Alle Kapitel von Love You, Forever and Always: Kapitel 11 – Kapitel 20

The plane landed. Ryan slid into the back seat of his driver's car.Ryan had vanished overseas for seven days without a word, and his father, Marcus Delgado, was already seething with rage. And when Marcus saw the video of Ryan barging into Harper's engagement ceremony, he nearly exploded."So the rumors are true? You're chasing after Harper like some lovesick fool who can't get over her? Everyone in Montenarre knows Gabe is my sworn enemy. You've thrown my reputation into the gutter! If you keep acting like this, forget about inheriting the company!"Ryan simply threw down a cold, "Then I won't," and hung up.He leaned on his hand, fingers pressed to his temple, eyes dark as he watched the scenery blur past the window.Since childhood, Marcus had drilled into him the art of strategy: never expose your weakness to anyone. And Ryan had lived by that rule—methodically bringing down his opponents, basking in the admiration of those who fell at his feet.He'd never once fallen for th

These past days had been a quiet agony for Harper. The only consolation she could cling to was that, even after learning everything, Christopher still chose to get engaged to her.More than that—on her worst days, when everything twisted in her chest and drained her spirit—his occasional words of comfort always arrived just in time, steadying her when she faltered.If it weren't for his silent companionship, she wasn't sure she would've made it through without breaking.Harper's mother looked at Christopher in surprise. Gabe was the first to snap out of his daze, clapping Christopher excitedly on the shoulder. "Good lad! With you taking care of Harper, we can finally rest easy."Christopher gave a quiet nod and reached for Harper's hand. "Once the wedding is over, once everything's settled, Ryan is the first one I'm going after. I'm not letting anyone bully my wife."Harper was deeply touched, but she gathered her courage and spoke. "I want to let this go."Three pairs of eyes tu

When Ryan woke up again, the hospital room was empty, save for himself.He bolted upright, only for the world to tilt and darken. Reaching up, his fingers brushed against thick bandages wrapped around his head. One arm was in a cast.After a few seconds, he forced the covers aside, stubbornly trying to get out of bed. But just then, Harper walked in.A rush of relief surged through him. His eyes lit up. "I thought you'd left," he said.She set the medicine down on the bedside table. "The doctors ran tests," she said, her tone flat. "You've got a mild concussion and a broken right hand."Ryan didn't care in the slightest. If anything, he wished the injuries were worse. If breaking his body meant she'd soften and stay, he would've gladly taken worse—paralysis, even.He was still trying to figure out what to say when she spoke again. "Christopher looked into it for me. The guy driving the sports car was just a random rich kid. He has no connection to you."Ryan froze. The sudden sh

The right side of Ryan's face swelled almost instantly.One of the large diamond rings on his mother's hand had left a deep, bleeding scratch, stretching from the end of his brow to the corner of his mouth.In that critical moment, he had stepped in front of Harper.Ava stared blankly at the blood trickling down Ryan's face. She remained frozen for several seconds before a shriek escaped her lips.Even Harper couldn't hide her shock.Hadn't Ryan seen all those rumors online? Hadn't he always been the one to protect Olivia, refusing to let her suffer even the slightest harm?But now, she heard him say it with her own ears, "I believe in Harper's character."In truth, Ryan had long since made up his mind. Somewhere in those three years, across more than a thousand days and nights, his trust had quietly taken root.He just hadn't wanted to face it—he had allowed himself to stay lost in lies and prejudice.The sports car crash may have struck his head, but it had scattered the haz

Christopher came home, wrapped an arm around Harper, and kissed her on the side of her face.His eyes caught the invitation in her hand."You want to go?"Harper nodded slowly, as if weighing something.The envelope, though labeled an invitation, felt more like a declaration of war.Olivia wasn't extending an olive branch—she was flaunting her so-called victory. She had never learned where to draw the line. Since that was the case, Harper saw no need to back down anymore."Christopher, do you still have that thug who spread the rumors?"The man in question was a smooth-talking con artist—once mistaken by Olivia for a rich heir, back when she'd been too blind to see through the act.After falling into Christopher's hands, the man crumbled without resistance and spilled everything.Including an entire collection of Olivia's private videos."If we're attending an engagement party," Harper said calmly, "I suppose we should bring a fitting gift."Christopher listened to everythin