Parked in front of the towering mansion on the Xin family was Ryan and Jane in Ryan's car.She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. "Ryan,” she began."There's something I want to discuss with you before we leave here.""Please promise me not to react no matter what Jude and his family member say or do," she said when he asked her what it was. He shrugged. “I already agreed, didn’t I?” “But I need you to mean it,” she replied.He let out a chuckle. “I’m surprised to hear you say that. I know how much this means to you, so trust me, I don’t take this visit lightly.” “Ryan, please,” her voice was filled with desperation. "I know they’ll go out of their way to push your buttons, but just this once—for me—can you keep it together?”He sighed. "You don't even believe me.""Please, Ryan. Don’t let them get to you. Promise me you won’t react.” Her voice was barely a whisper, and her eyes glistened with unspoken worries.He exhaled heavily, starin
Ryan stood near a broken window inside an uncompleted building near the bar, his arms folded and his face obscured by a smirk.In front of him, the man he had noticed in the bar was tied to a rusted pole jutting out of the wall, his wrists bound tightly with ropes. A welt had formed above his temple from the blow that had landed him here.Slowly, he stirred, his head lifting weakly. He squinted at the space, panic settling into his expression as the unfamiliar environment took hold of him. "Where... am I?” He croaked, tugging at the ropes binding him to the pole, like a trapped animal testing its cage. Ryan stepped forward, the sound of his shoe echoing against the concrete. He crouched a few feet away from the man, his expression unreadable. "Easy man,” he said, his voice low and laced with mockery. "Save your strength. You are going to need it for what is coming.” The man’s jaw tightened as he glared up at Ryan, the fire in his eyes momentarily outweighing his fear. "What the
Ryan scanned the room for Alex immediately he entered the bar until he spot Alex in a corner booth."Hey, nephew." Ryan tapped Alex on his shoulder as he sat next to him. "So what is it that you couldn't tell me over the phone and had to drag me here just for?" he asked Alex.Alex shrugged, his eyes darting around the bar. “Trust me, it’s not the kind of thing to discuss on a call.""Here I am. So, shoot," Ryan replied."Before that, you need to promise me not to inform dad, whether or not you'll accept what I'm about to say." Alex said. Ryan was confused as to what Alex was about to tell him—that he was desperate to hide from his uncle when it's about him."Why don't you want him to be involved in this?" He asked Alex with furrowed brows."Because what I'm about to say is really dangerous, and I know he would be against it if he heard of it and would get pissed at me." Alex revealed. "Okay," Ryan sighed, then promised Alex that he wouldn’t tell his uncle about the meeting or the c
Days had passed, and the tension in the mansion had thickened like a storm cloud refusing to break. The silence between Ryan and Jane was a heavy weight pressing down on both of them. She had stopped talking to him, shutting him out even when he tried to bridge the silence. Frustration brewed inside her, all because he had ignored her suggestion—a solution she had believed would spare them both from the endless whispers and judgemental glances, because the humiliation had grown so unbearable that that now kept her from stepping outside.But eventually, she reached her breaking point. On Lauren’s advice, she decided it was time to talk things out with him, to finally get him to see things her way.When he opened the door in response to her knock, he was surprised to see her standing there.“Well, well,” he teased, leaning casually against the doorframe. "Who do we have here?” He raised his brows with a playful smirk."Or did you knock on the wrong door?"She shot him a hard look. “E
Ryan was angry as he could not help but feel frustrated that his visit to his uncle to get information about Jude was fruitless. He was hurt that Jude thought he was in control and the only time someone had ever had that power over him was when he lost his family. He was stuck, unable to make any real moves without revealing his true identity. Upon entering the mansion compound, he saw a familiar car parked in the garage, though he could not remember who it belonged to. He was shocked when he met Rose in the living room, sipping a drink. "Rose?" He whispered in confusion. "Hello, darling," she smiled. "What are you doing here?" he asked her. She stood and approached him. She wore a black shirt and a white, skimpy skirt that barely reached her knees, paired with long black stockings. He could not help but notice how stunning she looked, the dress clinging perfectly to her figure. "What? Aren’t you happy to see me?" she chuckled, and before he could react, she threw her arm
The driver of the car was Derek, a middle-aged man with weathered features. He had been loyal to Ryan's father and his family when they were alive, and now to his uncle. He pulled away as soon as Ryan got in the car. They were on their way to one of his uncle's mansions, far outside the city, to have dinner and dig up information on Jude. Only his uncle’s loyal men—those who had once served his father—knew about this mansion’s location. He had arranged things this way to keep his meeting with his uncle a secret, knowing that every move he made was now being watched. He leaned back, watching the city lights blur by as they drove deeper into the city. He broke the silence a few minutes later. "So... how's life been for you?" he asked Derek. Derek chuckled softly. "Life's been alright. You know, same old grind. The family's good, too." The mention of family made Ryan remember Derek’s daughter, who he had once been close to—almost like a godfather to her—back when he
Ryan was met with mass of reporters the moment he drove outside the gate, much to his surprise.The roar of voices and flashing lights hit him the moment he rolled down his window outside. They pressed in, thrusting their microphones and cameras forward as they threw a series of questions at him.“Mr. Ryan! How do you feel about the recent fires that devastated your companies?” one reporter shouted, nearly tripping over another to be heard.Another chimed in, “Are you aware that people are speculating this is all related to the rumors about Mrs. Lin. My apologies; Mrs. Jane's exile from her family? Planning to comment on that?"Those were just a few of the questions he managed to catch.But he stayed calm, almost amused, as he glanced around at the chaotic scene. A faint smile played on his face, surprising them all and making their curiosity spike—they had expected someone whose company had just gone up in flames to act differently.He chuckled, "Wow, news sure spreads faster than w
After finishing his daily workout, satisfied by the burn across his body, Ryan headed out of his room to have a quick drink of water from the kitchen, wearing nothing but a pair of workout shorts that hung low on his hips.As he was about to enter the dining room, he halted abruptly, spotting Jane on the couch in the living room, in her pyjamas.Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat when a single bead of sweat trailed down from his collarbone, tracing a slow path along the line of his chest, gliding over the dip between his abs before disappearing beneath the waistband of his shorts. She tried to look away but couldn’t, and for a moment, she felt like she had forgotten how to breathe.He cleared his throat, snapping her out of it. "Enjoying the view?” he teased.Her face flushed as she quickly looked away, embarrassed he had caught her staring.“Didn’t realise you were still home,” he added casually."What happened? Why haven’t you gone to work?""Is it because of wha
Ryan sat on a balcony chair, gazing out at the dim city lights.His mind simmered with anger, replaying Jude’s attack over and over as he took a slow drag of his cigarette.He smirked, grudgingly impressed. "He definitely isn't new to the game," he muttered, acknowledging Jude's bold moves. They were intense—enough to crush most people but not him.No one had challenged him like this in years, not since the incident that had forced him to walk away from his old life. However, it was about time he sent a message of his own.Jane, who had been looking for him inside, was shocked to find him there with the cigarette in his hand. She had never imagined him as someone who smoked, and the sight unsettling her, making her realise just how much she didn’t know about him.He didn’t need to turn to know it was her.“I didn’t know you smoked,” she murmured, trying to keep her voice steady.He didn’t respond, his gaze still fixed on the city, his mind deep in thought, mapping out his move again