Elizabeth’s heart skipped. Her blood ran cold when she saw Rayn walking towards them. Julian’s mouth opened slightly as if to say something, but no words came out.“Ryan Walker?” one of the officers whispered almost in shock.The second officer, who had been standing just behind him, stiffened and saluted immediately. “That’s him,” he muttered to his colleague. “The CEO of Nova.”Within seconds, their entire demeanor changed. They straightened their postures, their expressions humbled, and the annoyance that had been in their eyes a moment ago vanished completely.The lead officer stepped forward slightly, bowing his head respectfully. “Mr. Walker,” he said, his voice now carrying nothing but reverence. “We didn’t know you were here. If we had noticed, we would have paid our respects immediately.”The third officer said quickly, “Yes, sir. Please forgive our oversight. We meant no disrespect.”Ryan lifted a hand lightly, the corners of his lips curving into a polite smile. His voice

The McCarthy mansion was silent when Elizabeth and Julian returned that evening. The car had come to a slow halt in the driveway, but neither of them said a word.Elizabeth stepped out first, her face was stiff, her lips pressed tightly together. The butler at the door opened his mouth to greet her, but the fire in her eyes silenced him instantly. Without so much as a glance at her parents, who were seated in the living room, Elizabeth walked past quickly.“Elizabeth?” Mrs. McCarthy called after her in surprise, rising from her seat. “Darling, what is it? Why do you look like that?”Elizabeth didn’t answer. Her shoulders were stiff, her chest heaving in suppressed rage. Her father, Mr. McCarthy, exchanged a troubled look with his wife before standing as well. “Elizabeth!” he barked, his voice was strong but still showed his worry. “Where are you going? What happened?”But Elizabeth didn’t stop. She ascended the stairs, without even sparing them one glance and no word left her mouth. J

Claudia’s voice trembled, every word carrying fear she was trying so hard to conceal. Her hands fidgeted nervously at her sides, her knuckles brushing against each other.“I’m here,” she said shakily, her tone uncertain, almost pleading. “And yes, I came alone, just as you asked me to.”There was a pause, and Bobby looked behind Claudia very well to make sure she wasn’t playing any tricks. He was suspicious quite alright, but he didn’t see any signs of anybody following her because as at then, Ryan had already hidden behind the wall.“I know very well, Ryan wouldn’t let you walk out alone. He had been trying to carry out duties of a husband lately, isn’t it?” he said, but Claudia’s face was a frown and she didn’t give him an answer. This angered Bobby, and his teeth clenched at her lack of response.“Where is Ryan Walker?” His tone rose through his teeth. “Don’t tell me he followed you here or waiting for you outside...”Claudia gasped, shaking her head quickly, her words tumbling out

Before Claudia could react, Bobby angrily growled “You tricked me!” Claudia was about to say she also wasn't aware that Ryan followed her, but her words died in her mouth from the hit.SLAP!! The instant Bobby slapped her, Ryan grabbed a broken log from the doorframe and struck Bobby's chin.He gave Bobby no time to recover.The blow smashed across Bobby’s jaw over and over again, blood flying as he collapsed to his knees, dazed. “Ryan, no… please!” Claudia cried, but her words couldn’t reach him.He raised the log of wood again and slammed it down across Bobby’s shoulder. Bobby screamed, clutching himself, but Ryan was relentless. He struck him again across the face, then again across his ribs, each blow landing with a sound of wood meeting flesh. Bobby’s cries filled the room as blood poured from cuts on his face and his body crumpled under the beating.“You touched her!” Ryan roared, his voice trembling from the uncontrollable wrath. “You dared to lay your filthy hands on her!

Ryan walked beside Detective Mark... Behind them trailed the manager of Prime Line, Mr. Collins Cole.Detective Mark gestured towards a seat and his eyes darted to Ryan.“Mr. Walker, please, sit down. You too, Mr. Collins. Let us go through this matter in detail. The faster we address this, the better for everyone involved.”Ryan lowered himself into the hard wooden chair, his gaze never leaving Collins. Claudia’s worried face still lingered in his mind, but he forced himself to stay composed.Detective Mark pulled a brown folder from his desk and opened it. He slid several sheets of paper across to Ryan.“Take a look at these,” Mark said, leaning back in his chair. “These are records of transactions and email communications. Read through them carefully. They detail the communication between you and one of Prime Line’s employees, a man named Josh. According to Mr. Collins, Josh was working for you, funneling money from Prime Line into your hands.”Ryan’s brows furrowed as he reached