Chapter Six

Ryan walked down the hallway toward Vanessa's room, glancing at his watch.

He had expected her to be downstairs by now, or at least somewhere around the house. She had been awake for most of the morning, asking questions and trying to understand everything that had happened to her. He had left her some time ago, expecting that she would eventually come looking for him.

But she hadn't.

He stopped in front of her door and knocked lightly.

There was no answer.

Ryan frowned slightly and opened the door.

The sight that greeted him made him pause.

Vanessa was asleep on the bed.

She wasn't even properly lying down. She had fallen asleep in a position that made it obvious she hadn't planned on sleeping at all. Her hair was slightly messy, and her face looked completely exhausted.

Ryan stared at her for a few seconds.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"So this is what took you so long," he murmured.

He walked over to the bed and gently adjusted her position. He pulled her legs properly onto the mattress and made sure her head was resting comfortably on the pillow. Then he picked up the blanket and pulled it over her.

Vanessa moved slightly but didn't wake up.

Ryan looked at her for a moment longer.

There was something about seeing her like this that made him forget, even if only for a moment, about everything else waiting for him.

He quietly walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

A maid was passing by when he stopped her.

"She's sleeping," he said. "Let her rest. Don't wake her."

The maid nodded.

"And when she wakes up, make sure she eats something."

"Yes, sir."

Ryan gave a short nod and continued down the hallway.

By the time he reached his study, the softness that had been on his face was gone.

The study was dark and quiet, even though it was still afternoon. The curtains were partly drawn, allowing only a small amount of sunlight into the room. Ryan walked behind his desk and sat down.

He opened one of the files waiting for him.

For the next few minutes, he went through the documents quietly, his eyes moving from one page to another.

Then his phone rang.

Ryan glanced at the screen.

He answered.

"Yes?"

A voice came from the other end.

"Has she settled in?"

Ryan leaned back in his chair.

"Yes."

"Good."

There was a brief silence.

Then the voice continued.

"It's time to take the next step."

Ryan's expression didn't change.

He already knew what the call was about. The voice wasn't telling him anything he didn't know. It was simply a reminder that the situation was moving forward.

Ryan's fingers tapped slowly against the arm of his chair.

"Yeah," he said calmly. "It is."

The call ended.

Ryan placed the phone on the desk and sat there for a moment.

Then he opened the drawer.

Inside was a photograph.

He picked it up and stared at it.

It was a picture of a woman.

For a brief moment, something changed in his expression. The coldness disappeared from his eyes, replaced by something harder to understand.

Regret.

Maybe guilt.

He looked at the picture for a few seconds longer, as though there were things he wanted to say but never could.

Then his face became unreadable again.

Ryan slipped the photograph back into the drawer and closed it.

He picked up his phone and dialed another number.

The person on the other end answered.

Ryan didn't waste time with greetings.

"It is time," he said.

He ended the call.

For a moment, he remained seated in the quiet study.

His eyes moved toward the drawer again.

Then he looked toward the door.

Somewhere upstairs, Vanessa was sleeping peacefully unaware of what's going on but what must be done must be done.