Chapter 77: Riya’s desperate attempt to get close to Nathaniel.

Words : 1141 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 77 of "Reclaimed By My Ex-husband" introduces new challenges: Chapter 77: Riya’s desperate attempt to get close to Nathaniel.Nathaniel returned to the office after... Keep following!

Chapter 77: Riya’s desperate attempt to get close to Nathaniel.Nathaniel returned to the office after settling the chaos at the construction site. He strode inside, giving out clear, clipped orders. "Place guards at the site full-time. Set up a hotline so they can call for immediate help if anything happens again. Work with the local police and deal with those goons. I want that entire gang wiped out for good." "Yes, sir. We are already on it," Roberto said with a nod. Before Nathaniel could instruct anything more, the office door flew open and Riya stormed in, her face flushed, eyes brimming with tears. "Nathaniel," she cried out. "You have to give me justice." Nathaniel frowned instantly, seemingly displeased. "What are you doing here? And why did you barge in without knocking? Do you not understand basic courtesy?" The sharpness of his tone hit Riya like a slap. She froze, stunned, her confidence slipping. She had expected sympathy, a concerned question, maybe even comfort. Instead, he had scolded her. "I... I just—" Nathaniel raised a hand to silence her. He turned to Roberto. "We’ll continue this later." Roberto cast one last look at Riya before exiting quietly. Once they were alone, Riya whined, her voice cracking with frustration. "How could you yell at me like that? I rushed here hoping you’d listen to me. But instead, you scold me over a stupid door knock? Do I really need an appointment to speak to you now?" Nathaniel sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to ease the tension building in his head. "This is my office," he said coldly, but his voice dropped this time. "Not the house. You can’t just walk in whenever you want. You disrupted my work and embarrassed yourself in front of my team." But Riya wasn’t interested in logic or boundaries. She was too caught up in her emotions. "I came to you hoping for support, thinking you’d stand up for me," she cried. "But all you did was scold me and point out my mistakes. You didn’t even ask why I came rushing here. You didn’t care to listen. You don’t care about me anymore, Nathaniel. You don’t love me." She sobbed dramatically. Nathaniel felt his patience stretch thin. The sound of her sobs only made the pounding in his head worse. He rubbed his temples again, sighing. He knew scolding her would only fuel her tantrum. She had been this way ever since she was young, always seeking attention. "Alright, stop crying," he said at last, softening his tone. "Sit down and tell me what happened." Riya immediately stopped sobbing. Instead of taking the seat, she closed the distance between them. Standing right in front of him, she tilted her head slightly and leaned in. "Look at this," she said, gesturing to her cheek. Faint red marks stood out against her skin. "Zara did this to me. She slapped me." Nathaniel leaned back instinctively, uncomfortable with how close she was standing. He pushed his chair backward, trying to put some space between them. But Riya closed the distance again, forcing him against the wall. He stiffened in his seat, tension creeping up his spine, but she acted as if she didn’t notice. Riya continued, "She got discharged, and I thought I would check on her and give her the invitation card for the fashion event. I told her my success story and how grateful I am to you. But for some reason, she took it the wrong way. I still don’t understand what I said that made her so angry." As Nathaniel tried to rise from his chair, Riya pressed her palm against his chest, pushing him firmly back down. "Do you think she is jealous of me?" she asked with faux innocence, pretending not to notice his discomfort. She blinked her big eyes, waiting for his reply. Nathaniel froze. ’Zara... jealous of Riya?’ The thought struck him hard, pushing aside the irritation he had just felt. Before he could respond, Riya continued inquisitively, "Is she upset with you for not supporting her career? Do you think that’s what this is about?" Nathaniel’s face turned somber, his thoughts spiraling inward. He had been so absorbed in his business, in his own grief and obligations, that he had barely noticed how she was doing. Her smiles, her gentle words, the way she managed everything in the household—it had all convinced him she was fine. But he had never considered that she had given up her own ambitions, her career, to support him and raise Zane. Though he already had plans to make things right, the guilt of his emotional neglect twisted deep in his chest. Riya watched Nathaniel’s expression shift, and she believed she had successfully manipulated him. She didn’t hold back. "She made that choice. No one forced her to give up her career. If she wanted to work and care for Zane at the same time, she could have done that. Many women seamlessly balance their careers and family life. It was she who chose to focus entirely on her family. Why is she upset now? And why take it out on me? I haven’t wronged her." "Riya..." Nathaniel muttered, brushing her hand away from his chest, trying to create space between them. But she cut him off before he could say more, not stepping back, blocking him from rising. "I was only happy, proud to share my success with her. And what did she do?" She paused dramatically, pouting. "She slapped me. Twice. I saw pure hatred in her eyes. She threw me out like I was trash. I think she still sees me as the orphan, that I’m only here because of the Grant family’s mercy." She let the tears fall. "Stop crying," Nathaniel said, his tone coaxing. "You have always been part of this family. You’ll always be our little princess." He turned his chair slightly, finally standing up. "Thank you," Riya whispered and leaned in, wrapping her arms around him, pressing herself to him with intentions far from innocent. This wasn’t new. Riya had hugged him many times before. But today, something felt off. Nathaniel tensed. The contact no longer felt casual. It felt wrong. His instincts kicked in. He reached up, gripping her arms, ready to push her away. But before he could, Riya stepped back with a bright, triumphant grin on her face. "Just hearing you say that is enough for me," she said sweetly. "I don’t care if Zara hates me. Your support is all I need." Then, without warning, she leaned in on her toes and brushed a kiss against the corner of his mouth quickly. She spun around and hurried out of the office, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips. Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m

Chapter 77: Riya’s desperate attempt to get close to Nathaniel.

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