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
"Shouldn't you at least tell me where we are headed?" Ryan asked Jane as they drove toward the destination she had mentioned earlier.He was sitting beside her. "You will find out when we get there," she replied sternly, without making an attempt to look at him. The drive continued in silence until Ryan's phone rang, breaking the quiet.It was Rose."I thought you were dead," she joked as soon as Ryan answered. "Yeah, your call brought me back to life," he replied, and they both laughed.For the first time since the trip began, Jane glanced at him, surprised and curious about who was on the other end of the line."I was really worried, Ryan. I thought you had been imprisoned, and I couldn't make it to the station because of what you told me." Her voice was filled with concern. "I'm sorry," Ryan apologised, explaining that he was released the same night."How? Where are you, anyway? Everyone is freaking out, even Mr. Lee. He said he has not been able to reach you, and you have not
Ryan was about to say, "I used to sell skewers on the street before I got into construction. I now own a construction company." He wanted to test if Jane's family, especially her grandmother, only cared about money and status. He figured dropping this information would show their true colors. "He is the CEO of a construction company." Jane cut in. "Will you shut up this instant?!How dare you speak on his behalf when he is here?! Can't he speak?" The grandmother growled. Jane apologised, and Ryan agreed with what she said, realising he didn't need to stick to his original plan anymore. The grandmother scoffed, "The CEO of a construction company? Who is your family?" He chuckled. "Actually, I'm an orphan. I don't have a family, and my adopted mother has passed away." "Besides the construction company, what other businesses do you own and run?" He already knew where the conversation was headed and confirmed that she was materialistic. He chuckled. "That is the only
As Ryan stepped out of the sleek, black Mercedes-Benz S-Class that Jane had granted him to use as his, heads turned. His Versace suit screamed wealth. The vendors barely recognised him, assuming he was just another wealthy customer until he removed his sunglasses, revealing his face."Ryan?" Someone muttered.A gasp rippled through the crowd. People immediately gathered around him, their surprise evident. Some whispered to each other in disbelief, while others simply stared. Ryan stood there, his eyes scanning the crowd with an air of superiority.Mr. Lee, the man who had known him the longest, pushed through the group. "Ryan, where have you been all this while?" His voice was laced with concern. "Do you know how worried everyone has been, not hearing from you?"Ryan smirked, his lips curling up mockingly. "Well, as you can see, I'm alive and healthy."Mr. Lee glanced at the car, the suit, and then back at Ryan. "What is going on? What is with the car and the clothes?""That is b
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