Chapter 185
I frowned, crossing my arms defensively.
“I have nothing to say to you,” I replied coldly. “Move, or I’ll call for help.”
Ryan let out a humorless laugh, his eyes glinting with a mix of anger and something else I couldn’t quite place.
“You think I’m afraid of that?” he challenged, leaning in closer. “Over the years, I’ve been wondering–what changed? Why did you suddenly start hating me?”
My breath hitched, and I took a step back, but he followed, his gaze never leaving mine..
“I’ve been thinking about it, piecing everything together,” he continued, his voice growing more intense. “And now, I finally understand.”
“Ryan, stop.” I warned, my voice faltering slightly.
But he didn’t stop. Instead, he laughed again, a bitter sound that sent chills down my spine.
You’re not Sophia,” he said, his words cutting through the night like a knife. “Are you?”
My heart pounded violently in my chest as his accusation hung in the air.
I opened my mouth to deny it, to say anything that would make him stop, but the look in his eyes. told me it was too late. He had already decided the truth.
“You’ve been different,” Ryan continued, his tone almost mocking. “Smarter. Colder. More…calculated. The Sophia I knew would never have been capable of what you’ve done.”
I forced myself to meet his gaze, my expression hardening.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, though my voice lacked conviction.
Ryan’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Don’t I?” he challenged. “Tell me, Sophia–if that’s even your name–who are you really?”
The streetlights cast long shadows on the pavement as I turned away from Ryan, my footsteps echoing in the silence.
Ldidn’t want to argue with him anymore–it felt pointless. But Ryan wasn’t ready to let things go.
The Alpha’s SIL
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“Wait!” he called out, his tone sharp and insistent.
Lquickened my pace, but he caught up to me in moments, stepping in front of me with his cold, determined expression.
“No matter who you are,” he said, his voice low but firm, “I just don’t understand why you hate me so much.”
I crossed my arms, meeting his gaze with an icy stare.
“Didn’t you say a few days ago that you’d make me kneel down and beg you? What’s changed now? Have you decided to give in?”
Ryan’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might lash out with another cruel remark.
Instead, he surprised me. “So, is that what this is about? Are you doing all of this just to make me give in?”
His tone softened, and for a moment, vulnerability slipped through the cracks of his usual bravado.
“If giving in to you means you’ll be nicer to me, then I’ll beg you right now,” he said earnestly. “Sophia, I just want a chance to start over with you.”
His words took me by surprise.
I hesitated, unsure whether he was being genuine or if this was just another performance.
But then he added something that made my breath hitch.
“I’ve been thinking,” he continued, “if I hadn’t been with Linda back then, maybe we could’ve had å good life together. Sophia, I really love you, you know?”
His gaze softened, brimming with an affection that felt almost too real.
For a moment, I wavered, but the memory of his past cruelty grounded me.
Ryan’s voice broke as he lowered his eyes, his sorrow apparent.
“It’s just that… I was so insecure back then. My mother’s gambling left me with nothing, and I didn’t want to drag you down. I kept my distance because I thought it was the right thing to do. But things are different now, Sophia. I’m in a better place. I can take care of you. Please, can’t we start over?”
My mind churned with disbelief. Some people truly excel at acting. I thought.
Even when their words are empty, they deliver them with such sincerity.
You’re more suited to be an actor than Linda,” I said flatly, my voice devoid of emotion.
Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked away, heading toward the car waiting for me
at the curb.
The warriors flanking the vehicle stepped forward, creating a barrier between us as I climbed into the backseat.
“You don’t believe me? Sophia, don’t you believe me?” Ryan called out, his voice tinged with desperation.
