Chapter 75
For a long time, Ryan stood there in the pouring rain, feeling utterly helpless. He didn’t know how long he waited–time seemed to stretch and blur–but the cold resolve remained.
He had come here to try one last time, to beg Sofia for another chance. He hated himself for it, but he ‘couldn’t see any other way.
Sophia’s POV:
“Would you still like me if I separated from Linda? Like before…” Ryan’s voice trembled with a rare yulnerability. His usual bravado had slipped, and for once, he seemed genuinely desperate, as if he wanted to believe that things could go back to the way they were.
It was so unusual to see him like this, almost as if he had real feelings. But I knew better. I knew him too well. Even though he could lower his voice and act tender when it suited him, his heart was cold, like a block of iron. Everything he did was an act, a performance crafted to get what he wanted.
Still, there was something satisfying about seeing him bow down like this. I felt a strange sense of power, a flicker of pleasure in the way his pride had to bend just to appeal to me.
smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Ryan noticed it immediately, his face brightening as if it gave him hope. His eyes, usually dark and calculating, lit up with the faintest glimmer of optimism, thinking maybe, just maybe, I might take him back.
But my voice was as cold as ice when I spoke. “No way.”
The light in his eyes vanished, his face freezing as if he hadn’t expected that answer. His smile wavered, turning bitter. “It seems like you really, really aren’t going to be with me anymore,” he murmured, his words filled with resignation.
I tilted my head slightly, studying him. “What, are you short of money again?” I asked, my voice laced with sarcasm. “You only show up with this act when you’re broke.”
That hit him right where it hurt. I could see it in the way his shoulders stiffened, his jaw clenching tightly. His pride was wounded, but he tried to keep up the pretense. “You’re overthinking it,” he muttered, his voice quieter now. “I just wanted to see you. I’m going back.”
Without another word, Ryan turned on his heel and began to walk away, his footsteps heavy with the weight of rejection. I watched him go, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and emptiness. But just as he was about to disappear from view, I saw him stumble–and then collapse.
Chapter 75
frushed over, not out of concern but out of sheer shock. He lay on the ground, motionless, his face as pale as a ghost. His dark hair clung to his forehead, damp with sweat. Even in his pitiful state, there was something about him that still looked handsome, though fragile.
I called for the maid, my voice steady even as my mind raced. She came quickly and knelt beside him, gently placing her hand on his forehead.
“His forehead is burning up,” she said with concern. “He must have a fever. Should we take him back to the villa?”
I didn’t answer right away. I stood there in silence, staring down at him. Ryan’s eyes were still closed tightly, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. He looked so vulnerable, so unlike the manipulative person I had always known.
But I knew better than to trust appearances. Ryan was always scheming, always playing some angle.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, focusing my mind on him. My heart began to race as I tapped into my ability–mind reading*-searching for his true thoughts beneath the surface.
His thoughts echoed In my head, clear and sharp, like whispers in the dark.
“I’m going to bet on it.”
Bet that Sophia isn’t that ruthless. She won’t really leave me here alone.”
Rain poured down from the dark sky, forming puddles at my feet as I stood outside the villa’s imposing gate. The droplets slid down my face, but I paid them no mind.
My voice was steady, cold even, as I addressed the servant standing nearby. “No one is allowed to enter the villa, don’t you know this rule?” I asked, my tone leaving no room for argument.
The servant shifted nervously, her hands clasped in front of her, her head slightly bowed. “Yes, Miss. what should we do?” she asked, clearly unsure of how to proceed.
I glanced back at Ryan, slumped in the rain, his clothes soaked through, his face pale and lifeless. He didn’t seem to register anything happening around him, but I didn’t let that deter me.
“Find some men and take him away from the PACK,” I commanded, my voice sharp. “Don’t let anyone die within Moonshadow’s territory.”
