Chapter 86
I felt a pang of shock but quickly steeled myself.
Ryan’s situation had clearly spiraled into something far worse, and I could only imagine what he’d gone through these past days.
Still, it wasn’t my responsibility to fix it. I’d made my peace with letting go.
After a brief silence, I looked at her evenly. “I can’t save him, Clara. You’ll have to figure this out on
your own.”
“No!” Clara cried, her voice thick with panic. “Please, Sophia! You don’t understand! They’ll hurt him and you wouldn’t want to see him return with a missing arm or worse, would you?”
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “Actually,” I replied calmly, “I kind of would.”
Clara’s face contorted with horror, her eyes wide with disbelief. She looked at me as though seeing a stranger, utterly shocked that I would say something so callous.
Once, the old Sophia might have panicked at the very thought of Ryan being in trouble, but not anymore.
I wasn’t the same person who would blindly rush to his aid without a second thought.
As the driver maneuvered past her, I ignored Clara’s frantic shouts echoing behind us, turning away as we entered the villa’s grounds.
A week later, I spotted Ryan at school. He looked worse for wear, his face bruised with small cuts scattered along his arms, a testament to whatever he had endured.
I couldn’t help the slight twinge of sympathy that stirred within me, though I pushed it aside. He walked over, pausing by my table, his eyes fixed on me with an expression I couldn’t quite read,
“Thank you, Sophia,” he said quietly.
I raised an eyebrow, taken aback. “Thank you? For what, exactly?”
He held my gaze, something unspoken lingering in his eyes. “I know you’re the one who told Ethan to send someone to get me out of that happened to me.”
If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what would have
A frown crossed my face as I processed his words. It dawned on me that Clara must have gone. straight to Ethan after I refused to help.
Ethan, thinking I was merely being stubborn or trying to teach Ryan a lesson, likely sent someone to bail him out, fearing I would regret it if anything serious happened to him.
I stared back at Ryan, an amused smile tugging at my lips. “You’ve got it wrong,” I replied. “I didn’t ask anyone to help you. If you’re safe now, it’s just luck.”
Ryan’s eyes narrowed slightly as if he was trying to read between the lines.
He seemed unsure, but he let it go, giving me one last lingering look before he turned and walked
away.
4
As he retreated, I caught sight of Linda across the courtyard. She was pretending not to see him, her gaze deliberately averted as she feigned interest in her notebook.
Smirking, I called over to her.
“Hey, Linda! Ryan seems to be hurt,” I teased. “Why don’t you go over and take care of him?”
Linda frowned at me, visibly annoyed. She looked up at Ryan briefly, a flicker of recognition in her eyes before she rolled her eyes and refocused on her notebook. But I knew she’d heard me.
Ryan, hearing his name, turned his attention toward Linda, a hopeful look crossing his face. “Linda!” he called, stepping closer with a slightly pleading expression.
Linda’s face hardened, and she turned her back on him, clearly uninterested.
Ryan followed, undeterred, his voice edged with frustration. “Linda, why are you ignoring me? You keep getting mad at me for no reason. Just tell me what’s going on!”
Linda whipped around, her eyes flashing. “Why don’t you just stick with Sophia like you’re supposed to, Ryan?” she snapped, her voice laced with exasperation. “You’re always bringing trouble, and quite frankly, I don’t want to deal with it.”
Ryan’s hurt was palpable as he met Linda’s gaze, his voice laced with frustration. “You really want to push me away that badly? You once told me I was your favorite,” he said, almost“pleading, searching her face for any sign of her old warmth.
