Elizabeth was still standing in front of Ryan when the sound of hurried footsteps approached from behind her.Before she could turn properly, her mother, her father, and Julian had already joined her.They formed a tense line that faced Ryan directly, with Julian stepping slightly forward as if to s

Mr. McCarthy’s face twisted with rage as he steadied himself after the slap, his pride burning hotter than the sting on his cheek. He pointed a trembling finger at the man and barked, “How dare you raise your hand against me? Do you have any idea who I am? I can have you arrested right now. One ca

Ryan looked at Elizabeth, then slowly at the rest of the McCarthys, and said calmly, “I already told you what my condition is. If you want me to think about changing my decision, then you will kneel and ask for pity. All of you. Not some. Not half.” The words echoed in the tense space between them.

Ryan sat quietly in the back seat of his car, his posture relaxed.His long legs were crossed casually, one arm resting against the leather seat, the other loosely placed on his thigh.From the outside, he looked like a man who had nothing left to worry about.His driver focused on the road ahead, h

Ryan kept glancing at the time, his eyes lifting to the digital clock mounted above the refrigerated aisle, then dropping back to the glowing screen of his phone, then lifting again.The seconds felt heavier than usual, dragging instead of flowing.Every soft beep from the scanners at the checkout c