“Your hands are bleeding, it must’ve been the glass.” Ryan’s voice brought Niamh out of her wandering thoughts.
With the light from her phone, Niamh realized that there was a bleeding wound on the back of her right hand.
“Wait here.” Ryan then made his way toward the first-aid kit and returned quickly after. “Let’s stop the bleeding first. I’ll clean and dress your wound first.”
His voice was gentle while his palm was warm as he held Niamh’s hand and began to treat the wound with familiarity.
Niamh frowned at the pain. She made no sound, but Ryan seemed to have realized it anyway and his touch grew gentler. “I’ll be done soon.”
“Okay.” Niamh smiled and asked curiously, “The way you work reminds me of a doctor. Did you learn first-aid?”
Ryan halted for a moment before replying, “I took a few medical lessons when I went to university.”
The wound was dressed just as he finished speaking.
“Try not to wet your wound for the next few days. Let’s get you downstairs. It doesn’t seem very safe here.”
“Yeah. Thank you.” Niamh turned around to take her bag from the chair.
Ryan pulled her back. “I’ll do it.”
He made his way over and stared at the glass shards all over the floor as he took her purse.
“Let’s go, Ryan. It doesn’t feel very safe here.”
“Alright.” Returning to Niamh with her purse in hand, he took his phone to shine their way.
Niamh made her way to follow, only to accidentally step on one of the glass shards. In her heels, she felt herself slip at the smooth surface.
Ryan immediately reached out to hold Niamh’s shoulder, steadying her swaying frame.
“Thank you.” Niamh exhaled in relief.
Ryan then presented his palm to her. “Would you care to walk with me?” he suddenly asked.
In the dark, Niamh caught sight of the sincerity between his brows and nodded, placing her hand in Ryan’s palm.
Ryan gave a warm smile and tightened his grip on her hand, the warmth of his palm seeping to the back of her hands.
It was warm.
Very warm.
Due to the sudden power shortage, they could not take the elevator.
As such, Ryan held Niamh’s hand as they walked down the stairs carefully.
It took a while before they finally exited the building, but the power had not returned.
Niamh decided to call the manager who told her that an unknown issue had occurred with the building’s fuse box. They were currently doing their best to fix it.
Niamh did not press further and hung up the phone. She turned to thank Ryan, but he seemed to understand her and spoke first.
“You don’t need to thank me. It’s a pleasure to be the person you want to rely on.”
His gaze reminded her of the night, gentle and deep.
“I want to be the first person you think of when you find yourself in danger and in need of help.”
“…”
Niamh had no idea how to reply, but the look in his eyes was sincere.
It was evident that his feelings for her were no longer as simple as him ‘fancying’ her.
Still, Niamh did not find Ryan suitable for herself. She had three kids, was married twice, and got divorced twice.
As if sensing the awkwardness Niamh felt, Ryan smiled and changed the subject.
“Let’s go eat dinner. I’ve booked a place.”
Niamh nodded, internally thanking Ryan for realizing and changing the subject.
On the other end, Lana threw her phone with the newly acquired picture at Naomi.
A magnified image of Ryan holding a frightened Niamh just moments ago appeared before Naomi’s eyes.
She remembered how much she wanted to kill this idiot when Kendrick had almost burned her alive, but that did not mean she would not milk this idiot of its full purpose now.
Lighting a cigarette, Lana took a drag and puffed out a breath of smoke before she began to taunt.
“Do you see this? Ryan has been with Eveline since a long time ago. He has never liked you to begin with. I had someone look into it and I found out that Ryan has always loved Eveline from the start. It was love at first sight before he even got into university.”
“What? Really?” Naomi was infuriated.
Lana rolled her eyes as if to say ‘of course’. “Or did you think that Ryan wasn’t a man? You’re a pretty woman, I’ll give you that, but did he even kiss you once over the two years you two dated?”
“…”
“It’s not that he couldn’t. He just wasn’t interested in you.”
“…”
“The woman he’s interested in has been Eveline all along. He picks her up every day after work. They’ve been secretly together for a while now.”
“That btch!” Naomi hit the desk with her fist furiously. “I knew Eveline was trying to seduce Rye! I would’ve been Mrs. Jones long ago had it not been for that btch! I’ll never let her get away with this!”
Watching Naomi react, Lana quirked her red lips in silent satisfaction.
…
After Niamh’s hardworking preparations, it was finally the day of the annual charity gala.
Celebrities from Glendale and everywhere else were in attendance, along with a few top businessmen and wealthy, famous philanthropists.
Some of them were Eloise and Sean’s friends. They came to ask Niamh how she was coping as well to give her encouragement and support.
After thanking each of them, Niamh then went backstage to get rid of some of her stress in the lounge.
There was a heavy weight on her shoulders.
This was a charity event Sean and Eloise created with their own bare hands. She was afraid that she would mess up and throw everything they had worked for down the drain.
She pulled out a picture of her parents and stared at it.
“Mom, Dad, I’ll definitely make you proud.”
“Are you alright, Eveline?” Ryan came over to check up on her.
Wiping the tears off the corner of her eyes, Niamh turned to the suited man and smiled, replying frankly, “I just miss my parents. I’m scared that I won’t be able to do it as well as them. I don’t want to throw their hard work away.”
Ryan gave a small smile. “You’re doing great. The atmosphere outside is pretty good. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
Niamh nodded and exited the lounge with him. “Thank you for staying by my side through all of this. You even helped me deal with things I had no idea how to. I don’t even know how I’m supposed to thank you at all.”
“Do you really want to thank me?” Ryan asked meaningfully.
Startled, Niamh nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
Ryan then stared sincerely at her with his starry gray eyes while reaching an arm out to her. “Very well then. Now, if you will?”
Staring at Ryan’s outstretched hand, Niamh could not help but think of Kendrick.
Just what did she need to do to completely cut this man out of her mind and life?
Was she supposed to throw herself into a new feeling?
“Life is hardly ever smooth-sailing, Eveline. Give yourself a chance to start over, and give the people who care about you a chance as well.”
Ryan reached out to Niamh.
However, before his hand could touch her, a mocking voice sounded in the air.
“Tsk. There are so many guests waiting for you outside, Miss Montgomery, and you still have the time to waste it flirting with a man over here? I should’ve known that charity is always done for the sake of image.”
Niamh and Ryan looked up to see Lana approaching them in a seductive evening gown.
Standing beside her was Kendrick Waldburg.
Niamh had not seen the man again after she decisively broke it off with Kendrick by the seaside in April Hill.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.