Emma looked shocked and shifted her gaze between Ryder and the commander.
"Are you sure?" She asked the commander, who then nodded in affirmation. "I will be right back. I want to speak to him." With that, she left the room, leaving Ryder and the commander in there. Suddenly, the commander did something totally unexpected. He bolted over to the chair where Emma had been sitting earlier, looking as nervous as he had been when he first walked in. He leaned in close, like he was about to spill some major secret. Ryan was completely lost. The commander's eyes were wide with panic as he leaned in, his hands clasped together like he was praying. "I'm so sorry, sir. I had no clue you were not just some random dude off the street. Please don't hold this against me. Look, I will come clean; nothing actually happened to Chad. That picture of him getting stabbed? It was fabricated. We faked the whole thing." His voice dropped to a desperate whisper. "I'm begging you; don't let this blow up in my face. My career is just starting to take off. Please, I will do anything." Ryan just stared at him, completely baffled. It was like watching a tough man in a movie suddenly turn into a scared kid. He could not make sense of what was happening, but one thing was clear: something big was going down, and he was somehow at the centre of it all. "Has he found out who I am?" He thought inwardly. He shook off the wild idea. There was no way anyone could have figured him out because he had been way too careful about keeping his real identity under wraps. Keeping his face neutral, he asked the commander, "What is happening?" But before he could even open his mouth, Emma walked in. Her eyes locked onto Ryan right away, and the commander practically jumped out of the chair like it was on fire. "Who are you? How do you know Attorney Davis?" Emma bombarded Ryder with the questions out of curiosity. "Attorney David?" Ryder arched his brows in confusion. "That name does not ring a bell. How will a street vendor like me know an attorney?" He scoffed. She then explained to him that Attorney Davis, a high-profile and renowned lawyer in the country, had come to bail him out of the police station himself. She concluded that the fact that the attorney himself was doing this meant he was not just a random dude, even if he didn't look like it. He had to be seriously important or connected. No way would a bigshot lawyer get personally involved for just anybody. But he still insisted that he didn't know the attorney, which he truly didn't. In fact, just like he had claimed, he had not heard the attorney's name before. He forced a laugh, trying to maintain his facade of control while masking his inner confusion. "Well, at least some people still respect the law, unlike the corrupt folks in this system. It is good to see an attorney stepping up for an innocent citizen like myself." He glanced at the commander, who was still fidgeting like crazy, and smirked. "No need to stress. I will let this slide, but don't let it happen again." Standing up, he asked Emma if he could leave to meet the mystery attorney who had bailed him out. She apologised for the whole mess, and he thanked her for actually following procedure. As Emma, the commander, and some officers escorted him out, he spotted the attorney and faked recognition. "Oh, I didn't realise it was you!" he said, giving the lawyer a friendly handshake. Quietly, he told the attorney to play along. He then announced to the officers that they were elementary school classmates. As they left the station, Emma remained sceptical about Ryder's story and his connection to this attorney. While walking towards the exit, Ryder's mind raced. He had expected to recognise the attorney, but the man's face was completely unfamiliar. Keeping his cool, he maintained his act until they were safely outside the station gates. Once they were clear of the station, he turned to the attorney, his face serious. "Alright, what is the deal? Who are you, and why did you bail me out?" The attorney then pointed at a luxurious red Bentley Arnage car parked across the seat. "There is someone in the car over there waiting for you. I believe she has the answers to all of your questions." "She?" He was confused as to who the person who seemed to be the orchestrator of his release was. The attorney didn't stick around, leaving him confused and trying to make sense of everything. He watched as the attorney crossed over to the car and had a quick conversation with the mysterious woman before getting into his fancy ride and signalling for him to come over. As Ryder approached the car, after the attorney had driven off, a man in a suit and shades suddenly appeared, leading Ryder to the other side of the vehicle, where the woman had sat earlier in the passenger seat. The man then backed off, leaving Ryder alone with the woman in the car. Ryder couldn't help but wonder who this woman who seemed to hold so much power was. Without even looking at her, he jumped right in with his questions: "I heard you've got answers about my release and all this crazy stuff. So, who the hell are you anyway?" "That is two questions at once. I will answer one of them. My name is Jane... Jane Lin," she said, her voice completely flat. That made him really look at her for the first time. Even though she was dressed with elegance, there was a cold distance about her—a kind of aloofness that did not match her beauty. "As for your other question, we will need somewhere private to talk about that," she continued. He scoffed. "Why not now? Actually, I need answers right here. Right