When you believed that everything was in order, you relaxed and enjoyed yourself. Ryleigh never imagined that Hannah would reach the point where she would attempt to hurt innocents. Since Hannah had simply given Lucas until 4:00 p.m. to arrange everything, he asked her to stay, but she declined. "We must notify Abby. They can assist." “No! I will handle this on my own. Please comply. It is for your benefit. You have no idea what will happen—" "Lucas, we cannot predict what will occur. Please, let's coordinate with them rather than with law enforcement. You're a broker, correct?" "I resigned." The eyes of Rye expanded. "I don't care. Abby is my companion. Keith and Drake are your friends.” "This has no bearing on them. I must resolve this issue by myself." Rye yanked a hair strand out of fury. "You don't get it, do you? I desired to assist. My daughter—" "Our daughter," he remarked. “Yes. Ours. And I must—" Luke cupped her face and peered into her eyes, which caused her to st
Ryleigh’s POV Months have already passed, yet Lucas is still not awake. There has been no advancement. And I almost gave up, but I am aware that he is fighting. He is attempting to return for me... for us. And every idea of losing him nearly rends me apart. How many drugs has he received by injection? I lost count. I pray every day and every moment, but especially while I am by his side, holding his hand, pressing it, and conversing with him. I am aware that there is yet hope. And I believe that miracles are possible. A month ago, our daughter became one year old. We celebrated it in his room, attempting to lighten the mood on that particular day, but we all knew it was futile. Lucas is laying on a hospital bed with equipment inserted into various portions of his body, and he is sleeping so soundly that we fear he will pass away at any time. Damn it! May God have mercy on me. Why should he be one of the many individuals who desired to engage in pointless activities? Why must Luca
Five years ago…Ryleigh chose to stay in the University's Garden to keep an eye on her crush, Lucas Carter, on one particular morning. The man is three years older than her and has already in his final year in college. He is her childhood friend because their fathers were college buddies. Since then, she's had a crush on the guy and followed him to his institution. However, she initially had trouble getting in because Luke attended an Ivy League school, and she's not as smart as Luke, but she did her best to enroll. She is currently in her second semester as a freshman."Lucas will melt when you keep looking at him, Rye."Ryleigh exhaled deeply and turned to face her friend Abby. It is their free time before their last subject for today."I simply cannot take my eyes off of him."Abby's laughter causes her to scowl. "Dream on, young lady. Luke already had a girlfriend, and they had been together for four years. And you," Abby examined her from head to toe, "…are merely his childhood b
"WHAT happened to your daughter, Noah?" Noah's wife's words echoed in all four corners of the room. "I will not forgive you if anything happens to my daughter!"Noah exhaled. "I am giving what is best for her—”"Can you hear yourself?" she stepped in front of him with her hands on her waist and said, "She was your only daughter. What you wanted is not appropriate. You can’t just force your daughter to marry someone, especially if it was Luke! We've been longtime friends with the Carters, but because of Ryleigh's obsession with Lucas, you will use it to destroy someone else's life. You know Lucas has a fiancé, right?"Noah pinched the bridge of his nose as he control his temper. "She will return. Just let her be—"“No! Noah, you will stop this nonsense. In case you were unaware, William and Charlotte were forced to marry, and despite the fact that Charlotte loves William, he continues to treat her like a puppet.”"However, William was born to be domineering, and Charlotte's submission
RYLEIGH spoke on the telephone with her best friend, Abby, who now resides in New York. She is an architect in the architecture firm owned by her uncle."I still find it hard to think Lucas will marry you. He has a fiancé, yet he will marry you," Abby, who appears perplexed, remarked.Ryleigh sighed. "Yeah. Tomorrow is the wedding," she said."I'm sorry, girl, but I cannot attend your wedding.""It's okay. It's only a civil ceremony. I wish to maintain secrecy as much as possible. You knew they were suffering an issue, and I don't want the media to use the situation for financial gain by publishing an article about it. My father informed me that the wedding must be private."Abby appears to perceive something in Ryleigh's comments."Rye…""Yes?""Will you be honest with me? Lucas will not marry you because he loves you, right?"Ryleigh exhaled deeply."Ryleigh… I want the truth. I have known you for many years. Luke will never love you or marry you if he is madly in love with Hannah."
