Chapter 2282

Miranda’s words came out sharp, almost instinctive—but there was a crack beneath them she couldn’t hide.

Adrian didn’t move.

He stood there, eyes locked on her, the anger in them no longer loud—but heavy.

“Then tell me,” he said, voice low, controlled. “What exactly am I supposed to believe?”

Miranda forced herself to meet his gaze. “I already told you. It’s fake. Someone set me up.”

Adrian let out a short, humorless laugh.

“Set you up?” He took a step closer. “A photo like that? On your own phone? And you expect me to believe someone just… what, magically created it?”

Miranda’s fingers tightened at her sides.

“You think I’d do something like that?” she shot back. “After everything? After this family, after you?”

Adrian didn’t answer right away.

That silence hit harder than any accusation.

Because for the first time, he wasn’t immediately defending her.

He was thinking.

And that alone made something inside Miranda twist.

“You just made a call,” Adrian said finally, his voice quieter now. “Who was that?”

Miranda’s heart skipped.

“A business contact.”

“Really?” His eyes didn’t leave her face. “Then why did you tell him to ‘move the money’?”

The room went still.

For a split second, Miranda had nothing.

Then she snapped, “Since when did you start listening in on my calls?”

Adrian didn’t flinch.

“Since I realized I might not know my own wife at all.”

That landed.

Hard.

Miranda felt it, but she didn’t back down. She couldn’t.

“If you don’t trust me,” she said coldly, “then there’s nothing more to say.”

Adrian stared at her for a long moment.

Then he nodded once.

“Fine.”

But there was nothing resolved in that word.

If anything, it sounded like something had just broken instead.

He turned and walked out without another glance.

The door slammed shut behind him.

Miranda stood there, unmoving, her breath uneven.

For the first time since the photograph surfaced, the panic didn’t just come from the outside—

It came from inside her own home.

And she knew, deep down—

The storm this time wasn’t going to be as easy to contain.