Chapter 4

Ryder hesitated for a moment, then quickly took his phone back. "I didn't book a flight. It's probably just a text about some airline promotion."

Mona wanted to ask more, but Ryder didn't seem interested in discussing it, so she let the matter drop. After all, Ryder had never lied to her before, and she trusted him not to start now.

She nodded and was about to head to the bathroom when Ryder stopped her and took a first-aid kit from the cabinet. "You've got a cut on your back from some broken glass. Let me clean it up."

Mona looked surprised, but she sat down on the couch and took off her jacket, revealing the bloody cut. The injury wasn't serious, but since it was on her back, no one had noticed it.

She hadn't expected Ryder to notice, either.

As he carefully cleaned the wound with a cotton swab, she remembered the letter from the reunion. "Ryder, about that letter earlier..."

"Try not to get it wet when you shower. It could get infected. And be careful if you get into another fight. Don't get hurt again. I won't be around to patch you up anymore." Ryder continued tending to her wound, giving her no chance to ask about the letter.

Mona had been distracted by his interruption and missed the last part of what he'd said. She looked up at him. "What did you say?"

Ryder shook his head, finished securing the gauze over her wound, and went into the bedroom. By the time he'd finished drying his hair, Mona had come out of the shower.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

But Ryder turned his head, avoiding her kiss. "I'm not feeling well today. I'd rather get some sleep."

Mona didn't insist. She tucked the covers around him and turned off the light.

The next morning was bright and sunny. Ryder was getting ready when he heard a commotion downstairs.

When he came out, he found Kieran at the house with a group of friends.

Mona stood by the door, frowning at them. Her voice had taken on its usual impatient tone. "What are you doing here?"

Before Kieran could answer, a few of his friends stepped forward, grinning. "Kieran told us how you came to his rescue yesterday! He was so grateful that he insisted on coming over to thank you in person!"

Kieran then produced an enormous bouquet of flowers and a beautifully wrapped gift from behind his back. "Mona, thanks for helping me yesterday. I brought you a little something!"

Mona didn't reach for either gift, though her expression softened considerably. Seeing this, Kieran handed the bouquet straight to Ryder without much courtesy. "These are Juliet roses, Mona's favorite. Mind putting them in a vase?"

Mona frowned, her voice turning cold. "Just because they're your favorite doesn't mean they're mine. And Ryder is my husband. Stop treating him like a servant."

The room fell silent.

Ryder, however, remained calm. He looked down at the beautiful roses in his hands. This was the first time he'd learned what they were called.

Juliet roses. Kieran's fondness for them explained why Mona had spent so much money cultivating that particular variety in her greenhouse.

Ryder said nothing. He simply handed the bouquet to the housekeeper. "Could you bring down a few vases from the display cabinet upstairs?"

Kieran gave him a long, knowing look. Ryder ignored him, picked up his breakfast, and went out onto the balcony.

Through the window, he could clearly hear the conversation in the living room.

"Mona, aren't these the paper cranes I used to make back in middle school? You've kept them in a crystal box all this time? If you like them that much, I'll make you another box tomorrow!"

"Wait, why do you have this set of dolls? I remember throwing them in the trash. Did you actually dig them out?"

"Hey, isn't this the maple leaf we picked up at Briarwood Mountain? You really turned it into a bookmark and kept it all these years?"

Kieran kept exclaiming over the things he found, sounding like a kid discovering hidden treasures.

As Ryder listened, he remembered the first time he'd visited the villa. He'd asked Mona where all those keepsakes had come from.

"My little cousin gave them to me when she was in kindergarten. I just kept them."

Back then, Ryder had believed her without a second thought. He'd been so quick to accept her explanation that he'd failed to notice the complicated look in her eyes.

The love, resentment, longing, and regret he'd seen in her expression had all been there for a reason. Every one of those feelings had been about Kieran.