THEIR families had returned home, leaving them as the only ones inside. She huddled to get Lucas’s attention, who was typing on his phone. He was seated across from her on the couch.To clear her throat, she breathed and hemmed. “Where is our room?” she inquired, causing Lucas to pause and stare at her.He laughed. “Our room? You’ve got to be kidding me. Do you think I’ll share a room with you now that you’ve done this?” Ryleigh noticed how he clutched his fist as he rose. “Keep dreaming, Rye. There is no way I will share a room with you. Why not, if it was Hannah?” He moved closer to her. Because the male is much taller than she is, being roughly six feet three inches tall while she is five feet eight inches tall. She then raised her head to meet his angry gaze. “Listen, selfish bitch,” he said as he grabbed her arm and drew her closer. She almost cursed as she felt the warmth of his heavy breathing. “File for divorce, or I will make your life a living hell.”Because she was Ryleigh,
RYLEIGH was wearing her clothing late at night when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to find Lucas standing in front of her. The man instructed her to see him in his office as if nothing had happened. She can still feel the pain in her scalp, but she agreed to put up with it if it meant staying at Lucas’s side. If punishing her is the only way he knows how to deal with what she has done to him, she will do it no matter how painful it is... because she will continue to hope that Lucas will comprehend all she has given and sacrificed. She checked herself in the mirror before leaving her room. She was dressed in a black sleeveless top and cotton shorts. Simultaneously, she let her long hair fall to her waist.It's been a long time since her previous haircut, and she might be able to get another one in a month.Lucas’s workplace is on the opposite side of the second level from his room. She walks down the dim hallway and comes to a halt beside the black door, where Lucas dragg
RYLEIGH awoke with a tinge of discomfort in her scalp and cheeks. Even her arm, where Lucas dragged her roughly, had marks from his tight grip. Lucas’s slap left a tiny swelled bruise. In front of the mirror, she sighed. Lucas had been hard on her since the beginning of their marriage, but she knew that he still had a loving heart. Lucas was the one who took her into her room after she had passed out. Even though she is naked, the man covers her with the comforter. And she's content with it. Perhaps she needs some time to tame him. She will do anything to please him, even if it means accepting all of his penalties. She came out of the shower and dressed before heading downstairs to prepare their breakfast. Even though Lucas despises her, he eats everything she has prepared. And she appreciates it. It may be difficult for her to accept that Lucas knows how to cause hurt to others, but she will do her best to tolerate everything. He may be inflicting pain on her, but she feels he canno
Ryleigh’s POV Months have already passed, yet Lucas is still not awake. There has been no advancement. And I almost gave up, but I am aware that he is fighting. He is attempting to return for me... for us. And every idea of losing him nearly rends me apart. How many drugs has he received by injection? I lost count. I pray every day and every moment, but especially while I am by his side, holding his hand, pressing it, and conversing with him. I am aware that there is yet hope. And I believe that miracles are possible. A month ago, our daughter became one year old. We celebrated it in his room, attempting to lighten the mood on that particular day, but we all knew it was futile. Lucas is laying on a hospital bed with equipment inserted into various portions of his body, and he is sleeping so soundly that we fear he will pass away at any time. Damn it! May God have mercy on me. Why should he be one of the many individuals who desired to engage in pointless activities? Why must Luca
When you believed that everything was in order, you relaxed and enjoyed yourself. Ryleigh never imagined that Hannah would reach the point where she would attempt to hurt innocents. Since Hannah had simply given Lucas until 4:00 p.m. to arrange everything, he asked her to stay, but she declined. "We must notify Abby. They can assist." “No! I will handle this on my own. Please comply. It is for your benefit. You have no idea what will happen—" "Lucas, we cannot predict what will occur. Please, let's coordinate with them rather than with law enforcement. You're a broker, correct?" "I resigned." The eyes of Rye expanded. "I don't care. Abby is my companion. Keith and Drake are your friends.” "This has no bearing on them. I must resolve this issue by myself." Rye yanked a hair strand out of fury. "You don't get it, do you? I desired to assist. My daughter—" "Our daughter," he remarked. “Yes. Ours. And I must—" Luke cupped her face and peered into her eyes, which caused her to st
It is an undeniable fact that we enjoy being liked. We have a natural yearning to feel a part of a group or to be liked by another individual. Life does not always afford us acceptance, however. Instead, it is frequently loaded with rejections, refusals, and everything else. Rejection helps us move our attention from our mistakes to how we can improve. Ace will utilize rejection as a defining event for himself. He then realizes that rejection becomes easier with repeated exposure. Continuously running into it demonstrates a gutsy will to seek out opportunities. And each time you recover from a setback, you emerge somewhat more powerful. Although he may accept the rejection, the anguish remains. It is still apparent, and it has further hurt his heart. The suffering of loving someone who does not return his affection is killing him. He feels as though his universe has fallen apart. Often, loving someone who does not love you back is heartbreaking. It is even awful. It is simple t
The following day, Rye was astonished to find Lucas sitting in her family's living room and conversing with her father. Then, carrying her child, she approached them. When he spotted them, the man stood up and smiled, which is unusual. He is not this way. She had never seen Lucas grin at her with such sincerity as he does now. He welcomed them with "Good morning, Rye" and moved closer to them. "You're early," is the only thing she can say. "I've decided to pay you a visit, and your father and I will be attending the summit." Rye was unable to speak. She suddenly recalled Ace. ‘How is he doing?’ She simply nodded. Lucas extended his hand towards Amelia and bit his lower lip. “Can I?” She grinned. The man desired to carry his daughter, thus Amelia was handed up to him. She asserted, "Let's have a cup of hot coffee in the kitchen." Lucas desired to smile and was incredibly red-faced. However, he held it. He does not wish to presume things for which he may have the opportunity.
