Lahat ng Kabanata ng A Story That Doesn’t Belong To You: Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

Ryan woke to the faint hum of the city beyond Daniel’s window a low, constant reminder that life moved on, even when his world felt shattered. Morning light crept through the curtains, painting golden bars across the hardwood floor. For a moment, he thought it would be quiet. Peaceful.He was wrong.Daniel was already gone, and Chris’s mug sat half empty on the kitchen table. Ryan had slept in his clothes jeans and the old hoodie Adrien liked to call “mine” but he felt no shame about it. His body ached in new ways: bruises from Adrien’s grip, rope burns on his wrists, and a lingering tension in his chest that sleep couldn’t erase.He pushed himself up on one elbow and spotted the envelope lying on top of his notebook a stark white formality in the midst of disarray. His name was scrawled in Adrien’s familiar slanted handwriting.Ryan’s pulse quickened. His hand hovered over the envelope, fingers trembling. He wanted to tear it open and destroy whatever lay inside without reading a sin

Six years was a long time to go without looking over his shoulder.In the beginning, peace felt like an illusion Ryan couldn’t trust. For months after Adrien was sent away, he kept expecting to find him standing outside his building, or to hear that low, deliberate voice behind him in a crowd. Even in the safest spaces, the shadow of what happened lingered.But as the months turned into years, Adrien became a ghost in his life distant, silent, gone.Ryan’s world slowly reshaped itself.He graduated with honors, surrounded by friends. Daniel was in the front row at the ceremony, his steady gaze following Ryan’s every step. Chris was whistling loudly from the back, earning him a glare from the faculty but making Ryan laugh for the first time that day.It was a real laugh, too not the careful, practiced smile he’d worn so often after the kidnapping.By the second year, Ryan had moved to a new city to live with his cousin, Ella. She’d started a small marketing and design firm, and offere

The email came the next morning.Ryan skimmed the first lines twice before calling Ella into his office.“It’s from Adrien’s assistant,” he said, handing her the tablet. “Apparently, the CEO wants to host a party for us… to ‘celebrate the new partnership.’Ella’s eyes lit up. “That’s incredible. Think of the networking! We’ll be in a room with his entire executive team, major investorsRyan cut in. “Ella, you do realize this isn’t normal for a corporate contract, right? Most companies send flowers. Or a card.She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re overthinking it. He’s just making us feel welcome.Ryan didn’t answer. But he remembered Adrien’s words in the office yesterday, the way his gaze lingered like he was measuring every inch of him. A second chance.The party was set for Friday night at one of the city’s most exclusive rooftop venues. Ryan almost backed out twice once when he saw the formal dress code, and again when Daniel called.“You’re really going to his party?” Daniel’s

Daniel showed up at Ryan’s office just as the clock hit six. He leaned in the doorway, his tie loose, hair a little messy, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth.“Get your coat, he said.Ryan looked up from his desk. “Why?“Because you’ve been working non stop for weeks and you look like you’re about to merge with that chair,” Daniel replied. “We’re going out. Just you and me. No work talk.Ryan hesitated. “Daniel“Don’t argue,” Daniel said, already reaching for Ryan’s jacket on the back of his chair. “I’m not asking.Ryan sighed but allowed himself to be pulled out of the office. “Fine. But if you drag me to some loud club“No clubs, Daniel promised. “Just somewhere you can breathe.An hour later, the two were at a cozy downtown lounge, the low hum of music wrapping around them like a blanket. Daniel ordered cocktails for both, sliding one toward Ryan.“This is stronger than it looks,” Ryan said after the first sip. He felt the warmth spread quickly through his veins, melting aw

The sharp sting of sunlight pierced through Ryan’s eyelids, dragging him out of a shallow, restless sleep. His head throbbed like someone was hammering from inside his skull, each pulse pounding in rhythm with his heartbeat. His mouth was dry, his stomach unsettled the unmistakable aftermath of too much alcohol.He groaned and turned his head, blinking against the unfamiliar room. It was clean, quiet… and smelled faintly of Daniel’s detergent. The faint memory of last night rushed back in disjointed flashes the drinks, the teasing smiles, the heat of Daniel’s lips on his. The way Ryan had half responded before his weak protests, the way Daniel had stopped himself.His chest tightened. He didn’t know what was worse the kiss itself or the fact that he’d thought about it more than once since waking.The sudden buzz of his phone made him flinch. He reached for it sluggishly, still half buried in the blanket. The name on the screen made his breath hitch. Adrien.Swallowing, Ryan swiped