2025-08-08 22:39:08
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Chapter 158
Ryan returned to the neighborhood. He stepped out of the car and straightened his coat. “Alright, Ryan,” he muttered under his breath, talking to himself like he often did when the pressure became too much. “One step at a time.”He began walking, retracing the path he had followed before. Every corner, every boarded-up storefront. The streets weren’t busy. A few shopkeepers swept their storefronts, while others sat idly on stools, gossiping about things Ryan couldn’t bother to care about. His eyes scanned every face, wondering if one of them might recognize the description of the man he was searching for.Finally, he stopped at a small shop where an elderly man was arranging packets of biscuits and soft drinks. The man looked up, his face weathered but kind.“Good morning, sir,” Ryan greeted, forcing a polite smile though his heart hammered in his chest.The old man nodded. “Morning. You look like you’re not from around here.”Ryan chuckled faintly. “You could say that. Actually… I
Chapter 157
Elizabeth stood there, arms wrapped tightly around herself, her foot tapping restlessly against the ground. Her nerves were raw, her breaths coming fast as though her heart was refusing to calm down.Lord Ryder stood opposite her, leaning lazily against the wall. Finally, Lord Ryder broke the quiet and said in a low voice.“Elizabeth, you need to get it together.”Elizabeth’s head snapped up, her lips parting slightly. “Excuse me?”Ryder straightened, pushing herself off the wall and stepping forward. “You heard me. Get it together. You’re running around in circles, letting paranoia eat at you, when you should be focused. Do you want Claudia destroyed or not?”“Of course I do,” she snapped. “Why do you think I’m out here in the freezing cold meeting you like this?”Ryder’s lips curved in a smirk, but it was humorless. “Wanting isn’t enough. You keep saying you hate Claudia, you keep saying you’ll do anything, but the moment you face a little suspicion from one family member, you come
Chapter 156
Elizabeth pulled her coat tighter around herself as she slipped quietly out of the Duval mansion. The great iron gates had creaked only faintly when she eased them open, and she took her time making sure they were shut behind her, careful not to raise any suspicion from the guards.Her steps were brisk as she moved deeper into the streets. She had chosen this path days ago, memorizing every turn until she found the alley Lord Ryder had demanded they meet at. It was quiet, deserted, with nothing but a flickering lamp overhead and the smell of damp stone.Elizabeth stopped, her chest rising and falling quickly as she waited. For a moment, she rubbed her gloved hands together, more out of agitation than cold. Then—“You’re late,” came a voice from the shadows.Elizabeth turned sharply. Lord Ryder emerged from the darkness like she owned it, her long coat flowing behind her. Elizabeth forced her lips into a thin smile. “I had to wait until everyone was asleep,” she said, her voice clippe
Chapter 155
The heavy wooden doors of the boardroom closed behind them with a dull thud.Claudia’s chest rose and fell quickly, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. She tried to hold herself together, to keep her composure, but it was useless. The frustration in her blood was too much. She turned to Ryan, her eyes wide with disbelief.“Seven days?” she burst out. “Seven days, Ryan! How could they do this to you? How could they put you under such impossible pressure? Don’t they see what’s happening? Don’t they see that they are being manipulated by Julian and the McCarthys?”She wasn’t just angry—she was devastated.Ryan’s expression was calm, too calm, as though he had expected this. His hands curled into fists, then relaxed again as he tried to steady himself.“They see it, Claudia,” he said quietly, his voice even. “But they’re afraid. Fear makes people blind. It makes them grab at whatever looks like security, even if it’s a lie.”Claudia shook her head in frustration, her lips trembl
Chapter 154
Ryan woke up early, his head pounding. He had slept late the previous day. He had gone to bed telling himself that today would be different, today he would go back to that neighborhood and dig deeper until he found the man who sold him the laptop.He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his temples. “I won’t stop,” he muttered under his breath. “I’ll find something. I have to. Then I can be able to prove my innocence.”His phone buzzed suddenly on the nightstand. Ryan frowned, reached for it, and saw the caller ID: Nova Headquarters.“Hello?”“Mr. Walker,” came a crisp, professional voice. “This is Nova’s front desk. You are requested to report to headquarters immediately. There is an urgent board meeting scheduled this morning. Attendance is mandatory.”“This morning? What is the meeting about?” Ryan asked.The woman’s tone didn’t waver. “I have no clue sir.”“Understood. I’ll be there,” Ryan said camly.When the call ended, Ryan stared at the phone in his hand, thinking about everyth
Chapter 153
The house was quiet when Ryan finally pulled into the driveway. For a moment he simply sat in the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel tightly, as if the energy to move had drained out of him completely. His shoulders sagged, his shirt clung to him with the faint smell of sweat and dust from the streets he had spent hours wandering, and his eyes burned from both fatigue and the countless conversations that had led nowhere.When he finally stepped out and shut the car door behind him, it was already late.Claudia was waiting for him in the living room. She sat curled on the sofa, her legs tucked under her, a thin blanket draped over her knees. The television was on, muted, showing flickers of light across the room, but her eyes had been on the door the entire time. The instant she heard it open, she straightened, the blanket falling away, and stood quickly.“Ryan,” she breathed. “Finally. Do you know what time it is?” She hurried toward him, her expression both relieved and worri
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