Following breakfast, Rye decided to depart the motel. However, as she was ready to touch the elevator button, she hesitated. It began to manifest, Lucas. Her heart is close to bursting out of her chest due to shock. Her lips parted and her eyes expanded. The elevator was about to close when Lucas placed his hand between the doors to prevent it from closing. He then moved outside, but his sight never left Rye. Rye then pretended to have a cough and was about to enter the room when he stopped her. "We need to talk," he stated in a monotone voice. At that time, her body did not react appropriately. She caught herself nodding just now. She removed her arms from his grasp, causing him to scowl. He asserted, "Follow me," and started to walk. After a few minutes of strolling, they encountered the individuals she desired to avoid. “Ryleigh?” She whispered "Dad." It was her father and mother who were carrying her daughter. She is uncertain whether she will cry at that moment. Especially
Before arriving at the hotel, Ace never bothers Rye on their flights. The summit arranged for everything, from food to lodging. They will spend a week in California. At eight o'clock in the evening, he invited Rye to supper, but she declined. It is yet another sort of suffering for him. But what more could he do if she refused, claiming she was not hungry? Afterward, he spent the night alone. He decided to go to the bar in the restaurant where he had dinner. He then reached for some potent alcoholic beverages in an effort to forget his troubles. Ace was certain that it was Rye, not his past, that constantly caused his chest to clench. It took him days to grasp it. Since he met Rye, he has already let go of Margaret's memories and accepted everything from the past. When he had nearly consumed seven drinks, he decided to ascend to his chamber. When he reached their floor, he halted in front of Rye's room with the intention of knocking, but instead, he turned his back and entered the ro
"Why are you resigning, Lucas?" Keith's automobile was filled with the roar of his voice. They were on their way to the main office to hand over Lucas' resignation letter. Keith is unaware of his motive, but he is aware that it involves Hannah and Rye. “You can simply take a break without having to re—" Lucas said, "I've already chosen." His forehead contracted. “Why?” Lucas glanced at him before returning his attention to the road. "Do I need reasons for quitting?" he inquired. "Of course." He laughed with sarcasm. "I must only concentrate on the company. Individual investors are leaving the market. Hela also needs my focus. Perhaps these are sufficient grounds, right?" Keith let out a heavy sigh. "Well, the choice is yours. I am aware I cannot undo it." "I also wanted to recuperate fully from that accident and desperately wanted to retrieve those memories," he added. Keith nodded and remained silent till they arrived at the agency. It took only minutes for Lucas to submit
Rye spent all of her time in Ace's office, reading books and browsing the web. She was unable to comprehend Ace's actions. It seems like he's, her boyfriend. The manner in which he behaves as a possessive lover... being bipolar as a result of what occurred earlier—he is merely stating the obvious. And when she attempted to confront him, he would instantly change the subject. She sighed and glanced at her wristwatch, which revealed that it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. She looked at Ace and sighed once more. He is continuing to sign some documents that he was apparently unable to sign earlier due to distraction. She is curious as to why. She stood and adjusted her attire before approaching him. Ace then felt her presence, prompting him to look at her with a slightly furrowed brow. She inquired, "What time are we leaving for home?" Ace looked back over his actions. "I'm just going to complete this," he responded. She then nodded, placed her hand behind her back, and mo
After leaving the hospital, Rye and Abby proceeded to a coffee shop to discuss various matters. Abby exhales deeply and cannot look directly into Rye's eyes. Because she anticipated that her friend would inquire about her. "Your sigh is really disturbing, Abby. Seems you're nervous, huh?" Rye inquired while sipping her iced caramel coffee. She said, "I loathe the way you stared at me." Rye's brow furrowed as she nibbled on her onion toast. She added as she sipped her coffee, "I know you have a lot of questions running through your head right now, and I'm considering how to answer them." Rye let out a quiet chuckle. "You know me too well," she said. She gave a headshake. "I only wanted to ask one question. Do not fret," she added. At that moment, Abby scoffed. "You cannot deceive me. I anticipated that you would have additional questions following that." She even tapped the wooden table while laughing. “Amazing. Indeed, you're an agent," she confirmed, observing Abby's widening e