“I’ll rest for a bit. You should try to get some sleep, too.”

Tyler didn’t think much of it, completely unaware that something was off with Rachel. He just assumed she was tired and wanted to lie down.

Rachel gripped the blanket tightly, fighting to keep herself from completely breaking down.

Yale arrived with Sheryn and was about to knock on the door when Tyler raised a hand, signaling him to keep quiet.

Yale caught on immediately. He helped Tyler up carefully and led him out of the room. They shut the door gently, both thinking Rachel was asleep, but she wasn’t.

Out in the hallway, Tyler sat on one of the benches. His expression turned cold.

“I heard you’ve decided to cover for Howard. Is that true?”

Sheryn knew he would ask her this. If it were about Rachel, no matter how busy or badly hurt he was, Tyler would make time for it. But when it came to her, even if she needed him, he was nowhere to be found. The difference between being loved and not being loved was glaring. After this whole ordeal, Sheryn seemed to have figured a few things out. Her expression was blank, her eyes dull, and her voice flat and weak. There was even a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

“What choice did we have? Tyler, you’ve given up the Lewis family’s protection for Rachel. You might still be able to protect yourself, but us? If we go against the Ziegler family, you know better than anyone what life in Yurelia City would be like afterward.”

Tyler frowned. “So you’d rather trust Howard than trust me?”

Sheryn’s tone carried no guilt, only resignation.

“Tyler, you’ve always been good to us, but it’s different now. All your attention is on Rachel. You don’t have the time or energy to care about us anymore.”

Tyler chuckled. “So you think I shouldn’t treat my girlfriend well? That I should be doing that to you instead?”

He had always spoken bluntly, and Rachel often thought he had a sharp tongue. But if she’d been paying closer attention, she would’ve realized Tyler was already far more lenient with her than with others.

Sheryn pouted. “You never used to be like this with me. Ever since you started seeing Rachel, you’re not as nice to us as before.”

“Have I stopped giving you money? Have I stopped feeding you?”

That hit Sheryn like a hammer, freezing her in place. Her face was stiff with embarrassment. She had originally wanted to ease the tension between them, still holding on to the hope that Rachel’s trouble this time had irritated Tyler. After all, Howard and Rachel had been alone in that factory for quite a while. When they found Rachel, her clothes were disheveled. Even if nothing had actually happened, there could have been other contact. Knowing Tyler’s possessiveness–whether Sheryn had seen it firsthand or not–she knew enough to realize he wouldn’t take that lightly. Perhaps he was just keeping it to himself.

Tyler didn’t bother beating around the bush.

“I don’t care what Howard offered you to change your story. You’re going to tell the police exactly what happened that night.”