2025-11-19 07:29:55The day after Ava’s mother returned from the hospital, the entire house felt strangely quiet. Ryan woke up early, swept the compound, and prepared to leave for his usual small jobs. But something about the calm morning made him pause. It felt like the house was carrying a secret.
Inside the sitting room, Clara and her mother were sitting close, whispering like they didn’t want anyone else to hear. As Ryan passed the doorway, they quickly stopped talking. Clara’s mother gave him a sharp look, the kind that always made him feel unwelcome.
“You are going out again?” she asked coldly.
“Yes, ma,” Ryan said with a small bow.
Clara folded her arms. “You better come back early and wash the plates. I don’t want to hear stories.”
Ryan nodded, trying not to let her tone affect him. “No problem.”
He turned to leave, but as he stepped outside, he heard Clara’s mother mutter under her breath.
“Useless boy… yet he’s walking around like he has nothing to hide.”
Clara whispered back, “I don’t trust him. Since yesterday, he’s been acting too calm. And that hospital bill… something is not adding up.”
Ryan froze for a moment when he heard that. He remembered how he had secretly gone to the hospital the previous night and cleared the bill without anyone knowing. He didn’t want praise. He only wanted Ava’s mother to get better without stress.
But now Clara was getting suspicious. He walked faster before they noticed he was still close.
Outside the compound, Ava came running toward him, her face bright.
“Ryan! Ryan, wait!”
He stopped, turning to her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, panting lightly. “I just wanted to say thank you again for yesterday. My mom keeps saying she suddenly felt hope, like someone was looking out for her.”
Ryan smiled softly. “I’m glad she’s better.”
Ava tilted her head. “Did you… go to see her again last night? The nurse said someone came. She thought it was me.”
Ryan’s heart skipped. He didn’t want her to suspect anything.
He shook his head with a calm face. “Maybe it was her friend or someone from the ward.”
Ava frowned a little but didn’t ask more. Instead, she stepped closer.
“Ryan… please don’t mind what Clara and her mother say. Some people only see what they want to see.”
Ryan chuckled lightly. “I’m used to it.”
“No,” Ava said gently. “You shouldn’t be used to it.”
Her voice was soft but firm. Ryan didn’t know how to respond. Ava was the only person who spoke to him with kindness in this house. And that alone was enough to warm him.
“I’ll check on your mom again later,” Ryan finally said. “I just want her to rest well.”
Ava nodded with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Ryan.”
He left soon after, walking down the dusty road. But even as he moved farther away, he could feel the tension rising inside the house.
Back inside, Clara was now pacing the sitting room.
“Mom, I’m telling you something is wrong. How can the bill suddenly be paid? And Ava is acting too grateful around him.”
Her mother clicked her tongue. “That girl is too soft. She will soon fall for that boy’s fake humility.”
Clara narrowed her eyes. “We need to watch him closely. I don’t want him trying to shine in my house.”
Her mother nodded. “I’ll keep my eyes open. Something is going on with that boy.”
Unaware of the whispers happening behind his back, Ryan continued his walk, thinking only of how to earn enough money for the day. But fate was already working silently around him.
Because little by little, the truth about him was beginning to push itself into the open.
