Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Miles' stuttering attempts at explanation were cut short when Nathan stepped forward, his face a mask of barely controlled fury. His hand shot out, gripping Ravyn's arm with enough force to make her wince, though she refused to give him the satisfaction of showing pain.

"Ravyn," Nathan's voice was low and dangerous, meant only for their immediate circle but somehow carrying in the hushed room. "What the hell do you think you're doing, disgracing yourself—disgracing this entire family—in front of Rhys Larsen of all people?"

The name dropped like a bomb into the silence.

The effect was instantaneous and dramatic. Conversations that had merely paused now stopped entirely. Wine glasses froze halfway to lips. Several guests actually took small steps backward, as if proximity to the scene might somehow implicate them in whatever scandal was unfolding.

Ravyn felt the stranger—Rhys Larsen—tense slightly beside her, though his expression remained carefully neutral. She caught whispers rippling through the crowd like waves spreading from a stone thrown into still water.

"Rhys Larsen? The Rhys Larsen?"

"I thought he was dead..."

"Didn't he disappear five years ago? Same time as that business with his parents..."

"My God, he was accused of killing them, wasn't he? And then he just vanished..."

"I heard he was in prison somewhere, rotting away..."

"But he came back and destroyed the whole Sinclair family in two months. Two months! They're all behind bars now..."

"The sentences were insane. Twenty years, thirty years, life without parole..."

"Built his company from nothing in six months after that. Six months! It's worth billions now..."

"And he has a son, doesn't he? Nobody's ever seen the boy's face..."

"Always wearing a mask, that poor child. What kind of life is that?"

"There's no mother in the picture, apparently. People have been trying to figure out who she is for years..."

"I heard someone tried to get DNA samples from the boy. They found the person's business completely bankrupted within a week..."

"Three reporters tried to photograph the child without permission. Their entire media conglomerate was dismantled in less than a month..."

Ravyn absorbed this information with interest, noting how the whispers painted a picture of a man who was both feared and respected in equal measure. A man who had been through hell and emerged not broken, but forged into something harder and more dangerous than anyone had anticipated.

Nathan's grip on her arm tightened, his voice dropping even lower as he hissed in her ear. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Any idea at all? This man could destroy us with a phone call. One phone call, Ravyn!"

Jeremy had moved to flank her other side, his face pale but his voice steady with suppressed anger. "Whatever game you think you're playing, stop it. Now. Apologize to Mr. Larsen for any inappropriate behavior and remove yourself from his presence immediately."

Garret approached more slowly, his businessman's composure firmly in place despite the tension in his jaw. "Mr. Larsen," he said, extending his hand with practiced ease. "Please accept our family's sincere apologies for any discomfort our daughter may have caused you. She's been... unwell... and doesn't always exercise the best judgment."

Eleanor appeared at his side, her social smile fixed firmly in place even as her eyes promised Ravyn severe consequences later. "She's only just returned from abroad, you see. Still adjusting to being home. I'm sure she meant no offense."

Aspen hung back slightly, her newly acquired engagement ring catching the light as she twisted it nervously around her finger. Miles stood beside her now, one arm around her waist in a possessive gesture that looked more like he was steadying himself than comforting her.

Rhys Larsen's expression remained pleasant and neutral as he regarded the Hawkins family surrounding them. When he spoke, his voice carried clearly through the silent room, ensuring every guest could hear his words.

"I'm sorry," he said, his tone polite but edged with something sharp, "but I'm confused. You're suggesting this woman is your daughter?" His gray eyes swept over the family with calculated interest. "Your daughter, who you just retrieved from abroad after years away, and yet you're treating her like a criminal caught in the act of some heinous crime?"

Nathan's face flushed darker. "That's not—we're simply concerned about—"

"About her engaging in perfectly appropriate conversation with a fellow guest at a social function?" Rhys interrupted smoothly. "How strange. I would think concerned parents might be pleased to see their daughter enjoying herself after such a long absence."

Ravyn felt the moment shift, felt the subtle power dynamic tilting as Rhys maintained his calm demeanor while her family grew increasingly flustered. She decided it was time to add her own voice to the conversation.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice carrying that same careful politeness she'd been using since her return. "But do I know you?"

The question landed like a second bomb. Nathan's hand dropped from her arm as if she'd suddenly caught fire. Eleanor made a small choking sound. Jeremy's mouth fell open in shock.

"Ravyn—" Garret started, warning clear in his tone.

But Ravyn continued, addressing Rhys directly while keeping her expression innocently confused. "These people seem to think we have some connection, but I honestly can't recall meeting any of you before tonight. Are you perhaps business associates of someone I used to know?"

She could see her family's panic mounting, could practically feel the collective horror radiating from them as she systematically dismantled their claim to her. After all, she was simply following their lead—they'd spent the last day treating her like a stranger, so why shouldn't she return the favor in public?

"You see," she continued, turning to address the room at large with a small, apologetic smile, "I'm just a nobody, really. How could someone like me possibly be of any importance to the great Hawkins family? They're renowned business leaders, pillars of society. And I'm..." she gestured vaguely at herself, "well, I'm just me. Surely there's been some mistake."