“Why are you getting so worked up? After all, I'm only telling the truth,” Claire asked.Ryan signed, he knew she was yelling the truth like she said but he was still very angry about it as he didn't like her tone in any way.“What's this about?” Ryan asked, losing it finally after all. “I already told you,” I have no idea what else you need to hear from me,” Claire replied.Ryan sighed and coughed again. Ryan checked the time, It was very close to midnight and he was getting sleepy.Ryan contemplated going to retire in his chambers but he quickly banished the thoughts as he wasn't ready to let Claire have peace.“Watch your tone. Now, pick up the Lamp, and let's keep walking,” Ryan said after a short and awkward moment of silence.Claire did as Instructed and they left the room. After locking the door, Ryan instructed that Claire go ahead of him as she was the one with the light.Claire was uncomfortable with this as she had no idea what he was up to. However, refusing him wasn't an
All of a sudden, Ryan threw the candle off and pulled her up into his arms. They were close and Claire couldn't believe it but they could still see each other clearly in the darkness.They stood there, silent for a few seconds as Claire had also held Ryan instinctively when he pulled her close for fear that he would let her go.Ryan was looking into her eyes and she was doing the same. It appeared that they weren't in a hurry to leave each other as they provided each other in the cold.Claire didn't have much choice to let go since her feet were barely on the edge of the stairs so she was a bit taken by surprise when he refused to let her go.All of a sudden, Ryan brought his eyes down to her lips, making her go wild. It came from nowhere. Claire couldn't believe it and she wasn't prepared if he was about to do what she thought he was going to do.“What are you doing?” Claire asked, her voice barely a whisper.“I'm sorry, it's just that I was expecting to hear you sing again as apprec
Ryan woke up to a slight tap on the shoulder. Ryan was having the most horrendous dream he had ever had. In the dream, he and Claire had been running away from monsters that were attacking them.Ryan had no idea what the reason was for such a dream but he knew he remembered it perfectly and was sure he was not mistaken.Looking around, Ryan wondered where he was and why he was under the clear sky and not in his bedroom. Ryan heard a voice and only then did he decide to pay any attention to the ones who had been tapping him before.Ryan saw Anton, the man who was the male head of the household workers. He had been with the family for a very long time and he was very loyal to the family.“What are you doing here? What am I doing here?” Ryan asked, making the man stutter as he was unsure of which question he was supposed to answer first.“Well, typically yesterday you and the lady had a nice meal and you both came here to spend the night. I'm guessing you were so overwhelmed by the dri
Ryan smiles, knowing that it was his pesky workers who were supplying his mother with daily reports on his life.Although it annoyed him, he was still happy with it as it only meant that she was concerned about him which was a thought he welcomed gladly.“Wow, that's interesting. I wonder who among my staff is spying on my family for you,” Ryan replied jokingly.“I would prefer to keep that secret. Who knows? It could even be all of them and knowing you, I'm not comfortable with letting you become aware of it,” she replied.“Well, it's true. I and Claire shared a dinner yesterday like normal married couples do but if you're craving to hear something that would excite you, I'm sad to disappoint you as I'm not romantic like Dad,” Ryan replied.“Oh please, don't give me that. From what I heard, you and he had a lovely meal and even went up to spend the night. I won't ask what happened because it's none of my business but I know that I'm very happy with it as I'm expecting to see my grand
Claire was shocked by those words, and a worried look appeared. Her brother, the only family she had left, was now facing whatever problems he was at the hands of a psycho.Although she couldn't tell what the problem was right away, The fact that it was in the man’s house that the problem happened made her suspicious of him.After all, Mr Josie was a known psycho, and he was capable of pulling a few strings together to make him fall sick accidentally if he needed to for a reason.Claire was picking at this point, not she decided she would boy let that show. Instead, she would find out the problem before jumping to a conclusion.“What do you mean by that? What has happened to him?” Claire asked angrily.Although her intention had been not to show any sign of too much when it came to it, she had failed miserably in this as when she spoke; her mouth had only followed what she was feeling and not what she thought.“Calm down, it's not as serious as you think. I was playing with your emoti
Josie could not believe her ears; it was not that he said that he had not called because of her brother that bothered him; it was the fact that he was trying to send her on an errand after all that she had already done for him.These wealthy people could not have enough; they were never satisfied no matter what they made you sacrifice for them.“I can't believe you're asking me something like this. After all, I have done, it still isn't enough for you. Tell me something; if you did not want to tell me about this mission, would you have called to tell me about my brother's bruise?” Claire asked, knowing the answer to that question.“You see, I'm a businessman. If you know earned anything about business with that degree, you acquired as pathetic or was. If you at least paid attention to classes, you would know that customers love to return to their manufacturers for more when the deal is good. In that sense, I can not leave you alone in peace as you crave. Do not expect or hope for it;
