Chapter 15%
The moment the words left Yanna’s lips, my stomach twisted into knots. I stood frozen in place, my mind racing. Jack was infertile? Then whose child was she carrying? Did she lie to him? To his entire family?!
I should’ve walked away. I should’ve acted like I heard nothing. But before I could slip out unnoticed, Yanna stepped out of the dressing
room.
Our eyes met.”
She stilled, her grip tightening around the fabric of her gown. “How long have you been standing there?“}
I forced a smile, keeping my expression neutral. “I just got in. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Yanna studied me for a long second, her posture tense. “Did you hear anything?”
I tilted my head, feigning confusion. “Hear what?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Good.” But then her eyes darkened, and her voice dropped lower. “Listen, if anything happens to this wedding, I’ll know exactly who to blame.”
I returned her stare, unflinching. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Yanna.“}
She scoffed, clearly not convinced, but I didn’t give her a chance to press further. I turned on my heel and left.
When I returned to Ryan, my heart was still pounding.
He noticed immediately. “What’s wrong?“>
I hesitated. Should I tell him? Would he even believe me without proof? Would he believe me if I just told him what I heard? But this was So confusing knowing that their family might be ruined. I might have ruined a wedding–but it was never okay to lie.
What should I do?
I sighed. Not now. I need proof because Ryan might have attacked his brother and Yanna immediately–that was something I wouldn’t want to happen, for them to fight against each other. Even with competition between them, they were still family.
Instead, ! shook my head. “Nothing. Just a long day.”
Ryan frowried but didn’t push. “I see. If you’re done with the gowns then we should go home so you can rest.“}
But I couldn’t. I needed to be sure. Over the next few days, I secretly gathered information. Using a few connections, I had Jack and Yanna followed, tracking their every move. I needed proof before I said anything to Ryan. But I underestimated how it would look from the outside.
One evening, I returned to my room to find Ryan sitting on the edge of my bed. Spread across the mattress were photographs. Jack’s photos.
My heart stopped.”
Ryan lifted one, his jaw clenched. “Explain this.”
I swallowed hard. “Ryan-“}
“Are you cheating on me?” His voice was tight, controlled, but I could hear the hurt beneath it. “Or is it worse? Are you obsessed with Jack? Is that why you were stalking him and then Yanna? What’s all of this? Are you here to ruin my family?“}]
I flinched. “What? No! Ryan, it’s not what you think.”
His grip on the photo tightened. “Then tell me what to think, Kylie, because from where I’m standing, this looks like you’ve been stalking my brother… and I hate the idea of it.”
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “I overheard something, Ryan. Something about Yanna’s pregnancy. I wanted to make sure it was true before saying anything.“}
Ryan’s expression didn’t change. “And you didn’t think to tell me first?“}
“I didn’t want to start a war between you and Jack unless I had proof. I’m sorry… I was just scared, okay? I learned a lot already from the mistakes I had done in my family… and I just…”
His shoulders dropped slightly, some of the tension leaving his body. “You should’ve told me, Kylie. I could’ve helped you. I’m going to be your husband. There shouldn’t be secrets between us, especially when it comes to my family.”
I sighed, stepping closer. “I know. I’m sorry.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then, Ryan exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I was scared,” he admitted. “I thought you were starting to like Jack, then eventually left me.“%
I reached for his hand, squeezing it. “That’s impossible, Ryan. It’s always been you.”
His gaze softened, and before I could say anything else, he pulled me into a kiss. A deep, lingering kiss that made my head spin. We pulled away, breathless.
Ryan smirked. “Then let’s deal with this together. I won’t let Yanna ruin our family. If it wasn’t Jack’s child, then he has the right to know before it’s too late.“%
“Jack might get mad at you.”
“He sure would but then he’s my family. Even if I hated him, he doesn’t deserve to be lied to. And that Yanna seemed to be a gold digger.” With Ryan’s help, we gathered the final piece of the puzzle. Jack was truly infertile. He didn’t know. But Yanna did. When they struggled to conceive, she sought out another man to get pregnant, ensuring she would secure her place in the Smith family.
