As Ryan sat in his car, it was clear that the vehicle cutting him off was no accident. Three men stepped out, each gripping baseball bats. There was no doubt—they were here to cause trouble.Still, he could not quite place them until he noticed Jackson emerging from a second car parked behind the one blocking his path.A smirk curled on Ryan’s lips as he got out of his car, fully aware of how this was likely to play out. It was dark, the streets were deserted, and this confrontation felt inevitable. He leaned casually against the hood of his car, crossing his arms as he faced them."Been following me this whole time, huh?" He scoffed, locking eyes with Jackson, now standing in front of the three men.Jackson sneered. "You really think you can have it both ways? I don’t know who you are for the commander to settle things so easily, but there is no way I’m letting you get away after humiliating me in public." He flashed a satisfied smirk, clearly eager for a fight.Ryan let out a low
The next morning, it was Jane's knock that woke Ryan up."I—we need to talk," she said.He was confused and asked her, "Why? What is it this time?""I'm not here to cause trouble like the last time but to talk. So, can I come in?" She asked, and he let her in. She began after they had sat on the bed. "First, I'd like to apologise for what I did the last time. I'm sorry. I wasn't myself that day."He chuckled. "I've forgotten about that, honestly. I wasn't hurt by that. I've been through worse. Is that all you wanted to say?"Her expression turned more serious. "If you claim you are not upset, then why do you keep doing this to me?"But her utterance threw him into confusion. "What are you talking about? I don't get it," he admitted."Have I ever done anything to you that justifies you constantly humiliating me, making me regret choosing you for this plan—which I already am?""You are not being clear. What do you mean by humiliating you? Why would I do that?" he scoffed."What’s the
It had been over a week since Jane had received her grandmother's ultimatum, and the weight of it was starting to crush her. The deadline loomed closer with each passing day, and her internal struggle was tearing her apart. It was not because she lacked a viable plan, but because the feasible option she had to consider felt utterly unbearable. Hence, it began to affect her daily life. She could not focus on anything else, and the anxiety was starting to seep into every aspect of her routine.That particular morning, Ryan, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt and was heading out to the office. As he strolled past the dining room, he noticed Jane sitting at the table, her head buried in her hands, as if weighed down by the world.“Jane, I’m off to the company,” he said, but she did not respond or look up. He had grown accustomed to her aloofness and her tendency to act as if he were invisible unless she needed something from him. Normally, he would have let it slide, but today he n
"You all are fired," Ryan announced. The clerk scoffed and faced the MD. "Didn't I tell you that he's crazy?" Everyone nodded in affirmation. "You think I'm crazy?" He chuckled. The MD, still leaning against the desk with a cocky smirk, scoffed. "Yeah, that is exactly what I think, including everyone. Just wait till the guard arrives. I bet you are used to being embarrassed by now, so this should not even bother you."Everyone laughed.Ryan did not respond to their mocking right away. Since he had had enough of their games, he sat down in one of the chairs there, their glares following him as he did.When he finally spoke, his voice was so calm that the laughter stopped immediately."You know," he said, barely looking up as he unzipped the briefcase. "It is funny how quickly things can change."The MD chuckled dismissively. "Yeah, right. What is your point?"Ryan smiled and pulled a slim black folder from the briefcase. He opened it, revealing official company documents. His name
Ryan was excited when his uncle explained the plan to him."Thank you, uncle." He smiled. "I'll handle things on my end. Nothing could be more perfect than this," Ryan said confidently."But how do you plan to get it back without revealing who you are?" his uncle asked, concerned.Ryan chuckled. "I don't know yet, but I will figure it out."His uncle had his doubts, as it seemed impossible to retrieve what they had discussed without exposing Ryan's identity."Whatever you decide, make it quick. There might not be another chance after this," his uncle warned.Ryan reassured him, saying, "Just stick to the plan, and I will take care of the rest on my end.""Is that all?" his uncle asked."For now.""For now? Do you think you can keep using me like this in my old age while you hide in the shadows? You don’t even care about my well-being, do you?" His uncle snapped.Ryan chuckled and teased his uncle. "Is that a subtle way of telling me that you miss me and want to see me?"His uncle's v
The air was thick with the usual market smells—fresh vegetables mixing with the stench of wastewater—but Ryan had gotten used to it by now. His stand was just a few feet from the main thoroughfare, where the old and the young hustled side by side, trying to eke out a living. He watched the chaos, feeling oddly at peace. There was something almost beautiful about the mess—life happening in real time, right in front of him. But then he heard that voice. Jake. The kind of guy who thrived on other people’s fear. His gut twisted because he knew whatever Jake was up to, it would not end well. Ryan turned hishead, just in time to see Jake grabbing Mr. Lee by the collar. The old man was barely hanging on, his face red as Jake spat his words. "Don't tell me that, old man! Enough of your excuses." Ryan's calm shattered, replaced by a scrunch of worry as he watched. The crowd, which usually moved like a restless sea, had stopped. They just stood there, eyes wide, but no o
With a calm demeanour, Ryan asked Lancelot, "What is wrong?"But before Lancelot could explain what was happening to Ryan, two police officers walked in.They scanned the bar before locking eyes with Lancelot and asking, "We were told Mr. Ryan Reyes is here. Where is he?"Slowly, Lancelot's eyes drifted towards Ryan."There he is," he muttered.Even though Ryan was curious about why the police were interested in him, he kept his cool.As the officers strode towards him, their gazes were locked on him.Reaching his front, the one that asked Lancelot of his whereabouts, who seemed to be the boss, brought out his police identification card."I'm Captain Frank Bowers, and this is Sergeant Alex Miguel. You are being accused of assault and attempted murder in connection with an altercation involving a Mr. Chad," the officer said.Ryan chuckled, remaining calm. "When was this report made?""Just some hours ago," Captain Frank replied.As Lancelot started to explain that Ryder had been at his
"You've really screwed yourself over now," the composed officer sneered, wiping blood from his split lip as Ryan was dragged away."Just wait until Commander Johnson hears about this. You are done for, punk."Ryan twisted around, grinning despite the bruising grip on his arms. “Commander Johnson? That's Chad's cousin, right? I can't wait to meet another corrupt piece of sh*t like you.""Watch your f*cking mouth!" one of the cops who was gripping his arms snarled. "You got a death wish or something?"Ryan laughed. "Seriously? You guys have zero shame, huh? Is this how officers act everywhere, or are you all just special kinds of assholes?""Why you little—" The composed officer lunged forward.In a burst of adrenaline, Ryan broke free and landed a vicious kick to the cop's knee. The man crumpled with a howl of pain.It all happened in seconds. Some officers rushed to help their fallen comrade, while others descended on Ryan like a pack of wolves. Fists rained down on Ryder from all s