Chapter 15
Lyra felt like invisible hands were choking her. She couldn’t say a word.
The trending news about Thea dying in a fire had been real.
Thea was dead!
It took her a while to recover, but she still couldn’t bring herself to look at Thea’s body.
“She was so young… how could this happen…”
She covered her mouth, sobbing.
Ryan stared at Lyra in silence until she couldn’t cry anymore.
She had to open her mouth:”So those thugs weren’t sent by Thea. Who would be cruel enough to try to hurt my baby and frame her for it?”
“Who do you think?” Ryan’s voice totally cold.
Lyra’s breath caught, but she wouldn’t give up.
“Maybe it was one of your business rivals-Marcus? Everyone knows how dirty he plays. What if he-”
“Lyra, would everything you’ve done hold up under investigation?”
Her heart raced. “What… what are you talking about?”
Ryan went on:
“Lying about Thea kidnapping you.”
“Framing her for pushing you down the stairs.”
“Releasing that sex tape and blaming her for it.”
“Poisoning yourself and pinning it on her.”
He stepped closer with each accusation.
Every word drained more color from Lyra’s face.
By the end, she was trembling, white as a sheet.
“Ryan… you’re misunderstanding something. I never-”
“And those two thugs just now-you hired them too, didn’t you?”
Lyra’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t deny it anymore.
“I… I just loved you so much, I—”
Ryan grabbed her jaw, his stare murderous.
“BENG!”
Her back hit the wall hard. Lyra whimpered in pain.
“It hurts… our baby…”
But her tears didn’t move him at all. Even mentioning the child couldn’t soften him anymore.
Lyra threw caution to the wind.
“So what? Thea’s dead and now you suddenly want justice for her?”
“But everything I did, you let me get away with it! You knew exactly what kind of person I was.”
“If someone has to take responsibility for Thea’s death, it should be you.”
“Ryan, you’re the one who belongs in hell!”
A vein bulged in Ryan’s temple as his hands closed around her throat.
Lyra fought desperately, clawing bloody scratches down his arms as her air supply dwindled. The terror of death crashed over her.
Suddenly, Ryan let go. Lyra collapsed to the floor, gasping.
“Get out.”
Lyra didn’t hesitate. She scrambled on her hands and knees toward the exit.
And then Ryan returned to Thea’s side, his expression softening again. “Thea, was I too harsh just now? Did I scare you?”
He gently touched her face.
“I didn’t let her go. I just didn’t want to dirty your eyes with that.”
“Everyone who hurt you will pay. Including me.”
Meanwhile.
Lyra’s legs were shaking as she stumbled out of the hospital.
She rubbed her belly, finally managing to calm down.
Thea being dead was actually perfect. She was carrying the only Mitchell heir.
Once the baby was born, she’d have all the power.
Ryan’s company was struggling, sure, but even a dying camel was bigger than a horse. Worst case, she could grab some cash and run.
The most important thing now was finding somewhere safe to have the baby.
Lyra walked faster and faster. Just as she was about to go down the overpass and hail a cab, someone grabbed her.
“Miss Lyra.”
She looked up, her pupils shrinking in terror.
