# Chapter 113: The Invisible Third Wheel
Hello, lovely readers! It's me again, your trusty storyteller, back to walk with you through the tangled, passionate world of "The Untouchable Ex Wife." How are you all doing today? I hope you're ready for a chapter packed with tension, awkwardness, and a delicious game of psychological chess. Let's dive right in, shall we?
---
The atmosphere in that hospital room had already been as thick and heavy as summer fog, but Stefan had just made it infinitely worse with a single, casually delivered sentence. "Go with us to relieve our boredom," he'd said, as if inviting Renee out for tea was the most natural thing in the world. As if she were nothing more than a jester hired to amuse the royal court.
Renee could hardly believe what she was hearing. The audacity of this man! He wanted her to sit there, at a table with him and the very woman who had just been shooting venomous daggers at her with her eyes? The very idea was absurd—insulting, even. But what truly made her blood simmer was the unspoken threat coiled beneath his polite invitation.
Stefan, ever the observer, caught the flash of resistance in Renee's eyes. A subtle, almost predatory smile curved his lips. "You don't want to?" he probed gently, though the gentleness was merely a silk glove over an iron fist. "If you're unwilling, I won't force you, but..." He paused, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably. "I do have the habit of telling stories at the dining table."
The words hit Renee like a bucket of ice water, and she knew exactly what he meant. He held her secrets—the tangled threads of her brother's fate, the mysterious connection to Joanne—and he was more than willing to unravel them at the worst possible moment. He was giving her a choice: accept his company, or risk having her own secrets spilled like salt across the table.
"No, I want to," Renee blurted out, plastering the most convincing fake smile she could manage onto her face. Behind that smile, her teeth were grinding so hard she feared they might crumble to dust. "In fact, I would love to eat with the both of you."
If it weren't for the fact that she desperately needed to uncover the truth about her brother and Joanne—the very reason she'd come to this hospital in the first place—she would have gladly shown Stefan just how much she appreciated his "generous" offer. With her fist. Repeatedly. The man was infuriating; she had never encountered anyone quite as annoyingly smug and manipulative as him.
Seraphina, however, was having none of it. Her perfectly painted lips curled with undisguised disdain as she looked down her nose at Renee. "I'm sure it's unnecessary." Her voice dripped with condescension. "Miss Everheart, I'm certain you're aware that absence makes the heart grow fonder. It's been quite a while since Stefan and I last met, and we have many, many things to discuss. Surely you wouldn't want to make things awkward by tagging along?"
The implication was clear: you're the third wheel, you're unwanted, you're an intruder in this romantic reunion. But Renee was not about to back down now. She had come this far, and backing away now would mean losing her only opportunity to get answers.
"Hah, of course not. We're all friends here. Why would I feel awkward?" Renee responded with a bright, insincere smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. *Of course I'll feel awkward*, she screamed internally. *I'd rather eat glass than share a table with you two! But I have no choice. I don't want to go either!*
Seraphina's face contorted with frustration. Renee's shamelessness had effectively painted her into a corner. After all, Stefan had already extended the invitation, and if she continued to object, she would appear petty and insecure in front of him. So, with a theatrical lift of her chin, Seraphina pretended to be magnanimous. "Fine. I don't care if you want to be a third wheel, go ahead and eat with us."
And so, the oddest trio in the city made their way to the most renowned restaurant nearby. The establishment was famous for its intimate ambiance and was overwhelmingly popular with couples. Reservations here were for two—a romantic candlelit experience, a place for whispered sweet nothings and stolen glances across a small table. It was the kind of place where one would go to profess love, not to engage in a silent battle of wills.
As the host approached, his practiced smile faltered when he looked at the odd grouping before him. The man exuded wealth and power, flanked by two women whose body language could not have been more different. One radiated smug possessiveness, the other barely concealed irritation.
"How many... how many people will be dining with us this evening?" the waiter stammered, his gaze bouncing between the three of them, clearly confused.
Stefan's expression remained perfectly neutral, utterly unbothered. "No," he said with a slight shake of his head. "Two."
The waiter blinked, looking at Renee and Seraphina, then back at Stefan. "But, sir... there are three of you."
Stefan's lips twitched into a sly, knowing smirk—the kind of smile that belonged to a predator who enjoys toying with his prey. "One is here to entertain us," he explained smoothly, as if stating an obvious fact. "So she doesn't count."
The words hung in the air, casual and dismissive, yet dripping with an undercurrent of dominance that made the whole scene feel almost surreal. From a man of lesser status, the statement would have been rude, crude, unacceptable. But from Stefan, with his commanding presence and unshakeable dignity, it simply... was. The waiter, wisely deciding not to question the whims of the obviously wealthy patron, simply nodded and led them to their private room.
And that's when Renee truly began to grasp the depth of the awkwardness that awaited her.
The private dining rooms were designed exclusively for couples. Elegant tables, tastefully arranged for two, with chairs placed just close enough to encourage intimacy. There was no third chair, no extra place setting, no room at all for an unexpected guest to squeeze in.
Renee stood there, utterly at a loss, staring at the two plush chairs as if they were gates to a fortress she could not enter.
Where on earth was she supposed to sit?
Her eyes darted around the room, searching in vain for a solution. Did they expect her to just stand awkwardly in the corner? Perhaps eat her meal on her lap like a servant watching over her masters' dinner? Her pride bristled at the thought, but she held her tongue. After all, she had chosen this path. She had barged into their little outing with her eyes wide open, knowing full well what she was signing up for.
Now, standing in this beautifully decorated but horribly cramped room, with Seraphina smirking victoriously at her predicament and Stefan watching her with that insufferable, knowing gaze, Renee couldn't help but wonder... Was this entire evening going to be an exercise in humiliation? Or was there something deeper, something she was missing, behind Stefan's strange insistence on having her here?
One thing was certain: this dinner was going to be far from dull.
---
## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
Oh my goodness, what a scene! This chapter is a masterclass in subtle power dynamics and delicious anticipation. I absolutely love the tension between Renee and Stefan—he's so infuriatingly domineering, and yet there's clearly more to his invitation than simple cruelty. The way he casually declared her "not included" while simultaneously holding her secrets over her head shows just how many layers there are to this man. And poor Renee, having to swallow her pride to uncover the truth about her brother while Seraphina shoots daggers at her—you can't help but admire her grit and resourcefulness. The setup of this awkward dinner is perfect, and the imagery of the couples-only restaurant with no third seat just adds that extra splash of dramatic irony. I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see how this dinner unfolds!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating: 4.7 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
Now that Renee is trapped in this painfully awkward dinner situation with only two seats and Stefan holding all the cards, I predict the tension will reach its boiling point. Stefan is clearly up to something—perhaps he intends to force a confession out of Renee, or use this dinner to stir jealousy and complicate the already tangled relationships further. Seraphina will likely grow increasingly hostile as she recognizes the strange chemistry between Stefan and Renee, possibly revealing more about her own connection to Stefan or dropping a clue about Joanne's involvement with Renee's brother. And if Seraphina pushes too hard, Stefan may just make good on his threat of "telling stories at the dining table"... though perhaps not in the way anyone expects. Grab your popcorn, because this dinner is shaping up to be an explosive one!
To listen free the next reviews chatpers, please access website novelsaudio.com and search keyword: The Untouchable Ex Wife or click the link in the description of this video or if you want to listen or read full the The Untouchable Ex Wife please access website novelsaudio.com