“But I just want to be closer to you,” Ryan said.

So I ended up letting him come with me to the hotel. Ryan caught up on some sleep in the car, and we just sat in silence.

When we got to the hotel, Ryan woke up, and the first thing he did was treat everyone to coffee and pastries. The staff were smiling, chatting happily with him.

I looked at Ryan, who was so bright. If I were just a few years younger, I probably would’ve fallen for him. But no matter how perfect my looks were, I couldn’t cover up the desolation inside.

Of course, I wasn’t about to stay this way forever. One day, I’d fill that barren heart of mine with a riot of vibrant, passionate blooms.

Ryan suddenly knocked on my door and popped his head in. “You’re heading to Shaville for work, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I might be going over there.”

“Great.” Ryan’s eyes sparkled. “You got a place in Shaville? If not, you can crash at mine.”

“Really?” I’d never seen anyone hand over their house as if it were no big deal.

Ryan gave a little snort. “Only for you.”

“Thank you, but I’ve already got a place in Shaville,” I replied.

Ryan smiled, “Guess I’ll see you in Shaville.”

“Are you leaving now?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got things to do. Victoria, we’ll have plenty of chances in the future.” His unwavering gaze made me feel a bit uneasy inside.

Before leaving, Ryan came over with a bag. “Hey, this is for Yvonne. Give it to her for me, will you?”

I wanted to reject, but he just walked off before I could even get a word in.

At noon, Yvonne came by, brought over by Jared. When she arrived, she seemed to have overheard someone mention Ryan.

Yvonne hurried over to me, looking anxious. “Mom, where’s Ryan?”

Just as I was about to answer, I saw Jared walk in, looking pretty grim. I could tell right away he wasn’t happy about something.

“What’s this?” Yvonne spotted the bag on the sofa and immediately tore it open. Her face lit up and she started clapping excitedly. “Wow, it’s the gift I wished for! Last time Ryan got it for me."

I walked over to check out Yvonne’s present. It was a pair of shoes that looked like they were made of crystal, covered in soft yellow flowers. I thought they were a little cheesy.

But Yvonne hugged them to her chest, rubbing her cheek against them, “I finally have princess shoes of my own!”

Honestly, Yvonne’s sense of style was just impossible to figure out. Yvonne had begged me to buy her shoes like these before, but I always thought they looked way too cheesy, so I never did.

Jared scoffed at Yvonne, “It’s just a pair of shoes. If you want them, I can get them for you.”

Yvonne huffed, wagging her little finger at him, “You never buy me clothes or shoes! All you do is take me out to eat.”

Jared stared at the shoes, his face darkening; when he finally looked at me, he looked even more gloomy.

Yvonne ran off with her shoes, eager to show them off. Jared sat down on the sofa, clearly annoyed. “Did you ask Ryan to give Yvonne that present?”

I gave him a faint smile. “Why is it okay for Tracy to spend time with Yvonne, but you can’t stand Ryan making her happy?”