Chapter 5

Ryan's POV

15 days ago ...

The water in the club’s pool was cool against my skin, a welcome reprieve from the heat of the day and the fire that always seemed to smolder inside me. Each stroke through the water was an attempt to drown out the frustration that had become a constant companion these past six years. But no matter how hard I pushed myself, she was always there in my mind—her laughter, her smile, and the haunting memory of the day she walked out of my life, believing the worst of me.

I reached the end of the pool and paused, my breath heavy but steady. I was about to push off for another lap when I noticed someone approaching. Daniel. The sight of him was enough to sour the calm I’d been trying to find. I’ve never liked the man. He had a way of twisting every situation to his advantage, his smirk always suggesting he knew something you didn’t.

Ignoring him, I turned back to the water, hoping he’d get the message and leave. But then he spoke, his voice as slippery as the man himself.

"Ryan, I came to talk to you. I’ve got some news that might interest you."

I didn’t even turn to look at him. "I’m not interested in anything that has to do with you."

He didn’t miss a beat. "Not even if it’s about my sister-in-law?"

My body went rigid, the words freezing me in place. For a moment, I thought I’d misheard him, but I knew better. Daniel never wasted a chance to play with people’s emotions, especially mine. Slowly, I turned to face him, my heart pounding in my chest. There was a part of me that had been waiting for this moment, dreading it and hoping for it in equal measure.

"Great!" Daniel’s smirk grew wider, more insufferable. "Now I have your attention."

My patience was already wearing thin. "What about her?" The words came out sharper than I intended, the desperation barely masked.

"But you just said you weren’t interested…" he taunted, enjoying every second of my discomfort.

"Daniel," I warned, my voice low and dangerous. "Don’t test me. What do you know about her?"

He pretended to think it over, his expression one of mock concern. "I found her."

The words hit me like a physical blow, leaving me reeling. For six long years, I’d searched for her. Six years of following leads that led nowhere, of sleepless nights wondering where she was, if she was safe, if she was happy. And now, out of the blue, Daniel claims to have found her? My mind raced, a thousand questions battling for dominance. "What? How?"

"I had my suspicions about someone she was connected to," he said, leaning casually against the pool’s edge. "I had them watched, and it led me straight to her."

I didn’t want to believe him, didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing how much this affected me. But I couldn’t help it. She was the one loose thread in my otherwise perfectly controlled life, the one person who could unravel everything. "Tell me where she is," I demanded, my voice edged with urgency.

Daniel chuckled softly, savoring the power he held over me. "Just like that?"

I clenched my jaw, hating the position I was in. I didn’t trust him, not for a second. But if there was even the slightest chance he was telling the truth, I couldn’t afford to ignore it. "What do you want?"

His eyes gleamed with triumph. "I’ve applied for a contract you’re after. It’s a lucrative deal, and I know you’re the frontrunner. Back out and recommend me instead."

The deal he was talking about was worth millions, a cornerstone for my next big venture. But right now, none of that mattered. All I could think about was her, and the fact that Daniel had somehow managed to do what I hadn’t been able to in six years. "If the information’s correct and she’s really there, I’ll do it."

Daniel’s grin widened as he pulled out his phone, scrolling through it before holding it out to me. "Take a look for yourself."

The picture on his screen stopped my heart. There she was, as beautiful as the day she left, walking into a building—a financial consultancy firm, if the sign was anything to go by. My hand shook slightly as I took the phone from him, the reality of what I was seeing sinking in. She was alive. She was here. And she was working in some firm, probably thinking she was safe from the past. Safe from me.

"I’ll text you the address," Daniel said, his tone smug. "But remember our deal."

I didn’t respond. My mind was already racing ahead, plotting my next move. I couldn’t afford to let emotions get the better of me now. I needed to think, to plan, to make sure that when I did see her again, she wouldn’t slip through my fingers.

As soon as Daniel was gone, I made a few calls. I needed to know everything about the company she was working for, its owner, its clients, its financials. If she was really there, I needed leverage—something that would ensure she couldn’t run away again.

It didn’t take long to get the information I needed. The firm was small but respectable, specializing in financial consulting for high-net-worth individuals and businesses. The owner was an older man, nearing retirement, with no heirs to take over the business. It was the perfect setup. Within hours, I had a meeting scheduled with him.

When I walked into his office the next day, I knew exactly what I was going to do. The man was surprised to see me, of course. A multi-billionaire like me didn’t usually come knocking on the door of a small-time consultancy firm. But the offer I made him was too good to refuse. I wasn’t just buying his business—I was buying the one thing that had eluded me for years. The key to getting her back.