High heels clicked frantically on the park's cobblestone path.After hanging up the phone, Elise rushed over like a hurricane.She had even carefully touched up her makeup and applied her brightest red lipstick.She had arrived.Seeing this, Olivia said nothing. She quietly retreated a dozen steps away, standing perfectly still in the shade of a tree.Elise stopped in her tracks. The moment her eyes met Ryan's, her proudly raised chin froze.The panic and anxiety of the past few days. The toxic, deep-seated dependence on this man hidden in her heart. Everything exploded in a single second.She didn't care that there were pedestrians around.Elise lunged forward in her heels. Both hands clamped around Ryan's waist like a vise.She buried her face in his chest, her arms tightening their grip. Her eyes turned red instantly.She greedily breathed in that familiar scent, trying to claw back that absolute, enveloping sense of security she once took for granted.However.Facing Elise's despe

The air in the hallway remained damp."Yeah." Ryan nodded.Yelena wrapped Ryan's oversized suit jacket tightly around herself."My name is Yelena Makarova."She took a half-step back. Her voice still carried a tremor of lingering fear.She had typical Eastern European features. A sharp, straight nose. Extremely pale skin.Light blonde hair tied casually into a ponytail, with a few stray strands clinging to her sweaty forehead.A strikingly beautiful girl."I came to Hayden City from Ukraine seeking refuge."Ryan looked thoughtful. His gaze landed on the old canvas bag she clutched desperately to her chest."What's in the bag? You were protecting it like your life depended on it."Yelena looked down at the bag. Her fingers tightened involuntarily."It's the money I earned working. To buy heart medication for my mom."Her eyes welled up slightly."The medicine is very expensive. One box costs half a month's salary. It absolutely cannot be crushed."Ryan withdrew his gaze. He pointed to

Elise's tears streamed down her face.She buried her face in his chest, sobbing loudly."Ryan! I was wrong! I was so wrong!""That night was all my fault. I shouldn't have screamed at you. You were hurt so badly saving me, and I had no idea!""Please, forgive me! Come home with me! Let's just go back to the way things were, okay?"Ryan's expression was incredibly dark. The muscles in his arms tensed instantly.He grabbed Elise's wrists with both hands. With a sudden surge of force, he pried her locked fingers apart.Ryan yanked her away ruthlessly, shoving her a couple of feet back."Next time you try to use this wrist-cutting stunt to force my hand..."Ryan looked coldly at the incredibly shallow scratch on her wrist. His voice was devoid of any warmth."...I will watch you die with my own eyes."Elise was stunned by the absolute cruelty in his gaze. She froze.She watched Ryan reach out, preparing to physically throw her out of his rundown, low-rent apartment.Panic seized Elise. Sh

Her thin, soft lips parted the moment they touched.Ryan hadn't anticipated this sudden move at all.Standing in the doorway, he froze—a rare occurrence.Yelena didn't linger.Not daring to meet his eyes, she squeezed past him into the room, her cheeks burning crimson.She trotted into Room 302 and grabbed the broom in the corner.She knew her own mind perfectly well. She liked this man.He might live in a dilapidated low-rent apartment and clearly wasn't rich, but the steady composure he showed while blocking that thug had won her over completely.Eastern European girls had always been straightforward.If she liked him, she would show it.That clumsy kiss was her most direct answer.Ryan turned around, watching the busy figure in the room.He shook his head, a helpless smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.Her way of expressing herself was certainly raw and direct.Yelena's movements were highly practiced.She clearly did this kind of heavy labor year-round. She was quick and ni

CRACK.A sickening crunch of fracturing bone shattered the dead silence of the restaurant.Rhys Thorne's fleshy face twisted at a grotesque angle.His jawbone had been dislocated and shattered by Ryan's seemingly effortless punch.Agony crashed over him like a tidal wave.Rhys couldn't even scream. Only a wet, gurgling gasp escaped his throat as saliva, blood, and broken teeth spilled from his ruined mouth.The momentary silence was broken by a volcanic eruption of chaos."Kill him!"Clutching his caved-in jaw, Rhys glared at Ryan with bloodshot eyes, forcing a guttural, beast-like roar from his throat."Block the fucking doors! Nobody gets out today! I'm going to chop him into pieces and feed him to the dogs!"The few remaining diners in the restaurant let out terrified screams, scrambling to hide under the tables.CRASH! CLANG!Rhys's lackeys snapped out of their shock and instantly barricaded the exits.Tables, chairs, heavy beer kegs—everything heavy was piled against the doors, s