Semua Bab Stripper by Night, Doctor by Deception : Bab 121 - Bab 130

RYANShe turned.Just as quickly as she’d come in, she spun on her heel like she’d changed her mind, like seeing me had startled something deep inside her.She was about to walk out.No.No.I jolted up and rushed toward her, cutting through the few feet of space between us. My hand caught hers right before she could pull the door open.“Bella… what the hell is going on?”She stopped walking. Her hand was small in mine. Warm and real.God, it was her. She was real.“How did you survive the accident?” I asked, my voice low but trembling. “They told me you were dead. I saw the reports. I… I mourned you, Bella.”She still wouldn’t look at me. Her eyes were locked on the ground like maybe if she didn’t meet my gaze, she could pretend this moment wasn’t happening.“What happened?” I pressed, stepping in front of her. “Why didn’t you reach out? Why did you disappear? Why did you go into hiding?”Nothing.Not a single word. Just silence.She looked up slowly, her eyes glassy with emotion, li

RICARDOI didn’t want to tell him like this.God, I really didn’t.Watching Ryan crumble in front of me was like watching someone I once swore I hated… break in a way I wouldn’t wish on anyone. He looked like a storm had ripped through his chest, torn out everything that made him stand, and left him there swaying, trying to make sense of the ruins.But the truth had to be said.He needed to know who Rafael really was.“I didn’t want to tell you like this,” I said quietly, watching him clutch the gun like it was the only thing keeping him upright. “But you deserve the truth. You deserve to know who he really is. Who he’s always been.”He didn’t speak. Just stared at me, his chest rising and falling like he was drowning.I took a slow breath, trying to pace the words before they gutted him.“Lucas… I got to find out you were working with him.” I began, my voice barely audible. “But then he was playing you. He was working with other people.”Ryan’s head jerked slightly, his eyes narrowin

RYANI woke up with a jolt.My heart was racing. For a second, I had no idea where I was. The room was dim, unfamiliar, silent… except for the dull throb in my chest that reminded me I was still alive.I sat up slowly, the blanket slipping off my shoulders. What the hell…? I didn’t even know when I fell asleep. I didn’t want to. I hadn’t planned to. My last memory was that call… Rafael’s voice.And now I was here. Wrapped up with a blanket.I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes. The clock on my phone glared up at me: 3:02 AM.“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. I wasn’t supposed to be here. I wasn’t supposed to let myself rest. I definitely wasn’t supposed to sleep under Ricardo’s roof like everything was normal.Dragging the blanket off me, I stood and paced quietly to the door, then cracked it open. My eyes scanned the small hallway.No sign of him.I stepped out, the cold tile stinging against my bare feet, and walked toward the ray of light coming from the corridor.And then I

RYANI stared at the tray on my lap like it was some sort of illusion. Like if I blinked, it would vanish and I’d wake up to an empty room and the usual tightness in my chest.But no. It was real.French toast. Scrambled eggs. Tomato stew. Apple slices neatly arranged on the side like a garnish from some hotel menu. And juice. Juice in a damn glass, not a bottle.I blinked again, slowly.“You cooked,” I said, still trying to process the miracle that had just walked into my life.Ricardo just raised a brow. “I said I did.”“No,” I said, sitting up a little straighter, “you don’t understand. You. Cooked.”He smirked. “Wow. You make it sound like I just performed heart surgery instead of cracking a few eggs.”“That is heart surgery… for you!” I said, laughing now, because honestly, the idea of Ricardo Lorenzo Moretti, Mafia Boss and certified terrifying man, standing in a kitchen with an apron and a spatula was sending me.“You’re not exactly the domestic type,” I teased, lifting a fork.

RYANAs soon as the call ended, I dropped the phone on the couch and looked over at Ricardo.We both burst into laughter.Not because anything was funny.But because it was ridiculous. All of it. The lies. The performance. The fact that I’d spent months falling for someone who didn’t even see me as human, just a stepping stone on his path to the throne.“I mean…” I shook my head, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. “Did you hear me? ‘I’m not myself without you.’ God, I sounded like I belonged in a damn soap opera.”Ricardo chuckled beside me, leaning back on the armrest, his hand brushing against mine. “He bought it though.”“Of course he did,” I muttered. “I was a fool for so long, Ricardo. I thought he loved me. I almost married that psycho.”My laughter faded.It wasn’t funny anymore.It was terrifying.I turned toward him, reaching for his hand. His fingers were warm and firm against mine. “Thank you,” I said, quieter now. “For finding out the truth. For not giving up on me.