Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan)

Chapter 104

RYAN

“Did you do this?!” I erupted the moment Istormed into the master bedroom.

Stephanie, clad in a red translucent nightwear, rose from the bed at the sight of me barging in like a raging bull. Crossing her arms, she chuckled arrogantly. “I

suppose stirring up a bit of trouble with Lily was all it took to lure my husband back home.”

Her smug demeanor only fueled the flames of my anger. Closing the distance between us in seconds, I seized her by the neck in a tight grip, my fingers digging into her skin with deliberate force. She clawed at my hand, her red–painted nails leaving angry marks on my skin, but I remained unfazed by her struggles.

I felt no pain, not with the white–hot fury coursing through my veins, drowning out all else in its wake. “What the fuck is your problem?” I snarled, my voice dripping with venom. “Do you take pleasure in doing things that make me contemplate squeezing the life out of you?”

At some point, her feeble attempts to claw at my hand ceased, her struggles replaced by a chilling stillness that mirrored the coldness in her eyes.

“What the fuck happened to the sweet old Stephanie whose innocence I once found attractive?” I demanded, my grip on her neck relenting slightly as I searched for a trace of the woman she once was.

She attempted to laugh, but it emerged as a strained wheeze, a pitiful sound that only served to fuel my mounting frustration. With a surge of disgust, I released her, shoving her away from me with a

forceful motion. “That sweet, innocent woman is long gone, buried beneath people’s betrayal!” She spat bitterly.

Had she lost her mind completely? “I never fucking betrayed you, Stephanie!” I continued, my voice rising. “If anything, you’re the one who’s constantly stabbed me in the damn back, you psycho!”

Sucking her cheeks in with a hint of defiance, she nodded reluctantly. “Fine, I accept that I was at fault at first,” she conceded, her voice filled with bitterness. “I shouldn’t have broken things off with you. But then I did, and when I returned, you accepted me! You assured me that things would go back to how they used to, but they never did! Why did you accept me if you knew you weren’t going to keep me?” NôvelDrama.Org content.

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Refusing to engage in a futile back–and–forth with her, I held her gaze steadily. “Every bit of bullshit I’ve tolerated from you so far has been for Lily’s sake,” I declared firmly, my voice ringing with conviction. “So don’t expect me to stand by and watch you mess with her without fighting back.”

Dipping my hand into my pocket, I retrieved my phone and thrust it towards her, my grip on the device tight. “This article you published online is going to cost you,” I gritted out through clenched teeth, my tone laced with a warning. “You will fucking regret it.”

Exhaling sharply, she crossed her arms defiantly. “This has nothing to do with me.”

Throwing my head back, I let out a humorless laugh. “And you expect me to believe that?!”

She shrugged indifferently. “Do I look like someone who cares about what you choose to believe?” she retorted coolly. “I told you this has nothing to do with me. I woke up to the news just as you did.”

I scrutinized her carefully, searching for any hint of deception in her gaze, but found none. Either she hadn’t orchestrated it, or she had become exceptionally skilled at deception.

“I have a question for you, Ryan,” she stated flatly, her tone devoid of emotion. “How do you expect to have her accompany you all over the streets of Canada and not expect bloggers to write about an alleged relationship between you two?”

I narrowed my gaze at her, my frustration mounting with each passing moment. “I know what a speculative write–up from a blogger looks like,” I snapped, my voice edged with impatience. “This is too detailed, Steph, which means someone gave them the information.”

Her expression remained impassive as she countered. “And I am saying it is not me,” she insisted, her words carrying a hint of exasperation. “I have no reason to fear you, Ryan. I don’t fear you.”

I racked my brain, trying to pinpoint who could be behind this orchestrated attack My father was preoccupied with his own affairs, and my mother would never jeopardize our family’s reputation in such a manner.

That left me with one possibility.

Could it be Jake? It is plausible he did it out of anger..

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“With the look on your face, I’m guessing you finally remember who you behind it,” Steph remarked casually, her voice laced with amusement as sh her way back to the bed,.

