The Useless Son In-law Is A Legend

Chapter 37

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 was dim, with only two small lights on. Two other men stood inside—Joel and Cameron. They all respected Ryan, even though he barely acted like a boss.

“Is everything fine?” Joel asked.

Ryan nodded. “Any trouble around Clara’s family?”

Marco stepped forward. “Eric has been quiet the past few days. Too quiet. It looks like he is planning something but hiding it very well.”

Ryan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I expected that. Keep watching him closely. He can’t be trusted.”

Cameron spoke next. “Also, we saw Clara arguing with Ava again. Something about clothes and money. Nothing big.”

Ryan sighed slowly. Clara and Ava fought all the time, but recently, their fights were getting worse. He didn’t know why, but it worried him. He didn’t want Clara to break under pressure—no matter how stubborn she was.

“What about Mrs. Harrison?” Ryan asked.

“She’s fine,” Marco replied. “She works late, but we follow her every night until she gets home. No one has bothered her.”

Good. That was exactly what Ryan wanted.

Ryan wasn’t protecting them because they were perfect.  

He was protecting them because he loved them.

They were the first people who treated him like family when he had nothing. Before the insults, before Clara’s harsh words, before everything became complicated.

Cameron stepped closer. “Boss… are you ever going to tell them you’re watching over them?”

Ryan shook his head immediately.

“No. They don’t need to know. I want them safe, not scared.”

Joel studied Ryan carefully. “How long will you stay in town this time?”

“Only tonight,” Ryan replied. “I need to check something myself.”

Marco exchanged a look with the others. “Is it about your father?”

Ryan lowered his gaze for a moment. A shadow crossed his face.

“Yes,” he said quietly. “Someone in this town knows the truth about his death. I’m sure of it. I just haven’t found the right trail yet.”

The men stayed silent. They knew how deep that wound was.

Ryan had lost his father to murder… a murder still unsolved. That pain pushed him to train, to grow stronger, to learn to fight, to hide, and to become a completely different man.

Sometimes, Ryan wondered if staying away from Clara’s family was actually the right thing. But whenever he tried to forget them… he couldn’t.

“You’ll find the person responsible,” Marco said confidently.

Ryan forced a small smile. “I will. But not tonight.”

He turned to the group.

“For now, focus on Eric. If he tries anything stupid, let me know immediately. Clara may hate me… but she doesn’t deserve any more problems.”

“Understood.”

Ryan walked back to the door, ready to leave. But before stepping out, he paused.

“And take care of Ava too,” he added. “She’s young. She doesn’t need to carry all that pain.”

Marco nodded. “We’ll protect all of them.”

Ryan slipped out into the night again. The air felt colder now. He kept his hood up, blending into the darkness as he made his way out of town. He didn’t look back, not even once.

But deep inside, a part of him wished he could.

A part of him wished he could walk through the front door of Clara’s family home and hear her mother say, *“Ryan, you’re back.”*  

A part of him wished Ava would smile at him again.  

A part of him wished Clara would look at him without anger in her eyes.

But wishes were dangerous.

He disappeared into the night, heading back to his hidden place—silent, determined, and alone.

Ryan did not stay long.  

He only came to protect and disappear again.  

That was the life he chose.

And for now… it was enough.