LOGINRyan didn't answer immediately. He looked at her before finally exhaling a sharp breath. "Sylvie, you should not worry about that right now. The point is, we have what we need." "Can you stop saying that?" Her voice came out more strained than she intended. "Stop telling me not to worry! Every time you say that, it only makes me worry more. It makes me feel like there’s another monster hiding in the dark that you’re not telling me about." Ryan’s eyes softened, the hard edge melting away for a fleeting moment. He walked toward her and reached out to cup her cheeks in his large, warm hands. His thumbs brushed over her cheekbones, grounding her. "I need you to really just relax," he said, his voice low "You have me. I told you I would handle this, and I am. Please, just trust me for a little longer." Sylvie stared into his eyes and eventually, she let out a jagged breath and nodded. She stepped away from his touch and walked into the living room, sinking onto the plush couch. S
Hours later, Ryan stood at the stove, one hand resting on the counter while the other stirred the pasta slowly, almost absentmindedly. The kitchen was quiet except for the soft bubbling of water and the faint clink of utensils against the pot. The smell of garlic and butter had already filled the space. He exhaled quietly, his mind not entirely on the food. Just then, he heard soft footsteps behind him. He turned slightly, just enough to glance over his shoulder. Sylvie stood at the entrance of the kitchen, her hair slightly messy from sleep, her eyes still heavy as she rubbed at one of them with the back of her hand. For a moment, he just watched her. "Hey," he said gently. "How was your nap?" She let her hand fall from her face and gave a small stretch, her voice still laced with sleep. "It was… fine. Surprisingly. I didn't think I'll even be able to close my eyes." There was something almost amusing in her tone, like even she hadn’t expected to rest that well. She wa
She powered the phone on. When the screen lit up, for a split second, nothing happened. Then, vibration. A sharp, aggressive buzzing in her palm. She flinched. It hummed relentlessly, like it had been waiting for this exact moment. Notifications began to pour in one after another. The screen filled so quickly she could barely read anything. Messages stacked on top of messages. Her hands started trembling almost immediately. Ryan’s grip tightened slightly around her free hand, steadying her, but he didn’t try to take the phone. At least not yet. Her eyes scanned the top of the screen. Liana. Dahlia. Mum. Dad. Zade. The names blurred together. Then she tapped Liana’s chat first. The messages were frantic. ~ Sylvie where are you?? Please answer your phone. You didn’t say anything before leaving. Are you safe? Sylvie I’m serious, just tell me you’re okay. ~ She scrolled upward. There were even more. Messages sent hours ago. Voice notes she hadn’t opened. Her throat tighte
The first thing Sylvie noticed when she woke up was the quiet. Her lashes fluttered open slowly. For a brief moment, she didn’t remember where she was. The ceiling above her wasn’t hers. The curtains weren’t hers. The faint scent in the air, wood, detergent, something subtly masculine wasn’t hers either. Then it all came back. Ryan, his house, the way she had fallen asleep with her cheek pressed against his chest. As she shifted slightly under the covers, she realized she had slept unexpectedly well. Her hand moved instinctively to the other side of the bed, it was empty. The sheets were cool too. She blinked at the space beside her, processing it. She realized Ryan was already up. She sat up slowly, pushing the duvet down to her waist. Morning light filtered through the curtains in pale streaks. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet met the cool floor. She stretched slightly, shoulders rolling back, then stood as she slipped her feets into the hous
The mall lights were already glowing against the deepening evening when they pulled into the parking lot. It was one of those malls with glass front, automatic sliding doors, soft gold lighting. Ryan cut the engine and glanced at her. "You okay?" She nodded. "Yeah." He stepped out first, walking around the car to open her door. She noticed the way he automatically took most of the weight, always positioning himself between her and everything else. Inside, the mall hummed with life. It was almost six-thirty now, the early evening rush still alive but beginning to thin. Ryan slowed his steps so she could walk beside him. "Pick whatever you want," he said quietly. "Don’t worry about anything." She looked at him. "Ryan..." "I mean it." His voice was firm but soft. "Whatever it is at all that you need." She hesitated. "I can pay for some of it." He gave her a look, gentle, but unyielding. "No. You shouldn’t worry about that. Just… trust me. It’s not an issue." She swallowed and
For a few more suspended seconds, their foreheads rested against each other. Their breathing mingled in the narrow space between them. His thumb still lingered near her cheek, warm against skin.But then, the reality of the last twenty-four hours surged back into Sylvie’s mind. The abandonment, the panic, the tears shed on Liana’s shoulder, it all came rushing back, She pulled away suddenly creating a distance. Her eyes, which had moments ago softened with relief, began to shine with something else entirely. Tears. They gathered quickly, blurring her vision. "Why?" she demanded, her voice breaking before it could fully rise. "Why did you leave? How could you? You left me." Ryan froze. She stepped back further, shaking her head as if the sight of him standing there only made her more angry. "Do you have any idea what that did to me?" she asked fiercely. "Do you have any idea?""Sylvie, listen to me..." He instinctively reached for her hands, but she yanked them away from him.
Ryan didn’t walk over. He ran. The moment he took in the scene, the way Sylvie was boxed in, the way one of the men’s hand clutched her bag, something in him snapped cleanly in half. "Miss Wilfred..." He was already moving before the word fully left his mouth. She barely had time to register hi
Later that evening, Sylvie was curled up on her bed, scrolling aimlessly through her phone, when a knock sounded on her door. "Miss Sylvie?" a voice called from the front of her door. She stood up and went to open the door "Mr. Wilfred asked that you come downstairs." She paused, frowning slig
Dahlia didn’t let it go. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes still fixed on Ryan as if she was reassessing him from a new angle. "So," she said, slowly, "who are you exactly?' Ryan didn’t seem thrown off. He answered the way he answered everything, direct and controlled. "I’m Miss Wilfred's
Sylvie and Dahlia stepped out of the building.Dahlia insisted on walking her to her car.She asked casually at first, looping her arm through Sylvie’s like it was nothing more than habit and laughed as she did it, talking about how much fun she’d had, about how Sylvie should come out more often, a







