Chapter 549

His hand on my belly suddenly froze, and it felt like all the warmth had drained away.

I knew just how much of a bombshell this was for Ryan. He was probably hoping to keep it under wraps a little longer, waiting for a better time to bring it up—definitely not in a moment as tender as this. But I couldn’t wait anymore. Miss Chamberlain’s words were like a thorn stuck in my heart. I just couldn’t keep it in anymore; it was eating me up inside. Since this relationship was already just a bubble about to burst, maybe it’s better if I’m the one to pop it.

“So you know everything?” Ryan pushed himself up, the blanket sliding down his chest. The warm glow lit up his defined muscles—it was honestly hard to look away.

I snuck a couple greedy glances, then said in a quiet voice, “Miss Chamberlain laid it all out for me. Were you really planning to keep this from me forever?”

Ryan’s handsome face stiffened, his expression freezing in place. When he looked at me, there was a hint of confusion in his eyes, and a pain that cut right through him. Seeing him like this, I couldn’t bear it. Maybe neither of us was really at fault—we just didn’t fit in each other’s worlds, and this love was too heavy to hold, like we were always walking on thin ice.

“I’m sorry.” Ryan’s voice was hoarse, his eyes red as he shook his head. “Vic, my grandfather wants me to marry her. It’s not what I want—I just want to be with you.”

Seeing a guy cry really gets to you. Ryan was always so prideful, and being forced to go along with something he hated was already a huge blow for him. But that pain and sadness wouldn’t last forever. If you looked at the bigger picture, marrying Miss Chamberlain was probably his golden ticket—his chance to really make it in life.

I didn’t reach out to hug him. I just leaned my head gently on his shoulder. “Ryan, I’m not mad at you, and I’m not upset. Everyone has their own path to walk.”

Ryan gazed at me in a daze, as if my attempt to comfort him was just another knife twisting in his heart.

I grabbed a bathrobe, wrapped it around myself, and got out of bed. Standing by the bed, I looked at Ryan, his eyes red, and said, “Leave your key. And don’t come here anymore.”

Ryan’s eyes flickered. For a moment, it looked like he had a thousand things to say, but couldn’t get a single word out.

“You came to Braylin for me…” Ryan murmured, his voice full of pain.

I paused, looking down at him from above. “No, I came here for work. I didn’t stay because of you.”

“Vic, if I hadn’t asked you to come, would you have come to Braylin?” Ryan asked, sounding a little lost.

“Maybe,” I admitted, not really sure myself. “Maybe it really was because of you.”

Ryan’s guilt was written all over his face. He tried to get up, but I held him back. “Tonight is our last goodbye, Ryan. Your family’s still waiting for you to come home.”

“Vic…” He reached for my fingers, trying to hold on.

But I turned away, leaving him behind.

“Vic…” Ryan called out after me. “I’m not going through with this marriage alliance.”

I stopped at the bathroom door, turned to look at him, totally in disbelief.

Ryan was panting, hastily grabbing a gray bathrobe and throwing it on as he came closer. “I’ll fight this to the end. I don’t like her, and I don’t want to marry her. I just want to be with you—forever.”

I widened my eyes, then managed a bitter smile. “Ryan, this is real life, not some fairy tale. In reality, Cinderella and the prince wouldn’t even cross paths.”

Ryan’s eyes dimmed, and he looked at me, defeated. “But if I just do nothing, I’d be letting what we have slip away.”

“Will it make any difference, whether you fight or not?” I asked him calmly. “If you push back, your grandfather will definitely come after me. And then, the one who gets hurt won’t be you anymore—it’ll be me.”

Ryan jerked as if he’d been hit, then slumped against the wall, staring at me like all the strength had drained out of him.

I’m not that lovesick young girl anymore. There are people I care about now, so I have to stay cool and think straight if I want to make the best choices for myself and those I love.

“I’m sorry…” Ryan muttered, eyes fixed on the floor, his voice rough. “I could fight this, even put my life on the line, but… I can’t make you pay the price. I just can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt.”

My chest felt heavy, and my eyes burned with unshed tears. I nodded. “Thanks. You still cared about me in the end. It means loving you wasn’t a mistake…”

“So we’re really never going to see each other again?” Ryan’s gaze was shattered as he looked at me. “Even though we’re so close, we’re just… not going to see each other anymore?”

With my back to him, I stood silent for a few seconds, then nodded with resolve. “Yeah. We’re done.”

Ryan’s breathing grew heavy, his fist clenched tight as he slammed it against the wall. “The Chamberlain Family is really crossing the line.”

I turned to look at him, and the light in his eyes faded, turning cold and dark. In the dim light, he looked like a beast, wrapped in anger and a presence almost suffocating.

A chill ran down my spine. It looked like Fjona was about to face the consequences for her reckless actions.

“Ryan…” I called out softly.

Ryan froze, then reached out and switched off the bedroom light. In the darkness, he quietly put his clothes back on.

I stood at the bathroom door, the bathroom light glowing behind me.

When Ryan finished dressing and walked over, he stepped out of the shadows, one step at a time. In that moment, I looked at the darkness behind him, and his bloodshot eyes were filled with a pain that looked utterly shattered.

“I’m leaving now,” Ryan said, pulling me into a gentle hug and pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

That moment felt like a weighty scar, burned deep into my heart—something I’d never be able to forget.

My tears wouldn’t stop falling, but he walked away without ever looking back.