Chapter 791

Ryan suddenly stepped closer, making every hair on my body stand on end. Instinctively, I turned away and took two steps back, putting some space between us.

My reaction made Ryan’s eyes darken. He stared at me, his gaze heavy and brooding.

“Let me go,” I demanded, my voice sharp with anger.

“No,” Ryan said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“Then I’ll leave on my own,” I snapped, spinning around and bolting toward the front door.

But Ryan was quicker. With long strides, he caught up to me in seconds, blocking my path at the doorway. “Victoria, are you afraid of dying?”

The moment I heard that unlucky word, I shuddered, staring at him in disbelief.

Ryan’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Don’t go outside. It’s safer here.”

My breath hitched, and my voice trembled. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Ryan’s gaze bore into mine. “I’m sorry, I messed things up. Now things between me and Uncle Ryan are getting worse, and Jeffrey Jennings is furious.”

A chill ran down my spine. I took a few more steps back. “So, because he’s angry, am I in danger?”

“I don’t know,” Ryan admitted, his voice low. “But a couple days ago, one of Jeffrey Jennings’s guys got investigated. It didn’t touch my grandfather directly, but that guy’s been with him for over twenty years–he knows a ton of stuff.” Ryan’s eyes showed a hint of worry.

“So now I’m getting dragged into this too?” I shot back, feeling totally wronged.

“No,” Ryan replied quickly, his voice gentler. “I’m just saying, Jeffrey Jennings is furious right now, and I’m worried he might lash out at you. Plus, Uncle Ryan’s got a mining operation overseas that’s tangled up in all this, so he’ll be busy for a while. He might not be able to watch your back.”

“Ryan, are you punishing me?” I asked, my anger draining away in an instant. I leaned against the wall, my eyes lowered. “Is this your way of punishing me for what happened between me and Edward?”

Ryan’s breathing grew heavier, his lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn’t say a word.

“I guess I really let love cloud my judgment,” I said, looking at Ryan with a bitter smile. “I chose someone I never should’ve fallen for, and now I’ve boxed myself in.”

“You can still choose a better path,” Ryan said, his eyes dark and unreadable. “If you took a wrong turn, you can always come back.”

“Come back just to get back together with you?” I let out a weak laugh. “Ryan, you take love way too seriously. It’s honestly suffocating, you know?”

“All I know is…” Ryan’s eyes turned red, looking like I’d just shattered his whole world. “I came back to where it all began, but you weren’t there anymore. You could’ve picked anyone, so why did it have to be Uncle Ryan?”

“…” I swallowed hard, words stuck in my throat. ‘People are strange sometimes–we ignore what’s right in front of us, always reaching for the moon instead.’

Ryan’s body went rigid, a flash of hurt crossing his face. He let out a dry laugh. “So, what is it about me that you don’t want?”

“Ryan, you were married back then,” I argued, my voice steady. “I’d already moved on from you. I thought I was free, and Edward and I were both single. Why couldn’t we be together? You’re not being fair."

“Why did you have to pick him?” Ryan’s voice was shaking with emotion. “Nathan or Jared–either of them would’ve been fine, they’re both just waiting for you to love them. But Uncle Ryan? I can’t accept that, not ever.”

He closed the distance between us in a few quick strides. I tried to step back, but there was nowhere left to go—the wall was solid behind me, trapping me in place.

Ryan threw his arms out, caging me in against the wall. His eyes were wild, swirling with pain. “Why? Do you know how shattered I was when I found out? It was like Comet smashing into the earth—like I was about to die.”

I stared into his eyes, completely floored. His pupils quivered, barely holding it together. “That kind of suffocating pain… I’ve never felt anything like it in my life.”

“Ryan, do you even hear yourself?” I shot back, my voice sharp with disbelief. “You were married at the time.” I couldn’t believe it–after all this, Ryan was still hung up on me even after getting married. Honestly, if I were Fiona, I’d be pissed too.