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
After a long day sorting paperwork, Ryan finally returned home.He walked into the dining room where Jane and Lauren were chatting over dinner, but they immediately went quiet when he stepped in.The tension in the air was palpable, like stepping into the calm before a storm. Still, he decided to act casual, flashing a smile as he greeted them."Weren't you supposed to be that the office today?" Jane asked him, noticing his casual outfit, despite the briefcase in his hand."I did," he replied.When they questioned how he got back, pointing out that he did not taken his car, he casually told them he took public buses, surprising them."Why put yourself through that?" Jane asked, confused.He just shrugged. "It’s no big deal. I just felt like it. Kinda missed that life."The disbelief was evident on their faces, but he was too hungry to care. As he headed to his room, he asked Lauren to serve his meal and said he would return after freshening up.He joined them later, but they had alre
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
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
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