Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO

Though the words felt weighty, real and final but oddly… they brought her peace.

"Are you serious?" Ethan's voice rose slightly, surprise thick in his tone. "You're really moving?"

"Yeah," Rayna murmured, her eyes tracing the familiar outline of the quiet street outside her window—the place she'd called home for longer than she could remember. "I've been thinking about it for a while... since Ruby accepted Stefan back into her life. I just… I needed the push, I guess. And this? This is it. I'm going."

She heard Ethan blow out a low whistle. "Wow."

He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked gently, "Do you have any idea where you'll stay? What you'll do there? Have you thought it through?"

It was going to be hard for him but then, he just had to support her decision. He'd do same for Stefan.

Rayna smiled faintly, a soft laugh slipping past her lips as she sat back down on the bed. "I have, actually. Ruby's been trying to get me to move closer since Stefan.... She even told me yesterday that Elizabeth—Stefan's mom— offered to help me settle in if I ever decided to come. She said she'd help me get a house, maybe even a position in their company if I wanted."

Ethan let out a low, impressed hum. "That's surprisingly nice of Elizabeth."

"I know," Rayna agreed with a small shake of her head. "But to be honest… I don't think I want to work for the company. That's not really me."

She leaned back against the pillows, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of her comforter.

"I think I want to focus on my blog," she added softly. "You know… actually take it seriously. I've spent years treating it like a hobby and after that blunder caused by my worker, but maybe this is the right time to build it into something real. And right now—" her voice steadied, her eyes darkening with purpose—"right now, I want to use it to help Ruby. To get her side of the story out there. So when the time comes for her and Stefan to speak publicly, there'll already be people who are willing to listen and not just believe Ivy's lies."

There was a stretch of silence on the other end of the line. Then Ethan's voice came, soft and warm: "I'm proud of you, Ray."

Her heart stuttered a little at the quiet sincerity in his tone.

"Really?" she teased gently, trying to lighten the weight in her chest.

"Really," he said without missing a beat. "You're… amazing. I don't even know how else to say it. You're not just sitting back. You're standing up for your friend, for what's right. That's… rare. And brave. And it's hard to come by."

Rayna felt heat rise to her cheeks, her lips curling into the first genuine smile of the morning. "Well, someone has to fight back. I can't let Ivy's nonsense become the only version of the story out there."

"Exactly," Ethan agreed. Then after a moment, his voice shifted slightly—lighter, but still warm. "I'm glad you're going to Zeden."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Why's that?"

There was a soft chuckle on the other end, followed by: "Because I want you to be my wife, Ray. And courting you is going to be boring if we're living in different towns. I need to prove to you I want you enough."

Rayna blinked and her heart skipped in her chest, a surprised laugh bursting from her lips. "Ethan!"

"What?" he teased, clearly amused by her reaction. "I'm being honest. I already told you I'm going to court you. And I won't let this long distance be a barrier. Just you watch."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't stop smiling. "You're ridiculous."

"Maybe," he agreed with a grin she could practically hear. "But you love it."

She laughed again, warmth blooming in her chest as her fingers toyed with the hem of her pajama sleeve. Her laughter softened into a fond smile. "You don't give up, do you?"

"Not when it matters," he murmured quietly.

The words settled over her heart like a gentle caress.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the soft silence between them stretched but comfortable. The weight of the news, the ache of everything that had happened, seemed a little lighter with him on the other end of the line.

"I'll miss Florittle," Rayna admitted quietly after a while. "I've been here for long enough I don't think I'll be comfortable anywhere else. But I think it's time. I think… I need to let myself move forward."

"I think so too," Ethan agreed softly.

"Sometimes we have to let go of the familiar to find where we truly belong."

Her heart squeezed at his words but she nodded.

"And who knows," he added playfully, "maybe this move will be the best decision you ever make. Besides saying yes to me, of course."

Rayna groaned, laughing despite herself. "You're impossible."

"Impossible but charming," he corrected.

She shook her head, still smiling. "Whatever you say."

"Seriously though," Ethan said, his voice turning gentle again. "Call me when you need help with the move. Or anything. I'll come to Zeden as soon as I can. I'm not letting you do this alone."

The sincerity in his voice made her eyes sting with sudden tears.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, her voice thick with emotion.

"Always," he murmured back.

They stayed on the phone for a little while longer, talking about everything and when she'd be moving, until Rayna felt the heavy pull of exhaustion behind her eyes.

When she finally hung up, she sat quietly for a moment, her heart full.

She looked around her room one last time—the photographs, the soft pale walls, the little pieces of her past that clung to every corner.

Then she exhaled deeply and began to move.

She pulled out her suitcases from the closet, her hands steady.

This was happening. She was going to Zeden. Not just for Ruby. Not just to help set the record straight. But for herself, too.

For the new beginning her heart had quietly been longing for. And somewhere in the back of her mind, the memory of Ethan's teasing but tender voice made her lips curve into a soft smile.

She couldn't wait to see what he'd do to get her after this move.