Chapter 388

I stared for a moment. “Really? Is he coming home tonight? Are you sure it’s okay for me to be here?”

“Don’t worry, he’s not in Shaville right now. I brought you here so no one would bother us. It’s super safe.” Ryan sat down next to me. “Just spend the night here.”

“Huh?” I froze for a second.

Ryan said, “That guy actually followed you. What if he has backup? I’d be worried if you went home alone.”

His concern was totally valid–it was smarter to play it safe. Still, this wasn’t a hotel, it was Uncle Ryan’s place, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy about staying here.

“And you?” I asked.

Ryan laughed. “Of course, I’m staying here too.”

That put me at ease. “Alright then, hope I’m not causing you any trouble.”

It was almost midnight now, and the place was dead quiet.

“You should get some sleep. I’ll be right next door,” Ryan said. “Just holler if you need anything.”

“Thanks,” I said. I’d said it a bunch of times already, but I felt like I had to keep saying it–Ryan had really saved my butt.

Ryan gave me a small, thoughtful smile, his gaze lingering on me. “No need to be so polite. This is just how fate brought us together.”

My cheeks flushed and I lowered my gaze. “I owe you a life-saving debt.”

Ryan’s expression shifted, just a hint of something in his eyes. “I was just lending a hand.”

“How do you want me to repay you?” I asked. In my mind, whether it was fate or just coincidence, a debt like this had to be repaid, one way or another.

Ryan paused, then smirked, “Aren’t you even a little suspicious I might’ve hired someone to set you up, just so I could swoop in and play the hero?”

I stiffened, a cold shiver running through me. “Was it really you?”

Ryan’s gaze turned icy, his voice dropping. “You really don’t get me at all. If anyone so much as lays a finger on someone I care about, I’d break their hand off–let alone someone who actually hurt you.”

I blinked, a little stunned by his words.

Ryan’s eyes were dark and unreadable. “Unless you say so yourself, if anyone ever tries to hurt you like today, I swear I won’t let them off easy.”

I sucked in a breath–the cold, dangerous vibe in Ryan’s eyes sent a chill down my spine.

“Try to get some rest. Don’t let your mind run wild,” Ryan reassured me, then slipped out of the room.

I was in a strange place, and I just couldn’t fall asleep. Even the hallway and everything outside this room felt unfamiliar, so I didn’t dare wander around. I left the light on, sat at the edge of the bed, and scrolled through my phone for a while.

Only when my eyes grew heavy did I finally let myself curl up under the covers and drift off to sleep.

In my sleep, the terror of being dragged away by that man came rushing back–I shot up in bed, drenched in cold sweat.

There was no way I was getting back to sleep. Alone in the dark, I turned on my phone, just staring at the screen, not even sure what I was looking for.

Finally, I scrolled all the way down to the oldest photos on my phone and found one of Jared playing in the grass with Yvonne, who was just a little over a year old.

I’ve switched phones a bunch of times, but every time, I made sure to keep the photos and videos that really meant something to me.

Jared held Yvonne like she was a priceless treasure, never wanting to let her go.

Little Yvonne was like his personal accessory at home–like a beautiful doll, always hanging onto him wherever he went.

Jared’s strong, sturdy arms were the cradle she grew up in.

I wondered, now that another year had passed, if Jared and Yvonne were still as close as ever–if that warm, loving bond between father and daughter was still there.

My eyes grew sore from staring at the photos, and before I knew it, I dozed off again, half-awake, half-asleep.

I woke up to the sound of voices drifting in from the living room.

I tiptoed out of bed, and just as I reached for the door, a stern male voice rang out: “Ryan, you’re being way too reckless.”