bnow or I’m out of this car." She turned her gaze towards him, her face stern. "Aren't you in my debt?" He smirked, amused by her boldness and where the conversation was headed. "Because of the release?" He chuckled afterwards. "I never asked for your help. Even though I would have ended up in a holding cell tonight, but I would have still been eventually released without your help." "If you really want me to thank you, I will. So, thank you so much, Jane, for your help. I really appreciate it, and I hope I can repay your kindness someday, although it ispretty unlikely for a street skewer seller like me." His words dripped with sarcasm. "Since you won’t give me the answers I want, you can take your explanation and shove it. Have a good night." Just as his hand gripped the car door handle to leave, she grabbed his arm. When he turned, irritation on his face, he was shocked to see her expression—pleading, almost desperate. "Please... please, I’m sorry," she said softly. "I’m sorry for how I handled things and for being rude. Can we just go somewhere private so I can explain everything?" After a split second of considering her plea and because he was desperate to know why a woman of the high class that she appeared to be would help someone like him, he finally accepted her offer. After that, she told the man who had brought him in to get back inside and "drive to the location." The drive was tense, with the only sounds coming from the car’s engine, the rush of wind as they sped along, and the occasional honk from the driver. To Ryder’s surprise, the car eventually stopped near the end of an unfinished bridge. A sense of unease washed over him, but he kept his cool, ready for whatever might happen. He was confident he could handle whatever they had planned, even if things took a dark turn. She instructed the driver to stay in the car no matter what, then subtly gestured for him to get out of the car with her. They exited the car, and she walked towards the edge of the bridge. He followed her cautiously, watching her every move. To his shock, she walked to the very edge, balancing on her toes as she gripped the railing, staring down at the sea below. Even though he was confused, his mind racing with different possibilities of what was about to happen, he masked it. He crossed his arms behind his back, his patience wearing thin. "I don’t know what is going through your head, but you are wasting my time. I need to get home and prepare for tomorrow. So either you tell me what is going on right now, or I’m out of here, and I mean it." She lifted her head slightly, as if taking in the night air. "It is a cool, beautiful night, don’t you think?" Fed up with her evasiveness, he turned to leave without another word. Hearing his footsteps, she quickly spun around. "Please, wait. I’m sorry," she called out, her tone suddenly urgent. "The reason I brought you here is because there is something important I need to discuss with you...something that no one else can know about." He hesitated, slowly turning back to face her, his mind racing. "What could be so important that she chose this strange, isolated place to talk to me alone?" However, whatever it was, he had a feeling it was just the beginning of something far bigger than he could have imagined.Jane's usual air of superiority since Ryder had met her some minutes ago shifted to vulnerability when he locked eyes with her. It made him curious about why they were there in the middle of the night, especially considering how serious she sounded."What is it?" He asked her, her expression unreadable.Slowly, she walked closer to him, closing the gap between them.But with every step closer, his curiosity grew.When they were just a few steps apart, she finally spoke. “I don’t even know where to start. I had it all planned out in my head, but honestly, I’ve forgotten it.”She closed her eyes momentarily, holding her breath, and opened them, a faint smile plastered on her face. "This might sound weird..."She sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "Oh God! I had this all planned out."She apologised to him for her lack of composure while he stared at her, his mind consumed with curiousity.He could see the hesitation in her eyes from the way she shifted her weight f
After Ryan was dropped off at his home, Jane reminded him that she would be picking him up the next day to go to the courthouse and register their marriage. It was all about keeping up appearances and making sure no one suspected anything.As he stepped inside his small, cramped room, he could not stop thinking about the whirlwind of events that had unfolded that day, especially that moment on the bridge with her. The idea of marrying someone he had just met was still ridiculous to his ears.He let out a dry laugh. "If someone had told me this would happen, I would have said they were out of their mind."But despite the absurdity, he could not shake the memory of her determined gaze. Whatever her reasons were, she was set on this, and he found himself committed to helping her achieve whatever goal she had in mind in the space of three years—the length of their marriage.Still lost in thought, his mind drifted to Mr. Lee. He remembered that Mr. Lee had told him earlier that he would no
