Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO
Chapter 99: One Less Battle

Chapter 99: One Less Battle

The evening air in Florittle was heavy with the scent of blooming jacarandas as the sun dipped low, painting the sky in soft hues of orange and purple.

Stefan stepped off the plane, his sunglasses tucked away, the fatigue from the long flight etched on his face. His heart pounded harder the moment his shoes touched solid ground. He was here—for her. For Ruby.

He sighed. Being here was one thing but finding her was another. Where could she be in this vast city of Florittle? He mused as he looked around.

Scanning the arrivals area, he spotted Ethan standing near a pillar, dressed casually in jeans and a grey T-shirt, waving a little too enthusiastically.

A faint smile tugged at Stefan’s lips. He hadn’t realized how much he missed Ethan’s annoying energy until now.

"Finally," Ethan said, pulling Stefan into a quick, brotherly hug—the kind men gave when emotions were there but words were hard to find. He gave him a firm pat on the back before stepping back with a grin.

"Look at you. Still brooding like someone ran off with your lunch money."

Stefan chuckled, the sound low and rough. "Don’t start, Ethan. You know why I’m not exactly in the mood for jokes."

Ethan shrugged, lifting Stefan’s duffle bag effortlessly. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. You’re all serious now because you want to find your substitute wife."

Stefan rolled his eyes, letting the corners of his mouth curve into a tired smile. "You’re not wrong and she’s not just a substitute wife for me and no matter how hard I try... I just... I’m not myself. Not until I find her. Not until I know she’s safe."

They started walking toward the parking lot, the hum of voices and distant car engines filling the air between them.

Ethan tossed the bag into the trunk and opened the passenger door for Stefan. "You know what? It’s okay," he said as he got behind the wheel. "I understand. I really do. You don’t have to pretend around me."

Stefan nodded, resting his head back against the seat as the car pulled out of the airport. The streets of Florittle rolled past in a blur—bright lights, honking cars, people living their lives while his felt paused in time.

A vibration in his pocket drew his attention. He pulled out his phone and checked the screen to see that it was his mother calling.

He froze. Ethan glanced over. "Who is it?" he asked, wondering why he had that reaction.

"It’s her. Elizabeth," Stefan muttered, lips tightening.

Ethan sighed and reached for the volume knob, lowering the music. "Stefan, I know what you said but I think maybe you should answer."

"I don’t want to talk to her right now," Stefan said quietly.

"But maybe you need to. Come on, man. If she’s still trying to reach you, it means she wants to make things right so badly. You know you need all the support you can get right now. You should speak to her.... at least just once and hear what she has to say. You don’t have to forgive her now if you don’t want to."

Stefan’s thumb hovered over the screen. He hesitated. Then, with a quiet exhale, he swiped to answer.

"Hello?"

There was a brief pause on the line. Then her voice—soft, hopeful, trembling—came through. "Stefan... thank God you picked."

He closed his eyes. Her voice still stirred something in him, no matter how much he wanted to stay angry. "I’m listening."

"I—I know you’re still upset with me. And you have every right to be," she said, her voice cracking. "I just wanted to say I’m sorry. For everything. For not trusting you enough.... for getting in the way of your happiness. I’m really sorry, son."

Stefan looked out the window, jaw clenched. "You didn’t just get in the way, Mom. You helped create this mess. You helped Ivy fool me. You silenced Ruby when she needed you. You thought I couldn’t handle the truth."

"I was wrong," Elizabeth admitted quickly. "I see that now. I see that I hurt you, and I hurt Ruby too. I let fear drive my decisions. But please, Stefan... let me help you now. Let me fix even a small part of what I broke."

Stefan didn’t say anything to that as a small silence stretched between them. fre.ewebnov el.com

Then Stefan spoke, voice calm but firm. "If you want to help, then help Oliver manage things at the company. And make sure Ivy signs the divorce papers."

There was a stunned pause on the other end. "Divorce papers?"

"I signed them before I left," Stefan said. "Ruby deserves better. So do I. I can’t move forward with this weight chained to me."

Elizabeth exhaled shakily. "I didn’t know you’d made that decision."

"Well, now you do. Make sure she signs them. That’s how you can help me. Makes sure she signs them." .com

Her voice was small now, but certain. "Okay. I will. I’ll do everything I can. I promise, Stefan."

He didn’t reply. He didn’t know what to say. A part of him wanted to forgive her, to believe her. Another part was still raw and unsure.

"I’ll leave you now," she said gently. "But thank you for giving me a chance to speak," she said before ending the call.

Stefan set the phone down on his lap, staring at the dashboard in silence.

Ethan glanced at him with a smirk. "Well, that wasn’t so hard, was it?" .com

Stefan laughed softly, a sound filled with tired amusement. "You’d be surprised."

"But hey—at least now you’ve got your mother in your corner."

"Yeah," Stefan nodded slowly. "One less battle to fight. All that’s left now... is finding her," he said with a tired sigh and they both fell quiet for a moment.

"Where do we even begin, Ethan?" Stefan asked, turning to his friend. "Florittle’s not a small town. She could be anywhere."

Ethan’s expression turned serious. "We’ll find her, no matter what," Ethan said, conviction lacing his words. "I won’t stop. And now that you’re here, I know we’ll get her back. You just hang on, alright?"

Stefan looked out the window again, the lights of Florittle flickering like stars in the dusk. He felt the weight in his chest lift—just a little.

He wasn’t so far from her again. He’d find her and even though right now, nothing seemed to make sense, he knew they would in time. No matter how hard it would be or how long it would take, he’d find her.

And somewhere out there, Ruby was waiting. Maybe not for him anymore but he just had to reach her.