Chapter 21
Surrounded by everything I could ever need–money, security, a house far away from anyone who could find me–but still, alone. I wasn’t allowed to contact anyone. Not my family. Not Ryan. Not even my mother.
And for the first time, I realized just how cruel loneliness could be.
The silence was deafening. No Ryan’s voice. No laughter. No warmth. Just an empty house, a growing belly, and the weight of a decision I couldn’t undo.
I sat on the couch, flipping through channels mindlessly until the news caught my attention.”
“Business tycoon Ryan Smith offers a hefty reward for any information regarding his missing fiancée, Kylie Gray.”
My breath hitched. Ryan was still looking for me. Even after all these days. Even after I left him. Why? He should move on. I hurt him! He should curse at me.
The screen flashed images of him–his face tired, his once sharp and controlled expression replaced with something I had never seen before. Desperation.
My fingers trembled over my phone. I wanted to call him. To tell him I was okay. To tell him I missed him. To tell him I loved him. But I didn’t because I might cry in front of him and tell him to take me back… that I wanted him. That I never wanted to obey his father.”
Instead, I forced myself to turn off the TV and clutched my stomach. This was for the better. I convinced myself over and over again. Ryan needed to succeed. He had fought for everything he had, and I refused to be the reason he lost it all.
i took a deep breath and dialed another number–my mother’s.
“Kylie?” My mother’s voice cracked the moment she answered. “Where have you been? Do you know how worried we are? Ryan-“W “Kylie?”
“I know,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I saw the news.”
“Then come home!” she begged, “He’s been going crazy looking for you! What happened? Why did you do this? What is happening?”
I closed my eyes, my grip tightening around the phone. “Because… it’s for the best.“W
Silence.W
Then, a sharp inhale. “No. No, it’s not. Who told you that? Did someone force you to-“W
“No one forced me.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Ryan has done nothing but protect me. But I… I don’t deserve him. I just realized that I was ruining him so just don’t tell him. I just called to say I was okay…”
“That’s not true.“W
I ignored the pain in her voice. “Mom, I need to ask you something.“W
“What is it?”
“If I give you my location, will you come alone? No one else can know. I just need someone… I can’t bear this alone. It hurts.”
“Of course. Anything, sweetheart.”
i exhaled a shaky breath. “Okay. I’ll send it to you now.”
But it wasn’t my mother who came. When I opened the door, my stomach dropped. It was Jayson.”
“Surprise,” he said, stepping inside before I could react.
I froze. “Where’s Mom?”
“She wanted to come,” Jayson admitted. “But I convinced her it’d be better if I saw you first.“W
I should’ve slammed the door in his face. I should’ve kicked him out. But I didn’t. Because for all his flaws, Jayson was still my family. And I was so damn tired of being alone.”
“Relax,” he said, raising his hands. “I’m not here to mess up your life again. I came as your older brother. Nothing more.“@
I crossed my arms. “Why should I believe that?”
His smirk faded. “Because you need help. And whether you like it or not, I’m the only one who can give it to you.”
I stayed silent, contemplating his words.
Jayson sighed. “Look, Ryan has every private investigator in the country searching for you. You can’t step outside without someone recognizing you. Do you really think you can do this alone?”
I clenched my jaw, knowing he was right.
“I just want to help,” he continued. “Until the baby is born.“W
I hesitated. Then, finally, I nodded. Because deep down, I needed him.
That night, after Jayson left, I sat in bed staring at my phone.
I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have been weak. But I was. And so, I called the only number I had left.
The estate’s landline. I didn’t expect anyone to pick up. I just wanted to hear the silence. To pretend, for a moment, that I was fiome.
But then-
“Hello?”
My heart stopped. Ryan. His voice was tired. Broken.
theld my breath, gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white.!!
337 PM
He spoke again, this time with an edge of frustration. “Who’s this?”
I said nothing. I just listened. To the way he breathed. To the way my name almost slipped from his lips.
And then, just as I was about to hang up-
“Kylie?“%
I dropped the phone. I couldn’t do this. I pressed a hand over my mouth, stifling my sobs as I curled into myself. I wanted to run to him. To let him hold me. To tell him I was sorry.
But I couldn’t. So, I cried. Alone. Just like I was supposed to be.
The next morning, I turned on the TV. A familiar face filled the screen. Ryan. Standing beside a woman I didn’t recognize.
“Sources say Ryan Smith is rumored to be engaged to socialite and billionaire heiress, Liliana Voss, in an arranged marriage orchestrated by the Smith family.“%
My blood ran cold. I gripped my stomach, willing myself not to fall apart. This is what I wanted.
I should be happy for him. I should be relieved that he was finally free.2
But all I could do was cry.
D
