The next morning came with a strange quietness around the Harrison house. Clara walked around acting normal, but Ava kept glancing at her from time to time. She felt something off but didn't know how to explain it.Inside her room, Ava folded the clothes Ryan bought before he left. She touched the fabric slowly. She missed him, but she refused to say it out loud. She kept telling herself he left on his own, and she shouldn’t think too much.Meanwhile, Mrs. Harrison tried to stay strong. Her health was getting better, thanks to the hospital treatment. She didn’t know Ryan paid the bill secretly, but she kept praying blessings for him, unaware of what he had done.Later in the afternoon, Eric returned to the house. He acted like nothing happened between him and Ava. He walked in with a fake smile and tried to greet everyone politely. Clara smiled back at him, pretending everything was fine. Inside, she was nervous about what Ryan might have told him on the phone that night.Ava didn’t l

Ryan woke up early the next morning in his hidden apartment. The place was quiet, far from the noise of town. It was the only place where he could think without feeling watched. For a long moment, he sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall. His mind kept going back to Eric’s threats, Ava’s sad eyes, Clara’s stressed face, and Mrs. Harrison trying her best to hold the family together.So many things rested on his shoulders, and he felt each weight heavily.He stood up, washed his face, and checked his phone. There were two messages from his men. **“Everything normal.”** **“Clara’s family safe.”**He breathed out slowly. Good. At least for now, things were under control.Still, he couldn’t let his guard down. Eric was too unpredictable.Ryan dressed and stepped outside. The street was empty. The morning air was cold, brushing against his skin. He pulled his jacket closer around him and walked toward the small café nearby. He needed tea to clear his thoughts.The bell chimed

The night was quiet, the kind of quiet that made the whole town feel asleep. Streetlights glowed faintly, and the cold breeze carried the smell of rain. Clara’s family house was far away on the other side of town, but Ryan wasn’t going there tonight. He moved like a shadow, his steps light, his hoodie pulled low over his face.After many weeks of staying hidden, he had returned to town—quietly, secretly. No one knew. Not Clara. Not Ava. Not even Mrs. Harrison. And that was exactly how Ryan wanted it.He didn’t come back to see them. He came to see the men who worked for him.Ryan stopped behind an old warehouse near the edge of town. The place looked abandoned during the day, but at night, it served another purpose. He tapped the metal door twice, paused, then tapped once more. The door opened immediately.“Boss,” a man whispered. It was Marco, tall and sharp-eyed. “We weren’t expecting you tonight.”“I know,” Ryan said softly as he stepped inside. “I came on my own.”The warehouse

Ryan did not sleep well that night. Even in the quiet house where he stayed, far away from town, his mind refused to rest. He sat by the window, staring into the dark street, thinking about everything that had happened. His life had changed too suddenly, and the past he tried so hard to bury kept pulling him back.He rubbed his palms together slowly, a habit he developed over the years whenever he felt troubled. “I thought leaving town would bring me peace,” he whispered to himself. “But peace is something I’ve never had.”Ryan stood up and walked to the small dining table where he had spread a few documents. Old documents. Painful documents. The ones he kept hidden for years.On top of the pile was a picture of his father.A tall man, smiling. A man who once owned one of the biggest companies in the state. A man who should still be alive.Ryan picked up the picture gently, his fingers trembling. “Dad… I am trying. I promise I am trying.”He touched the corner of the photo, rememb

Clara woke up the next morning with a heavy feeling in her chest. She sat on her bed for a long time, staring at the wall. Her mind kept going back to the conversation she had with Eric the previous day. His words kept echoing in her ears, and even though she pretended to be fine, something inside her felt unsettled.She brushed her hair slowly and tied it into a ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She looked beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, she felt confused, lost, and strangely empty.When she stepped out of the room, Ava was already in the kitchen helping their mother prepare breakfast. Clara walked in quietly and sat down on a chair. She hoped no one would notice how troubled she looked.But Ava was watching her.“You didn’t sleep well,” Ava said softly.Clara forced a smile. “I’m fine.”Ava didn’t believe her. “You look worried.”Clara didn’t want questions. “I said I’m fine, Ava.”Ava lifted her hands. “Okay, no problem. Just checking.”Their mo