The Useless Son In-law Is A Legend

Chapter 9-Cracks In The Mask

     The next morning, the Harrison house buzzed with quiet gossip.  

Mrs. Harrison sat at the dining table, sipping tea.  

“Have you heard from Eric today?” she asked.

Clara shook her head. “No. He said he had a meeting.”

Her mother frowned. “He’s been acting strange since that night. Maybe Ryan’s curse followed him.”

“Mom, please,” Clara sighed. “Don’t start.”

Mrs. Harrison waved a hand. “Fine, fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Clara finished her tea and left for work, trying not to think about either man.

---

At that same moment, across town, Eric was sitting in his office, staring at his phone.  

Every few minutes it buzzed with messages.

**— Where’s our money?  

— You promised payment last week!  

— We’re reporting you to the police.**

Eric’s hands shook. He deleted each message, but more kept coming.  

His assistant knocked and walked in, holding a folder.  

“Sir, the investors are here again.”

He swallowed. “Tell them I’m in a meeting.”

“They said they’ll wait.”

He slammed his fist on the desk. “Then make them wait forever!”

The assistant stepped back, frightened.  

Eric forced a smile and leaned back in his chair, muttering, “Just one more week. Once I clear Ryan’s name from their minds completely, I’ll be safe.”

He didn’t notice the tiny black device under his desk blinking red — a tracker Ryan’s men had planted the night before.

---

That evening, Clara walked home under light rain.  

She stopped when she saw a little boy crying near the bus stop.  

“Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked gently.

The boy sniffled. “I lost my bag. It has my father’s medicine.”

Clara looked around and saw a man in a dark jacket kneeling near the gutter, pulling something out.  

He handed the bag to the boy without a word and walked away before she could thank him.

For a second, the way he moved — calm, steady, almost too familiar — made her heart skip.  

But the man was already gone.

She stood there, holding her umbrella tightly.  

“Ryan…” she whispered.

---

When she got home, her mother met her at the door.  

“Clara, you won’t believe this!” she said, eyes wide.  

“Eric just called. He said someone leaked his client records online. They’re calling him a scammer!”

Clara froze. “What?”

“Yes! He swears he’s innocent, but who would do such a thing?”

Clara thought for a moment. “Maybe… someone’s paying him back.”

Her mother frowned. “What do you mean?”

Clara shook her head quickly. “Nothing. Forget it.”

---

Meanwhile, in a quiet apartment across the city, Ryan watched the news on a small TV.  

The reporter’s voice was calm.

> “Businessman Eric Harrison is under investigation after investors reported fake contracts and missing funds…”

Ryan’s phone buzzed again.  

“Commander,” his man reported, “the media got the files you asked us to ‘leak.’ Eric’s panic level: very high.”

Ryan’s lips curved slightly. “Good. That’s enough for now. No more.”

He turned off the TV and stared at the rain outside.  

His reflection on the glass looked tired but peaceful.

“She still blames me,” he murmured.  

“But at least she’s safe.”

---

That night, Clara couldn’t sleep.  

She sat on her bed, thinking about everything — Eric’s fake smile, Ryan’s quiet eyes, the night of the party.  

She covered her face with her hands.

“Maybe I was wrong about him,” she whispered. “Maybe I judged too fast.”

Then she shook her head, forcing a small laugh.  

“No… he’s gone. Why am I even thinking about him?”

She lay down, trying to sleep, but her heart felt heavy.

Outside, thunder rolled again.  

And for a split second, a shadow moved past the window — silent, still, watching over her room.  

Then it was gone.