<h4>Chapter 102: Chapter 103 New Spin</h4>


    I was flicking through crap cable channels when a nurse came in.


    ‘Mrs Laurent, there’s a man outside who wants to see you.’


    I sat up. ‘Did he give a name?’


    ‘A Rhys Granger.’


    I sat back down. ‘I’m not receiving visitors.’


    ‘Noted.’


    She came back a minuteter. ‘He says he has urgent business to discuss and refuses to leave.’


    ‘Call security.’


    ‘Got it, Mrs Laurent.’


    Two hourster, my phone lit up with Louisa Granger’s name.


    I almost didn’t answer. I should’ve followed that instinct.


    Sheunched into it before I even said hello.


    Once I heard enough to get the gist, I cut her off, ‘Aunt Louisa, it wasn’t me. I didn’t take those photos. And I certainly didn’t leak the news.’


    ‘I know, I trust you, it’s just that... Rhys says you were the only one he ran into at the hospital.’


    I borrowed Ashton’s line. ‘It’s a public ce. Plenty of peoplee and go. And Rhys and Catherine were talking in a hallway. I saw them. So did the nurse. So did at least two dozen other people walking by at the time.’


    Louisa let out a long, resigned sigh. ‘I see.’ Then shepsed into silence.


    I sensed her hesitation. ‘Is there something else?’


    ‘The story... about Catherine’s pregnancy, is it... is it true?’ Her voice was tight, like she didn’t want to hear the answer.


    I paused, then said, ‘Yes.’


    The truth would get out eventually anyway.


    Louisa went quiet again. I heard her breathing shift, shorter and shallower.


    I’d heard that sound before. Her stress-breathing.


    ‘Please don’t work yourself up over this again,’ I cautioned. ‘You’ve already ended up in hospital once because of Rhys-rted nonsense.’


    ‘Alright,’ she said, though it didn’t sound like the end of it. ‘Mirabelle, are you absolutely sure this has nothing to do with you? I know you’re upset with Rhys, but if this spins out of control, thepany’s stock could tank.’


    That stopped me. I hadn’t expected her to throw me under the same bus Rhys was driving.


    ‘It really has nothing to do with me, I—’


    Ashton took the phone right out of my hand.


    ‘Hello. Ashton Laurent speaking. My wife was with me all day yesterday. She hasn’t spoken to a single reporter. I suggest you stop slinging baseless usations at her, or we’ll consider legal action for defamation.’


    He hung up.


    I looked at him. He handed the phone back.


    ‘Are you mad?’ I asked.


    ‘Not at you. I just don’t like people using you like that.’


    ‘I don’t either. Can’t believe Aunt Louisa actually thought I’d stoop that low.’


    Turns out, she wasn’t the only one.


    The story didn’t die after the usual 24-hour cycle. New spins started cropping up.


    ‘Unnamed sources’ imed Rhys’s ex was behind it all.


    The motives varied. Some said she wanted him back, others said it was revenge.


    Either way, the ex was the viin.


    ‘What the actual fuck is this?’ Yvaine was furious. ‘I thought the person who leaked the story hated Rhys. Why is all the heat on you now?’


    ‘I don’t think the person who leaked the original story and the one behind this are the same,’ I pointed out.


    The former was Ashton. If not, I’d eat my ne.


    As for thetter, I had a fairly solid guess.


    Yvaine sat cross-legged on the bed and started typing.


    [You’re all being yed.]


    [From what I know, Rhys’s ex hasn’t had contact with him in ages. Why would she pull a stunt like this to win him back?]


    [Why is it always the woman getting torn apart? Drag him for once.]


    She hit ‘post’.


    Nothing. Not a single like. Not even a pity emoji.


    Yvaine swore.


    Then she jumped up. ‘I’ll go find Rhys and beat the crap out of him. Bet he’s the one who engineered the new spin.’


    A woman of action, she was gone before I could say a word.


    I returned to the post. The tone didn’t sound like Rhys. It was more... catty.


    Ashton plucked the phone from my hands.


    ‘You shouldn’t be stressing about things like this. Let me deal with the trolls.’


    ‘But it’s my phone.’


    ‘Confiscated till further notice.’


    ‘Fine. I’ll just use my tablet.’


    He paused. ‘Thanks for the reminder.’


    A minuteter, I was phone-less and tablet-less.


    All I had left was the TV remote.


    A nurse came in to change the IV fluids.


    ‘Can I borrow your phone?’ I asked.


    She blinked but handed it over. ‘Sure.’


    ‘Thank you.’


    I didn’t find what I was looking for.


    It had only been thirty minutes, if that, but the inte had been scrubbed clean.


    Every article, post, hashtag, and headline about ‘Rhys Granger’s Revengeful Ex’ was gone.


    I didn’t bother asking Ashton; He’d just give me the same non-answer as before.


    Yvaine returned with a stunned look on her face.


    ‘The news is gone.’


    I nodded. ‘I know.’


    She frowned. ‘I called you. No reply.’


    ‘My phone’s been... confiscated.’


    ‘By whom?’ Then she clocked it. Her frown curled into a teasing grin. ‘The hubby, eh?’


    I didn’t answer. She already knew.


    Yvaine climbed into bed beside me. ‘So. How’s married life treating you?’


    I gestured vaguely around the room. ‘Feels like prison.’


    ‘Doc says you need peace and quiet. And this is a nice ce.’


    ‘It is. But you know I hate hospitals.’


    ‘True. Still, I’m with your shiny new husband on this one. If you’d been discharged, the Grangers would’ve harassed you non-stop.’ Yvaine pulled a face. ‘I just ran into Rotten Rhys. He’s camped outside.’


    I frowned. ‘I thought hospital security threw him out.’


    ‘They did. He’s not technically inside. He’s loitering on the road leading up to the entrance. Tried to way me. Wanted me to take him to you. I flipped him off.’


    I gave her a thumbs up.


    She didn’t notice, too busy staring at her screen. ‘Rhys and Catherine are getting married.’


    ‘For real?’


    ‘The Grangers just released a press statement.’