Knowing the kind of man that he was, Claire knew he could want that, and with his last reply, she had already established the fact that he had a motive against their family.So many questions began going through her my. Why was he after the Golds? Was it for wealth or satisfaction?The idea that a family who was not as powerful as the Golds was trying to play rocks with them amazed her.It made her wonder why Josie was sent to marry Ruan in the first place if it was for a motive, and she was curious as to whether Josie was aware of the evil plan he was preparing or not. It wasn't too far-fetched to think such a thing. After all, she had been suicidal for a reason, as a forced marriage didn't even seem enough to be a reason anymore.“This is getting far more serious than I thought. Are you sure no cameras are waiting to get me in trouble the moment I get into that room?” Claire asked.“That's a good question. Let your mind be at rest; I made sure I took care of everything beforehand s
“Calm down, why are you yelling? I'm the one who should be angry here, and I'm not even angry, but still, you're feeling tense. Is there a reason why you are acting up?” I asked.“No, I'm okay. I don't even know what you are talking about. I don't feel tense or bad,” he replied; there was anger in his voice, and she could hear it.“You need to calm down. I don't know what you're going through, but you have to stay strong. You can't lose yourself for any reason. If you do, what will become of you when you regain freedom?” Claire asked, trying to be subtle with him.It was not who she wanted to be. She was too far away from him to make him hate her when it was unnecessary.It was one thing to lose access to him and another to lose her love in his eyes when she looked into them, and she hoped she would.“I don't know. I'm sorry, I guess,” he replied dryly.“Do you know you're being bad right now, “ Claire asked angrily.“That's enough. If you have any other thing to say to him, then you
The room was still, save for the heavy breaths of everyone present.The sound of breathing — sharp and erratic — seemed to reverberate against the walls, bouncing off the tense atmosphere that had settled like a thick fog.Ryan’s chest heaved with every breath, his fists still clenched at his sides.He was standing over Mason, his body rigid, his eyes wild with rage, but there was something else behind the anger.Fear.And the fear was growing, creeping beneath the surface like an insidious tide."Who’s behind this?" Ryan’s voice was a low growl, but there was a tremor to it now.A hesitation that hadn’t been there before. The calm, unshakable leader that he had always been was slipping, revealing the cracks in the facade. "You’re not going to get away with this, Mason. Not this time."But Mason only laughed. The sound was sharp, cruel, and mocking.A laugh that sliced through the tension, amplifying the feeling of dread in the room."You think you’ve got it all figured out?" Mason s
Claire’s heart dropped.Someone closer?The words echoed in her mind like a drumbeat, each thud growing louder, more insistent.She had been through so much. The violence, the betrayals, the bloodshed.But hearing this — the sharp, cold implication of it — was different. It felt like a punch to the gut, a strike to the very core of her being.Ryan’s hand, still clutching Mason’s collar, tightened with a force that seemed to rattle the very air around them.His face was a mask of rage, but Claire could see it—the briefest flicker in his eyes.A shadow.Fear.He wasn’t just angry. He was terrified.It wasn’t the same fury that had burned through him when Mason had first walked into the room.This was something deeper, something that went beyond simple hatred.Mason was watching them both with a smile that seemed to grow with each passing second, basking in the tension he had created.The air in the room grew thick, suffocating, like smoke from a fire that no one could put out.No one sp
The battle was far from over.Claire’s hand was still trembling as she lowered the gun, the weight of it foreign and heavy in her grip.Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs, each beat a painful reminder that she was still alive.The attacker she had shot lay sprawled at her feet, blood pooling beneath him, staining the pristine marble floor a deep, angry red.The sharp, metallic scent of gunpowder clung to the air, thick and suffocating.But Claire couldn’t focus on any of it.Not yet.Because something was wrong.Something was missing.---Ryan moved like a force of nature through the chaos, swift and brutal. His men—loyal, lethal—cleared the room with ruthless precision, every movement efficient, every shot deadly.The leader who had taunted them earlier now lay crumpled near the fireplace, a bullet hole in his chest.And yet... the gnawing sensation in Claire’s gut only grew.This wasn’t just a random attack.It wasn’t even a revenge strike.It was a message.Her eyes darted
