There was a knock at the door. They quickly separated, and Mrs. Rose sat down, wiping her tears."Come in," Dr. Parker called. Mr. Kendrick entered, his face etched with concern. "Parker, how's my son's condition?""He's out of danger and just needs to recover now," Dr. Parker replied."Oh, thank you, Parker. Thank you very much," Mr. Kendrick said, relief flooding his face."Honey," he called to his wife, "don't cry. Ryan will be fine. You heard what Dr. Parker said."Mrs. Rose nodded, still trembling. "I'm just scared, Honey. Ryan never listens."Mr. Kendrick sighed. "He's a man, Rose, and men always do what they think is right."Mrs. Rose stood up. "I'm going to Ryan's room," she said and left.As Luca and Ivy waited for news, a man approached them. He was tall, with a commanding presence and a skull tattoo on his right arm. "I heard you were looking for Victor," he said, his voice deep and husky.Ivy and Luca exchanged wary glances. "Who are you?" Ivy asked."Name's Alex. I have so
Inside the hospital, Ivy sat by Ryan's bedside, holding his hand. Mrs. Rose entered the room, her face a mask of concern."How is he?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper."The doctors say he'll recover. But Mom, who would do this? Why?" Ivy asked, tears streaming down her face.Mrs. Rose's eyes darkened. "I don't know, but I will find out."Suddenly, the door burst open, and Bella stormed in, her face twisted with anger."What the hell happened?" she demanded, looking at Ryan's unconscious form."He was shot while looking for Iris," Ivy explained, her voice trembling.Bella's eyes narrowed. "This is all because of that whore. If he hadn't been obsessed with finding her, none of this would have happened."Mrs. Rose's temper flared. "Watch your mouth, Bella. Ryan is fighting for his life because of this, and you dare to blame him?"Bella scoffed. "He needs to forget about Iris and focus on what's important. Like our baby."Mrs. Rose's eyes blazed with fury. "Get out, Bella. Now.
A few weeks later, Ryan was discharged from the hospital. He still felt weak, but his determination to find Iris kept him going. Back at the house, they gathered in the living room to discuss their next move."Alex agreed to meet us tonight," Ivy said, her voice steady. "He says he has information that could lead us to Victor."Ryan nodded, glancing at Luca. "We need to be prepared. This could be our only chance."As they finalized their plan, the doorbell rang. Ivy opened the door to find Bella standing there, her expression smug."What do you want?" Ivy asked, her voice cold.Bella pushed past her, heading straight for Ryan. "I have something you need to sign," she said, pulling out a stack of papers.Ryan frowned. "What is this?""It's a contract," Bella replied, her eyes glinting with malice. "Your mother insisted. You marry me, or I take everything."“What”? Ivy gasped in shock.Ryan's heart sank. He knew his mother was pushing for this, but he didn't expect Bella to play her hand
Chapter 64Flashback to Ryan's 30th Birthday*****************"It’s going to be your 30th birthday soon, son. When are you going to get married? I wasn’t even up to your age when I got married," Mr. Kendrick had said to Ryan, his tone firm."Dad, I’m not ready to get married. I need to find true love, if that even exists," Ryan had muttered."When you keep going from one lady to another, how do you intend to find true love? Bella is there, she’s a perfect match for you. You can’t keep going like this," Mr. Kendrick insisted."You are a man, not a boy. Act like one. I will not transfer the empire to you if you don’t get married," Mr. Kendrick had blurted out."Dad! No, you can’t do that," Ryan had protested."I can, and that is final," Mr. Kendrick had said, leaving the study room.Fuming, Ryan had left the mansion. His mother, Mrs. Rose, had tried to get his attention about his birthday preparations, Ryan come see the decorations i choose for your birthday”. but he ignored her and stor
"Cut it out, man," Luca said, pushing him away."You're a genius! This is a great idea!" Ryan exclaimed, jumping around his office."Are you sure you're okay?" Luca asked, looking concerned."Yes, I'm great!" Ryan replied."Alright, I have some work to catch up on. I'll see you later," Luca said, shaking his head and leaving.All day, Ryan was full of energy, carrying out his activities with a newfound enthusiasm. When the workday ended, he headed home, still smiling.The next day, Ryan was woken up by his mother, Mrs. Rose, and his sister, Ivy, who came to surprise him."Happy birthday, Ryan!" they chorused, making him jerk awake."Mum, Ivy," he said, rubbing his eyes.They sang for him and presented their gifts."Happy birthday, son," Mrs. Rose said, hugging him and kissing his head.Ivy jumped on his bed, hugging him tightly. "Happy birthday, little boy."Ryan gave her a side-eye, and they all burst into laughter."Today is going to be a busy day for you, honey. Make sure you get prepared
He relaxed back into his seat, his gaze fixed on her as she began her performance. She danced with an enticing blend of sexiness and grace, her movements perfectly in sync with the rhythm of the music.When Iris finished her set, she noticed his intense gaze. Descending from the stage. Ryan called her over, his eyes never leaving hers. She acted naive and vulnerable, which only made him more determined. “I have a proposition for you," Ryan said, his gaze intense, Marry me," Ryan said, his voice steady and commanding.Iris's eyes widened in shock, her expression helpless as if her eyes were going to pop out. Ryan almost laughed at her reaction but maintained his composure. At first, she declined, but he threatened her with her mother's condition, leaving her no choice but to agree.Luca, I need you to find out everything about the new stripper at the club," Ryan said as soon as he arrived at the office."The one you couldn't stop thinking about? Sure, I’ll see what I can do," Luca r
"Hey man, are the investors here already?" Ryan asked."They are on their way, hopefully," Luca replied."Alright, let's get things ready."An hour later, the investors arrived. They went into the waiting room while Ryan and Luca prepared for the meeting. In the middle of their discussion, a notification popped up on Ryan's phone, but he ignored it. Almost immediately, another notification popped up, and he picked up his phone, excusing himself.It was a message from Bella: "Ryan, please help me. I don't know what is wrong with the baby."Ryan replied to her message: "I'll be back shortly. Please hold on."Ryan rushed into the meeting room and asked Luca to finish up as an emergency had come up."What about the documents you need to sign?" Luca askedRyan pulled out a pen from his suit and hastily signed everywhere needed without reading through the documents. After signing, he dashed out of the company and into his car, zooming off. The investors left after Luca saw them off.Luca arran
The nurse let out a relieved sigh and began to clean Iris up, her hands trembling slightly. "You poor thing," she mumbled, her tone gentler now. "You still don't remember anything? Not where you came from? Your parents? Husband? Siblings? What are their names?”Iris stared at the nurse, her expression blank, eyes clouded with confusion. The nurse shook her head, resigning herself to the futility of her questions. "Forget it," she muttered, "there's no point. You're never going to remember anything."After changing Iris into a fresh set of clothes, the nurse prepared to leave the room, gathering the dirty sheets and wiping the floor clean. Just as she reached the door, she heard Iris's voice, faint and filled with desperation."Mum... Mum, is that you?" Iris's voice was barely audible, yet it was filled with an emotion that caused the nurse to freeze in her tracks.The nurse turned slowly, her eyes locking onto Iris's. "What did you say? What's your mother's name?" she asked, her voice