Chapter 14
Hanging up, Ryan looked at Thea with gentle eyes.
“Wait for me, Thea, okay? I’ll be back as soon as I handle this.”
The moment he turned away, his expression went ice-cold, murderous.
Thirty minutes later, Ryan was back home.
Lyra threw herself into his arms. “Ryan, I was so scared! If the bodyguards hadn’t shown up in time, the baby would be…”
She sobbed hysterically.
Ryan stared at her with dead eyes, then looked at the two thugs his security had restrained.
“Thea sent you?”
“Yeah, Mrs. Mitchell paid us to deal
with the side chick.”
The men were white with terror, smashing their heads against the floor. “Boss, we messed up! We’ll never-please have mercy…”
“Ryan.” Lyra looked
up
with tear-stained cheeks, the picture of innocence.
“I don’t care what happens to me, but the baby didn’t do anything wrong. How can she keep trying to hurt our child?”
Murderous rage churned in Ryan’s eyes, but his voice stayed eerily calm.
“So what do you think we should do about it?”
Lyra froze. Usually Ryan would punish Thea without her even asking.
Why was he turning it back on her this time?
His head was tilted down, expression hidden. But ice-cold dread crept up Lyra’s spine.
“Well? Haven’t decided yet?”
Lyra swallowed hard, testing the waters. “I don’t know… but I think she should apologize to me first.”
“Sure. I’ll take you to see her.”
He headed for the door. Only when he was outside did he turn back to look at Lyra, who hadn’t moved.
The sun blazed behind him, casting his face in shadow-dark and terrifying. Lyra’s throat went tight.
It had to be her imagination, right?
Ryan was clearly taking her to get an apology from Thea.
Lyra forced down her unease and hurried after him.
In the car, she kept stealing glances at Ryan.
After just a week, he’d lost so much weight his cheekbones were sharp, and his whole aura had turned ice-cold.
“Work keeping you busy?”Lyra tried finding some words.
“Something like that.” Ryan just didn’t give her a look.
Lyra bit her lip. “Have you seen the news? I can’t even leave the house-everyone’s calling me a homewrecker. I’m worried that when our baby’s born, people will treat him like a bastard.”
Ryan let out a cold laugh.
14.4%
“Isn’t he?”
Lyra’s face went rigid. She gritted her teeth. “Ryan, I don’t care what they say about me, but I can’t stand the thought of our child suffering. Even if it’s just for the baby’s sake, could you maybe divorce-”
The car stopped at a red light.
Ryan turned, his stare glacial. “Divorce what?”
Lyra’s breath caught. Something was very, very wrong with Ryan.
What the hell had happened?
“Nothing… nothing.” She could only say that.
The light turned green. Ryan finally looked away, but Lyra’s back was soaked in cold sweat, her nails digging into her palms.
Whatever had happened didn’t matter.
For a whole year, she’d kept Thea under her thumb. There was no way anything could go wrong now.
The car pulled into St. Mary’s Hospital.
“Is Thea hurt? How bad is it?” Lyra asked immediately.
Ryan didn’t answer. She followed him into the elevator, teeth clenched.
But Ryan pressed the button for the basement level.
“Is she in the parking garage?”
Ryan still stayed silent.
DING.
When the elevator doors opened, Lyra shivered violently. She forced herself to follow, until she saw the sign.
MORGUE.
Her feet froze, face going white as a sheet.
Before she could process what was happening, Ryan grabbed her arm and dragged her inside.
Lyra instinctively looked down. The next second, ice shot through her veins. She stumbled backward, too horrified to scream.
Ryan watched her.
“You wanted to see Thea. How do you want her to apologize?”