Ryan didn’t want a direct confrontation. Instead, he sent an anonymous package to their house.
202
Inside was proof of Yanna’s affair–photographs of her with the real father of her child. And the package was scheduled to arrive during their family dinner.
The dining hall was filled with quiet chatter and the soft clinking of silverware against fine china. The atmosphere was deceptively warm, the kind of forced politeness that came with high society gatherings.
Ryan and I sat across from Jack and Yanna. At the head of the table sat their grandfather, Janno and beside him, their father, James. It was a night to discuss the inheritance, to finalize who would be the heir to the Smith empire.{}
Jack, looking more confident than ever, rested a hand on Yanna’s stomach. “With my child on the way, I think it’s safe to say the future of the Smith family is in good hands.“>
Yanna smiled sweetly, though I noticed the slight tension in her jaw.
Ryan leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. “So, the final decision is made?”
Their grandfather took a slow sip of his wine before nodding. “Jack has proven himself. A stable family is a strong foundation for leadership. Once the baby is born, the inheritance will be his. You’ll also get one, Ryan, but not that bigger, and Jack will be named CEO.“}
I bit the inside of my cheek, glancing at Ryan. He was calm, his fingers tapping against his glass as if he were waiting for something.
And then, as if on cue, a maid stepped forward.
“Sir, a package has arrived for Mr. Jack.”
Jack frowned. “A package?”
The maid nodded, handing him a thick envelope. Silence fell over the table as Jack took it, his fingers hesitant as he ripped it open.
Photos spilled onto the table. Dozens of them. Images of Yanna in the arms of another man.”
Jack’s expression twisted in confusion, his hands shaking as he sifted through them.”
“What the hell is this?” he muttered.Z
The room darkened with tension.}
Janno and James exchanged glances before James cleared his throat. “Explain this, Yanna.”
Yanna’s face turned pale. “I–I don’t know what this is.”
One of the photos slipped closer to Jack, an undeniable image of Yanna wrapped around another man, their lips inches apart.
Jack’s grip on the table tightened. “Who is this?“}
Yanna opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
I watched as realization dawned in Jack’s eyes. His hands curled into fists, his breathing sharp and uneven. Then, his grandfather’s voice cut through the silence.
“Is this true, Yanna? Whose child is that?”
Yanna didn’t speak and turned to me–she knew I heard her that day.
3:36 PM
Chapter 16%
The dinner had been a disaster.}
Ryan and I left the estate in silence, the tension still thick in the air. The sound of the car engine filled the space between us, but neither of us spoke. I glanced at him, noticing how his jaw was clenched, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. His usual confident demeanor was gone, replaced by something heavier–something almost vulnerable.
“You okay?” I finally asked, breaking the silence.
He exhaled sharply, as if shaking himself out of his thoughts. “Yeah. I just…” He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I just keep thinking about my father.”
I leaned back against the seat. “You’re worried about how he’ll handle all of this?”
He nodded. “It’s not just about him, though. It’s about the company, the inheritance. After this mess, they’ll have to rethink everything. Jack… he was their first choice, but now, with all of this coming to light…”
I hesitated before asking, “Do you even want to handle the company?”
Ryan let out a humorless chuckle. “It’s not about wanting it, Kylie. It’s about responsibility. I know I’d do better than Jack. He has a history of gambling, making bad investments, and dealing with shady people. If he takes over, the company will collapse. But at the end of the day, it’s still my father’s decision.“M
I reached over and squeezed his hand. “You’d be a great leader. But for now, you should give yourself a break. You can’t solve everything in one night.”
He glanced at me, his expression softening slightly. “You’re right. For now, I just want to focus on us.“}]
We arrived at the estate after some minutes. The night had just started to settle when a loud knock echoed through Ryan’s estate.
