“Where are you right now, Kendrick? I’ll come and look for you.” The old master sounded impatient.
“I’m currently at Y Country, Grandfather. I don’t know where Ryan is hiding Eveline, but I’ll definitely find her and bring her home.”
“I know you’re worried about Eveline, but if you still don’t have any leads, then I hope that you can take a trip back first.” The old master’s tone was heavy, and his worry for Niamh’s current situation was evident.
Realizing that there may be some things that were best said in person, Kendrick agreed. “Alright, Grandfather. I understand.”
Before hanging up, the old master left a remark. “Tell me straight away if there’s any news about Eveline.”
“I will,” Kendrick promised, but he was back to being lost once more.
He had no idea where Ryan was and the fact that Ryan could still do as he wished despite being charged as a murderer was odd.
Still, Kendrick could not help but be worried about Niamh.
He had no idea how she was doing since she was forced to leave with Ryan that day in the hospital.
‘You have to wait for me, Nia.’
Ever since her parents got into an accident the other day, Niamh never saw them again.
She asked Ryan how her parents were doing and the man merely called a number before handing her the phone.
Sean’s voice rang from the other end, but the conversation had just begun when Ryan took the phone back.
Niamh turned into a pitiful beggar as she begged Ryan, “Can you please let me talk to my parents for a little longer?”
Ryan looked down at a short-haired Niamh, her stunning eyes void of the stubborn glint that was once there.
Ryan was most satisfied with that alone.
He would force Niamh to the corner and sand down all of her sharp edges, breaking her stubborn determination and will until she could no longer fight against him.
“Please, Ryan. I’m begging you.” Hope sparkled in Niamh’s eyes.
Ryan reached out to tuck her short hair behind her ear. “If you’re willing to be a true couple with me tonight, Eveline, forget about talking to them a little longer. I can bring Mom and Dad back to live with us as well. You understand what I mean, don’t you? You have half a day to decide.”
Ryan curled his lips into a smirk and turned to leave.
Niamh was rooted in place for a long while before she finally returned to the bedroom. Staring blankly into the mirror, she clenched her fists and made a decision.
‘If you want me so much, Ryan, then sure. You can have me!’
Having made her decision, Niamh went to look for Ryan.
The man sat leisurely in the courtyard with a book in his hand and a cup of coffee.
The afternoon sun splashed against his back, adding a warm tint to his fair and handsome features.
Beneath his gentle and defined features was a completely different person, one that ran shivers down people’s spines.
Niamh curled her fingers into a fist but walked toward him anyway.
Ryan caught sight of her from the corners of his eyes and raised his bottomless eyes to look at her with interest. Niamh’s small and delicate features were reflected in his gaze.
The man seemed proud of his handiwork as his eyes fell on her refreshing new bob cut.
“How can I help you? Or perhaps, have you already decided?” Ryan closed the book as a confident smile graced the man’s gentlemanly features.
Niamh walked up to him. Faced with the man before her, she was surprised to find a sense of uneasiness sparking in her chest.
“Ryan.”
“Hmm?” The man hummed lazily as his eyes roamed across Niamh’s face. “You don’t have to beat around the bush.”
“Alright.” Niamh stopped hesitating and met the man’s dark, unclear gaze head-on. “Will you ever let go of my parents? Even if I listen to whatever you say and live as your puppet like you wish?”
“You’re wrong.” Ryan stood, his denial sparking hope in Niamh’s eyes.
Ryan smiled when he caught the newfound glimmer in Niamh’s eyes. “As long as you promise to listen and be obedient, not only will I stop targeting your parents, but I’ll even send them back to Glendale when the time comes. They’ll get to continue their carefree days.”
A smile graced Niamh’s features at his claim. “Really?”
Ryan nodded. “It all depends on your behavior.”
His following words hit Niamh like a bucket of cold water.
Her smile vanished. “So as long as I do what you want, you’ll really let my parents go? What about me? Will you ever let me go?”
Niamh stared at Ryan and felt her heart grow colder when the man suddenly curled his lips into a smile.
“Never,” Ryan replied curtly, “I will never let you go.”
“…”
“Don’t even think about getting back with Kendrick. The only way that would possibly happen is if I were to die. Even then, I’d make sure to bring you with me. Kendrick must suffer the pain and regret of loss that he can never make up for.”
Niamh felt severely suffocated under Ryan’s dark gaze that bore straight into hers.
For a woman who did not fear even death at one point in her life, Niamh was terrified of what Ryan could do at that moment.
Ryan lifted his hand and placed it above Niamh’s head as she stood blankly in the same place. His tone and gaze turned gentle.
“So have you given it enough thought? Won’t you finally complete your duties as a wife to me, hmm?”
Niamh pinched her finger secretly and forced herself to meet Ryan’s gaze.
“Can you give me a little more time?”
“How long do you need?” he asked straightforwardly, “I don’t have a lot of patience to give.”
Niamh clenched her pink lips. The last line of defense in her eyes was close to being broken down.
“I don’t know. So let me get to know you starting from this moment onward.”
Ryan analyzed the look in Niamh’s eyes and approached her with a sly smile on his face. “I suggest you stop thinking of ways to trick me, Eveline. Since you’ll be the one suffering the consequences, after all.”
A disoriented look flashed through Niamh’s eyes.
Ryan caught the look, and his gaze took a dark, terrifying turn. “You never really learn, do you, Eveline?
“Why must you force me?” Ryan frowned. “Don’t blame me for being cruel when you’re the one with the stubborn will.”
Ryan grabbed Niamh by the wrist and proceeded to drag her inside.
“What are you doing, Ryan? Let go of me!”
Fear filled Niamh’s heart, suffocating her.
She had not felt so afraid even when Kendrick used to hurt her before.
However, Ryan himself was a petrifying man.
No matter how cruel Kendrick became, he still never went for anyone’s life.
However, Ryan was not below using any brutal methods at all!
Niamh tried to pull away from Ryan’s grasp, but the man was too strong and her bones felt like they were moments away from being shattered.
As she was being forced to follow behind him, both her slippers slipped off amidst her chaotic footsteps.
Anger exploded from Ryan. The man was no longer the kind and gentlemanly person she once knew.
He dragged Niamh to the villa’s storage room where all sorts of trinkets were placed. Without exposure to sunlight, there was a musky scent of age in the room.
Ryan pressed Niamh against the wall and grabbed both her shoulders, forcing her to face his enraged expression. “Why must you be so stubborn? Must I torment you? Let me tell you, Eveline Montgomery, I don’t love you as much as you think. My heart will not soften when it comes to you!”
Niamh pursed her pink lips and broke into a sarcastic smile. “Who cares if you love me or not? Torture me if you want, Ryan. I don’t care if I die. But you’ll never win my husband!”
That was something Ryan did not want to hear the most.
He grabbed Niamh’s slender neck as his eyes grew predatory.
“Do you not fear death at all, Eveline?”
“Death? The only thing I fear is not seeing the man I love the most again!”
“You…”
Enraged, Ryan tightened his grip on her neck.
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.