And the people in the house were starting to sense that the “useless son-in-law” they mocked might not be so useless after all…
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Chapter 156
Ryan stood at the hallway entrance like a statue. He did not move. He did not blink. He only stared at Clara, Ava, and Mrs Harrison as they talked about Uncle wanting to bail Eric.His heart was beating fast. His face slowly changed from shock to anger.*Why? Why would that man even think of bailing a boy like Eric?* *Why would he help someone who deals in drugs? Someone who kidnapped Ava? Someone who almost destroyed everything?*Ryan clenched his fists slowly.Clara finally noticed someone behind her. She turned and gasped softly.“Ryan… you’re there?”Ava looked back too. Her eyes widened. Mrs Harrison also turned sharply.Ryan walked forward slowly, his face hard and serious.“What did I just hear?” he asked, his voice low but full of anger.Clara swallowed. “Ryan… I wanted to tell you but—”“But what?” Ryan cut in. “But you wanted to hide it?”Mrs Harrison stood quickly. “Ryan, please calm down.”Ryan shook his head. “Calm down? How can I calm down when someone in this hous
Chapter 155
The next morning was bright and peaceful. Birds were singing outside the window. Inside the sitting room, Mrs Harrison—Grace—sat on the sofa with Clara and Ava.Ava looked stronger and brighter now. She had fully recovered, and she sat comfortably with a small smile on her face.“Mummy,” Ava said, “I feel better now. I think I am ready to go back to school.”Mrs Harrison touched her hair gently. “My daughter, are you sure you are strong enough?”Ava nodded. “Yes, Mum. I rested well. I ate well. And the doctor already said I am fine.”Clara smiled. “I am happy you are going back. Staying at home was making you bored.”Ava laughed. “Very bored.”They all laughed for a few seconds until Mrs Harrison suddenly became quiet. Her face changed a little.Clara noticed it. “Mum, what is it? You look worried.”Mrs Harrison sighed and looked at her hands. “There is something I want to tell both of you.”Ava and Clara looked at each other, then back at her.“What is it?” Ava asked.Mrs Harris
Chapter 154
The afternoon sun was slowly going down. The house was quiet because Clara had taken Ava to the backyard to play. Ryan was in the room resting. That was when Clara’s uncle walked slowly into the sitting room where Mrs Harrison was folding some clothes.He cleared his throat. “Grace… we need to talk.”Mrs Harrison looked up. “Talk about what? You look serious.”Clara’s uncle sat down slowly. He rubbed his palms together as if he was thinking deeply. “It’s about that boy in the station… Eric.”Mrs Harrison frowned immediately. “What about him?”He looked at her closely. “I am going to bail him out tomorrow morning.”Mrs Harrison dropped the clothes immediately. “God forbid! Why would you say that? You want to bail that troublemaker?”Clara’s uncle sighed. “Grace, calm down. Let us think well. The boy is suffering in that place.”Mrs Harrison shook her head fast. “He deserves to suffer! Do you know what he did? Do you know how he almost destroyed Clara and Ryan’s peace? How he behaved ba
Chapter 153
Chapter 153Ryan woke up very early the next morning. Sleep did not stay long with him because his mind was troubled. He kept thinking of one thing:Why did Clara’s uncle hate him the moment he saw him?He lay on the bed for a while, staring at the ceiling. He felt something in his chest, a kind of quiet warning. Something was wrong, but he did not know what it was.Clara was still sleeping beside him, holding his hand. Ryan looked at her peaceful face and forced a smile. He reached out and brushed her hair gently.“I will not let anything happen to you,” he whispered.He got up and went to the window. The compound was quiet. Birds were singing. But even with the peaceful morning, Ryan still felt something heavy in his heart.After dressing up, he went downstairs. Mrs Harrison was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Clara’s uncle sat in the living room reading a newspaper, but he was not really reading. His eyes were moving, but his mind seemed far away.When Ryan entered the
Chapter 152
Ryan woke up very early the next morning. He did not sleep well at all. His eyes were heavy, and his mind was still full of yesterday’s thoughts. But he stood up slowly and forced himself to move. He washed his face and looked into the mirror.“You must stay calm,” he told himself quietly. “You must watch him. You must not make mistakes.”He changed his clothes and walked out of the room. The house was quiet. Only the soft morning breeze entered through the open window. He walked toward the kitchen to drink water, but he stopped when he heard voices.It was Clara and her uncle.Ryan moved slowly and stood near the wall, not too close, but close enough to hear. He did not want them to know he was listening.Clara’s voice sounded calm. “Uncle, you should eat something. You just came back from a long trip.”Her uncle replied with a fake smile in his tone. “I am fine, Clara. Don’t worry about me.”Ryan could hear the change in the man’s voice. When he spoke to Clara, he was gentle. B
Chapter 151
Ryan could not sleep.The whole night felt heavy. The house was quiet, but his mind was not. He sat on the couch in the living room with his hands pressed together. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Clara’s uncle’s face. That cold look. That sharp stare. That strong hatred he did not hide well.Ryan had been judged many times in life, but this one felt different. The hatred from Clara’s uncle came too fast. Too strong. Too sudden. And Ryan kept asking himself the same question over and over again…“Why? Why did he hate me at first sight?”He replayed everything in his head. The moment the man entered the house. The way he smiled at Mrs Harrison. The way he hugged Clara. The way he carried himself with pride. And then… the way his face had changed the moment he saw Ryan standing beside Ava.The smile faded.The eyes narrowed.The body stiffened.And in that first second, Ryan had felt it—the dislike, the anger, the rejection. The man had looked at him like he was a danger. Like
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