“Ryan, you’re so good to me. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to make it up to you,” I said softly.
“I never asked you to give anything back. I just want to see you keep moving forward. Someday, our paths will cross again,” Ryan replied with a smile, slipping right back into that easy, refined charm of his.
I blinked, feeling like that dark, brooding side of him from just now was a whole different person.
Wait… does he actually have a split personality? One lurking in the shadows, the other out in the open?
“Ryan, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but do you have a therapist?” I looked at him seriously.
Ryan frowned. “Why are you asking?”
“Have you ever checked if you might have, like, a split personality or something?”
Ryan stared at me for a full three seconds. “Wow, that’s really blunt.”
I blushed in embarrassment and gave a nervous laugh. “It’s just… the way you switch up your whole vibe is kind of intense.”
“Relax, I’m totally normal. No split personalities, I promise. But if you still think there’s something wrong with me, I can show you my health report, alright? Ms. Murphy?”
Looks like I really did get under his skin. Still, that health report… honestly, I wouldn’t mind taking a peek.
“Seriously? I mean, when two people are into each other, swapping health reports is just another way to show respect,” I joked, rolling with it.
“Victoria…” Ryan’s face flushed red in embarrassment. “I don’t have any… performance issues.”
I nearly jumped. Where did his mind even go? It’s not just about that–there are a ton of other things that could be wrong!
“Don’t be so touchy about it–it’s just us being responsible, you know? I think it’s totally normal,” I said, thinking about how many nasty diseases are out there these days.
Ryan was so annoyed he just shut down on me. Guess I really bruised his ego.
“Ryan, want some coffee?” I quickly grabbed the pot and poured him a cup.
Ryan, grumpy, asked, “Have you thought about what I said earlier?”
“You mean about breaking up with Nathan?”
Ryan turned to look at me. “Yeah, I never do anything without a reason. I’m only helping because I want you and Nathan to break up.”
I let out a soft sigh. “Alright, I’ll really think it over.”
“And while you’re thinking it over, you can’t be with him,” Ryan said, his voice thick with frustration. “You know what I mean.”
I nodded. I understood.
“Alright, I won’t,” I promised.
Ryan took a few sips of coffee, and just then, his phone rang. He looked annoyed. “They’re really on my tail–already tracked me down to Hachester.”
“Is it Uncle Ryan’s people?” I asked, feeling a bit nervous.
Ryan shot me a glance and said flatly, “No, it’s my all-knowing butler.”
I just said “oh,” not daring to mention Uncle Ryan again.
Ryan stood up, looking a bit resigned. “I’ve got to head back to Shaville.”
“Alright, but what about the Chancellor Family…” I really hoped Ryan could help out. I still wanted to see Nathan back in his prime–after all, a man’s career is his best armor. Even if things were over between us, as long as I invested in him, he’d be my top general on the battlefield.
This was thrilling–was it finally my turn to strike it rich?
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered,” Ryan said, giving me a deep, meaningful look. “And don’t forget my special birthday gift for my zodiac year.”
I nodded.
When I walked Ryan to the door, he was reluctant to leave and gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead. “Sorry, I only pushed you because I was so worked up earlier.”
“Just don’t do that again,” I said firmly. From now on, whenever I deal with a guy, I’m setting the ground rules first–no matter what, there have to be boundaries.
Ryan was speechless.
Seeing how serious I was, Ryan could only smile. “Alright, I get it. Liking someone starts with respect.”
I watched him step into the elevator, and only after he was gone did I head back to my room–my heart beating a little faster than usual.
As night fell, out of the blue, I got a call from an unknown number. A crisp, elegant female voice came through: “Victoria, this is Emily Chancellor. I know you’re back in Hachester. Can we meet?”