional glance from Martin through the rearview mirror. Though it was subtle, and brief, it was noticeable enough. Stefan’s brows pulled together as he wondered why Martin would be looking at him that way.

"Martin," he said, voice low but firm.

Martin’s eyes met his through the mirror. "Yes, sir?"

"You keep glancing back. Do you have something to say to me? Is everything alright?"

There was a pause. Martin’s hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel, his lips parting like he wanted to say something but held it in. "No, sir. Everything is alright."

"So is there something you have to say to me?" he asked again and Martin shook his head.

"No, sir. Nothing."

Stefan tilted his head. "Martin," he pressed, "If you have something on your mind, say it. I don’t like being stared at like I’m part of a mystery you’re trying to solve."

Martin exhaled slowly, finally conceding. "It’s nothing serious, sir. I just wanted to ask... is Mrs Winters okay?"

Stefan’s brows lifted slightly. "She’s fine. Why do you ask?"

Martin glanced back once more, slower this time. "Nothing. It’s just... I thought Mrs. Ivy would come with you today." freew\ebno\vel..(c)om

Stefan’s expression didn’t shift, but his gaze sharpened. "What?"

"What I mean is..." Martin said cautiously, "it’s your first day back at the office... you know, after everything. I just assumed she’d want to come with you. You know... to support you."

Stefan leaned back into the seat, lips pressing into a thin line. Martin was right. The Ivy he remembered before the accident—the one who hovered over him after their wedding, who never left his side for long—would have insisted on accompanying him today of all days.

But this Ivy? She was too preoccupied with catching Eliana before work and... not even wanting to look for a file with him. She didn’t even want him to leave how much more suggesting to go with him. He thought but there was no way he’d say that to Martin.

"Well, she said she needed to relax today and I totally understand," Stefan replied finally, his tone neutral. "The past few months have been stressful."

Martin nodded slowly. "Ah... that makes sense. She must be really tired. Maybe that’s why she changed the maids around the house too."

Stefan blinked, confused. "She did?"

Martin turned slightly in his seat, cautious again. "You didn’t know?"

"No. I mean..." Stefan trailed off, a frown drawing deeper lines across his forehead. "I wouldn’t have recognized them either way. I’ve been blind for months, Martin. Their faces were strangers to me even before."

"Right. I didn’t realize," Martin said quickly, apologetically. "Sorry, sir."

Stefan waved a hand dismissively. "It’s not your fault. It’s... Ivy’s business. If she felt the need to replace them, then fine. As long as she doesn’t replace you, I’m not concerned."

Martin gave a small, thankful nod and turned his attention back to the road, though Stefan noticed the stiffness in his shoulders.

But Stefan’s mind was already elsewhere. He kept replaying Martin’s words. The change of maids. The way Ivy had been completely different from what she was in his blindness. Her strange behavior and his mother’s brushing it off.

Something didn’t sit right at all. Perhaps they’re hiding a truth from him. What could it be? He mused, the scene at the hospital replying before his eyes.

That... that’s what Ruby came to tell me, he realized, his heart beginning to pound. She came to the hospital that day—desperate to speak to him—because she knew something. Something they were hiding. And now she’s gone. Without a trace.

The ultrasound results. The sudden change in staff. The lies that didn’t quite sound like lies but felt... off. She must have know something. Perhaps that was why they tried to stop her from speaking.

His mother, Ivy and their mother were in on it.

A slow, cold determination settled in Stefan’s chest. He didn’t have all the pieces yet, but he was done sitting still. He had to find Ruby—whatever it took. Because until he did, he’d never have peace or understand what was going on.

Though he wanted to find her but he had a feeling that when he did finds her... nothing in his world would ever be the same again.

Stefan stepped into his office, the door clicking shut behind him with a quiet finality. The familiar space didn’t offer the comfort it used to.

The furniture was the same, the scent of polished wood and leather still lingered, but it felt... hollow now. Like everything around him was pretending to be normal when nothing actually was.

He was supposed to be feeling happy about his sight and finally being able to work with his eyes again but everything on his mind made him not remember any of that happiness.

He walked over to his desk, pulling out his chair and sitting slowly. His mind hadn’t stopped spinning since the conversation in the car. Every word Martin had said echoed like a whisper of truth wrapped in suspicion.

Without wasting a second, Stefan reached for his phone and dialed Ethan.

The line barely rang twice before Ethan picked up. "Sup bro?"

"Have you found anything on Ruby?" Stefan asked, getting straight to the point.

There was a pause on the other end. "No. Not yet but I think it’s going to be a little difficult finding her," Ethan said and Stefan frowned.

"How so?" he asked impatiently.