Ryan frowned, pushing off the couch. “Who the hell-“}]
Before he could finish, the door swung open, and Jack stormed in, fury written all over his face. Without warning, Jack threw a punch. Ryan barely had time to react before the impact sent him stumbling back, his lip splitting open.
“What the hell?!” Ryan growled, wiping the blood from his mouth.
“You bastard!” Jack seethed. “You ruined everything!”
Ryan straightened, unfazed. “You’re gonna have to be more specific.”
Jack’s fists clenched. “I was supposed to get the inheritance! I had everything planned out, and you just had to go and expose Yanna, didn’t you?”
I blinked. What did he say? Was he aware of it? I didn’t think about it.
Ryan let out a low laugh, shaking his head. “I thought i was protecting you, Jack. I thought I was saving you from a gold digger. Turns out, you knew the whole time, didn’t you? Oh, I shouldn’t have felt guilty but I was glad that I did the right thing.“}
Jack flinched, his eyes darting away. “That’s none of your damn business. Why do you have to do that? Why can’t you just accept that I’ll get the company?“”
Ryan scoffed. “You let a woman manipulate you, played along, all for an inheritance? And now you’re blaming me for your own choices? I did that for our family… but you were actually the one ruining it by lying to our father.“}
Jack’s face turned red with rage. And then-
“Of course, it’s her fault!”
Yanna’s voice rang through the room as she entered. She stormed in behind Jack, her perfectly styled hair slightly disheveled, her expensive heels clicking angrily against the floor. Her eyes landed on me, and I could see the sheer hatred burning in them.
“You,” she spat. “You ruined everything. If you just shut your mouth, then this wouldn’t have happened! I told you not to do anything to ruin the wedding!”
At first, I was guilty. I thought that I had ruined something in them–their relationship filled with love. But all I could see now was their business relationship. It seemed that they didn’t love each other, it was all for a show, for money.
I raised an eyebrow. “I think you did that all on your own. You shouldn’t have lied in the first place.“}
I was really glad now that I was in love with Ryan that I didn’t have to lie about us when we got married.
Yanna let out a humorless laugh. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you?”
She lunged at me. I barely had time to react before her nails scratched against my arm. The pain was minor, but the sheer aggression caught me off guard.
I shoved her back. “Are you crazy?!”
“You think you can just walk into this family and take everything from me?” she shrieked, eyes wild.}
Jack tried to hold her back, but she thrashed against him. Ryan stepped between us, his protective instincts flaring.”
“Enough,” Ryan said coldly
But Yanna wasn’t done.!!
“You’ve always been a snake, Kylie,” she spat. “You seduced Jayson, and now you’re doing the same thing to Ryan. But let me tell you something–you don’t belong here.”
I laughed dryly “And you do? Lying about your child’s father, using Jack for money?”
Her expression twisted with rage. “You little-”
3:36 PM
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Haughed unyy. Anu you uʊ: Lynny aʊʊut your cimus father, usilly Jack for money?
Her expression twisted with rage. “You little-”
She lunged at me again, and this time, we collided, knocking over a small table in the process.
Ryan and Jack both moved to separate us, but before they could- A sharp pain tore through my stomach.
I gasped, stumbling back, my hands instinctively flying to my abdomen.
And then I felt it.
The warm, sickening wetness between my legs.
Blood.
Panic gripped me as my vision blurred. My breath hitched. “Ryan…” My voice came out weak, trembling. His head snapped toward me, and the second he saw the blood, his entire face paled.
“No. No, no, no-” Ryan caught me just as my legs gave out.
Yanna and Jack fell silent, their anger disappearing in an instant.
Ryan scooped me up in his arms, his voice tight with fear. “We need to get to the hospital. Now.”
I clutched his shirt, my fingers trembling. “Ryan… what’s happening to me?”
His grip tightened as he carried me out the door, his voice filled with desperation. “Just stay with me, Kylie. Just stay with me.“}]
The world around me faded as I struggled to keep my eyes open.
barely heard Ryan shouting for help as the darkness pulled me under.