Claire woke up the next morning, the remnants of a restless night clinging to her.The storm clouds still hung heavy in the sky, and there was no sign of the sun. It seemed fitting, considering the tension she felt, coiling tighter around her chest with every passing hour.She glanced over at Ryan, still sleeping soundly beside her.It was a rare sight.The lines on his face were softer now, his usual fierce demeanor replaced by a quiet vulnerability. For a moment, Claire just watched him, letting herself breathe a little easier. But the weight of their situation pressed down on her, pulling her thoughts back to reality. They didn’t have the luxury of peace for long.Her phone buzzed beside her on the nightstand.Claire’s heart stopped.It was a message from an unknown number.She reached for the phone, her fingers trembling as she unlocked the screen.The message was short, but the words hit her like a punch in the gut.> "You won’t see it coming. Be careful."Claire’s stomach flippe
The following morning felt colder than usual, even though the sun was out.Light streamed through the windows, painting long golden stripes across the floor, but it didn’t chase away the chill.Claire woke with a start, reaching instinctively for the warmth beside her.But Ryan’s side of the bed was empty.The sheets were cold, as if he’d been gone for hours.Panic gripped her chest like a vice.Had something happened overnight?Had he gone after those men alone?Throwing off the covers, she scrambled into a hoodie and leggings, her pulse racing painfully.She flew down the grand staircase, barefoot, heart hammering against her ribs.The estate was eerily silent.As if the walls themselves were holding their breath.---In the kitchen, Claire found Mrs. Dalca sitting at the long table, sipping coffee from a delicate porcelain cup.The older woman barely glanced up from the newspaper spread in front of her."Where’s Ryan?" Claire gasped, breathless from running.Without missing a beat,
Claire sat by the window that night, wrapped in a blanket Ryan had placed around her shoulders.The rain had softened to a drizzle, tapping softly against the glass.But inside her chest, a full storm still raged.Ryan sat across from her, watching her in silence, a glass of whiskey untouched in his hand.Neither of them spoke for a long time.Words felt too small for what they had been through.Finally, Claire broke the silence."Who were they?" she asked, her voice still hoarse from screaming earlier.Ryan leaned back, jaw tight."Enemies," he said simply.Claire let out a shaky breath."But why me? Why not come straight for you?"Ryan’s eyes darkened."Because they know how to hurt me."The confession sat between them, heavy and raw.Claire tightened the blanket around herself.For so long, she had thought she was just a pawn—an outsider trapped in a game too big for her.Now, it was terrifying to realize she mattered more than she thought.That she was the leverage.---Ryan stood
Morning came too quickly.The world outside the window was still gray and heavy with rain, but the house stirred with a new kind of tension—a waiting, stretching unease that pulled at every corner.Claire awoke in a cold bed.Ryan was gone.For one heart-stopping moment, fear clutched her chest.Was it all a dream?Had he abandoned her?Her fingers clutched at the sheets, her breath quick and shallow.Then she saw it—the note folded neatly on the nightstand.Stay inside. Don’t open the door for anyone but me. — RClaire snatched the note, reading it twice.The neat, slashing handwriting steadied her trembling fingers slightly, but only just.Something was wrong.Terribly wrong.She could feel it humming under her skin like electricity before a lightning strike.The house—usually so loud, so full of life—felt muted, as if it were holding its breath.---Downstairs, the estate was alive with hurried footsteps and hushed whispers.Guards moved like shadows through the halls, their faces
The halls of the Gold estate were eerily silent, every shadow seeming heavier, every creak of the old wood floors louder than usual.Only the low, steady hum of rain against the windows kept them company, a soft percussion that filled the empty spaces where words couldn’t.Claire sat curled in an armchair in the guest room, a thick blanket wrapped around her like armor.Her wet clothes had been stripped away by kind, nameless hands, and a fresh set of soft cotton pajamas clung to her skin.A cup of tea steamed on the nightstand nearby, untouched, forgotten.She stared blankly at the wall, not really seeing it.Her body was there.Her mind...Her mind was still back in the woods.Still feeling the slick weight of the gun in her shaking hand.Still seeing the twisted snarl on Mason’s face.Still hearing the deafening crack of the gunshot.She should have felt victorious.Strong.Triumphant.Instead, she just felt—Tired.So, so tired.Her bones ached with it.Her soul sagged beneath it.
Ryan stood over Mason, the gun steady in his hand, smoke still curling from the barrel.Claire lay in the mud at his feet, coughing, gasping for breath.The sight of her—broken, bruised, terrified—unleashed something wild and primal inside him."Step away from her," Ryan said, his voice low and deadly.Mason wiped blood from his mouth, a twisted smile spreading across his face."Well, well," he rasped."The prince himself comes to rescue his little whore."Ryan’s finger twitched on the trigger.It would be so easy.One more shot.End it.But Ryan held back.Barely."You don't deserve to say her name," Ryan said, his voice vibrating with rage.Mason laughed, a wet, ugly sound."Come on, Ryan. We both know you don't really care about her," Mason sneered."She's just another pawn. Another puppet for your twisted games."Ryan stepped forward, gun raised."You don't know a damn thing," he said, eyes blazing.Mason's smile faded.For the first time, there was fear in his eyes.Good.---C