As Ryan and Jenna walked towards the gate, he decided to have an important discussion with her before he left."Jenna," he began, his voice gentle but firm, "have you ever thought about living on your own?"She looked up, surprised. "What do you mean? I’m fine here.""I know," he replied, stepping closer. "But... you are smart and capable. It might be good for you to think about having your own place someday, maybe very soon, since you've gotten yourself a big job. It could give you some freedom and particularly a chance to really figure things out for yourself."She bit her lip, considering his words. "I don’t know... it is just so comfortable here with dad and the family.""I get it," he said, nodding. "But comfort is not everything. Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is the only way to grow."She stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to read his intentions. Finally, she nodded. "I will think about it.""Good," he smiled. "That’s all I ask, and it is for your o
The constant knocking on the door dragged Ryan out of sleep the next morning.Groaning, he stumbled towards the door, still in his undershorts. Yesterday had been exhausting, and he had stayed up late. But when he opened the door, his eyes widened in surprise—it was Jane. She looked just as startled, clearly not expecting him to be so unprepared on their big day.“Have you forgotten the significance of today for us?” she asked, frustration edging her voice.He quickly apologised, promising he would be ready in just a few minutes. He invited her in and hurried off to get prepared.When he walked out of his small bedroom, she was taken aback by how good he looked.Even though he was just wearing a simple white shirt with black stripes and black trousers, he looked handsome enough to make any woman turn her head."No wonder he has a reputation for attracting women," she thought inwardly.Still, even though he was exactly her type, she did not feel any romantic interest in him."This i
The morning air was still cool when Ryan's phone buzzed. Groggy and annoyed, he answered it to hear Jane’s voice on the other end."I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to pick you up as promised. I’ve got an emergency meeting out of state," she said, her tone brisk."What about your driver? Can’t he come and pick me up?” He asked, his irritation seeping into his voice."No,” she responded sharply. "You will have to find your own way to my house.”Before he could protest, she hung up. A few moments later, his phone pinged again—this time, it was a text with the address and some money for transport.He stared at the credit alert, his annoyance growing. "She is such a rude asshole,” he muttered, pocketing his phone. Even though they had agreed to keep things strictly business, he had hoped she would show a bit of common courtesy. Instead, it felt like she was going out of her way to make things difficult.“I guess that is what I will have to deal with for the next three years,” he sighed
As Ryan drove back to the estate gate, he stopped as the security guard approached the car before opening the gate to let him out. Ryan rolled down the window, smirking as the guard's eyes widened in shock at the sight of him in the sleek car.Ryan scoffed, locking eyes with the guard. "What, you think I stole it because I’m too poor to own something this nice?"The guard struggled to find words, his mouth opening and closing uselessly."Open the gate and let me out of here, you lowlife," Ryan snapped.He chuckled as he watched the guard trudge back to the gatehouse."It’s always the ones with nothing who look down on others when they get a taste of the good life," he muttered to himself.Once the gate was open, he drove forward a bit and stopped in front of the gatehouse."Is there... is anything wrong, sir?" The guard drawled."Sir?" Ryan chuckled.He leaned closer, his voice dripping with mockery. “Don’t worry, I won’t report you to your employer. Your job is safe... for now.”A s
As the officer approached the scene, the young man ran to him."Mr. Jackson!" The officer recognised him instantly."Thank God you are here." The young man—Mr. Jackson said."You see that scumbag over there?" He pointed towards Ryan, who was still standing with the girl. "You won't believe he humiliated me. Me, of all people!" A smirk crossed his face as Ryder's gaze locked with his.The officer quickly apologised to Mr. Jackson, assuring him that he would handle the situation, and then approached Ryder.After asking Ryder what had happened, which Ryder explained in detail, the officer informed him that he would need to come down to the station on charges of intentionally causing traffic and assaulting Mr. Jackson.Ryan scoffed, already predicting how things would unfold. "Intentionally causing traffic? Did you even listen to what I said caused all of this? Since you're clearly choosing not to believe me, why don't you ask the witnesses around?"But to Ryan's surprise, no one spoke u
For a long, tense moment, neither Ryan nor Jane spoke. The silence between them was suffocating as each second stretched out like an eternity. His eyes locked onto hers, searching for answers she wasn’t ready to give. His fists tightened at his sides as he struggled to keep his anger in check. He exhaled quietly, deciding to break the silence. “Jane?” he whispered. "What’s this slap about? What did I do to deserve it?” She scoffed in disbelief, taking a step back. "How can you even ask me that after what you have done? You’re unbelievable.” “I honestly don’t know what you are talking about. I’m completely in the dark here,” he replied, his voice calm, though anger simmered beneath the surface. She shook her head, frustration clear in her eyes. “I thought you were different, someone who wouldn’t abuse their change in status. But I guess I was wrong. Maybe people are all the same after all.” But Ryan was still clueless. “I don’t understand what all this is for. Just e