“I am going to look into it, and if I find out that it has something to do with you will be sorry,” I warned tersely, my tone laced with a hint of menace. V waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room, t sound of the door slamming shut reverberating through the air.

Stepping into my car, I immediately dialed Lily’s number, but there was no answer. Frustrated, I left a voicemail, urging her to call me back as soon as s could.

Hours passed without any word from her, my anxiety mounting with each p moment. Unable to shake off the nagging sense of unease, I reached out to s of my security personnel back in Canada, instructing them to keep a close ey Lily and the children.

It wasn’t long before I received a call from one of my guards. He informed m Lily had left for work earlier in the day and had yet to return home. Concern gnawed at my insides as I instructed him to head to the hospital to gather mo information and keep me updated.

Forty–five agonizing minutes later, my phone finally rang. Seeing Silas’s name the caller ID, I answered hastily, my heart pounding in my chest. “What’s going Is everything okay with her?” I demanded anxiously, desperate for reassurance.

“I couldn’t get much information, sir,” Silas informed me urgently, his voice ting with concern. “But I was told that there was an emergency board meeting at the hospital, and they’ve been in there for hours.”

My heart sank at the news. “Find out more, Silas,” I instructed firmly, my mind racing with worry. “I’m on my way.”

Disconnecting the call, I wasted no time in contacting my pilot, instructing him tc prepare for a flight to Canada within the next few hours. With a sense of urgency, hastily wrapped up my affairs at the office, my thoughts consumed by the unknown situation happening back home.

Just as I was about to leave, my phone suddenly rang, and relief flooded through me as I saw Lily’s name flashing on the screen. Abandoning everything else, I answered the call eagerly, my voice tinged with relief. “Hey, love,” I greeted breathlessly. “I’ve been trying to reach you.

“I’ve been in a meeting for over five hours, she replied wearily, her exhaustion evident in her tone.

I paused, my heart skipping a beat as I braced myself for her response. “What meeting?” I inquired, trying to keep my voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside me. “Is it about the news circulating on the internet?”

Exhaling heavily, I heard the faint sound of a car door closing in the background. Where was she headed to? “Yes, it’s about the news,” Lily confirmed, her voice tinged with resignation. My heart sank as I cursed under my breath, bracing myself for what was to come. “The paparazzi are going crazy over the pictures and the interview,” she continued, her words weighted with frustration. “They’ve clustered outside the hospital gate.”

Shit. I already knew where this was heading. The hospital would want to do damage control, and I knew exactly what that entailed, having handled similar situations before. “Okay…” I muttered, my voice strained with apprehension. “Wh decision was made at the meeting?”

Her response hit me like a blow to the gut. “I’ve been suspended,” she stated matter–of–factly, her tone heavy with defeat. “This isn’t the first time this has happened, and they reminded me of it. Most

of the board voted that I should be dismissed, but because I’ve been dedicated to promoting the hospital, they decided to settle for suspension.”

I could sense Lily’s despair through the phone, and it weighed heavily on me. “How long were you suspended for?” I inquired, my voice laced with concern.

“Indefinitely,” she replied with a heavy sigh. There was a brief pause before she continued, her tone filled with frustration. “I’m thinking of going for an appeal once everything has quieted down.”

My heart sank even further at the thought of her facing such uncertainty. “Whe was left in charge of the hospital in your absence?” I pressed, bracing myself fo her response.

“Victoria’s son,” she answered bitterly, her annoyance obvious. It was clear that wasn’t pleased with the situation.

“I’ll be with you soon,” I assured her. “I’ve already spoken to my pilot, so we sho be flying out soon.”

But to my surprise, she pushed back. “I don’t think it’s the best idea for you to

come, she argued, her voice tinged with concern. “Your presence will only fuel the rumors and make matters worse.”

I felt a wave of defeat wash over me at her words. “So what do you want me to do?” I asked, feeling utterly powerless in the face of her predicament.

“Just stay away for now, that’s all,” she replied softly.