Chapter 144

EMILY

The moment Ryan answered the call, I almost wished he hadn't.

For weeks, I had imagined this conversation a hundred different ways, rehearsing every word I wanted to throw at him and every question I wanted answered, but none of those versions prepared me for the sound of his voice. It was familiar enough to tighten something painfully inside my chest, yet distant enough to remind me that somewhere along the line, he had blocked me out of his life.

He inhaled sharply before speaking.

"Hi... Emily?"

A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

"Well," I said, shaking my head even though he couldn't see me, "I never thought I'd actually live long enough to hear you say that again."

Silence greeted me for a second before he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry."

I stared at the wall across from my bed, my grip tightening around my phone until my fingers ached.

Sorry.

That was all he had?

I pushed myself off the mattress and began pacing across the room, my emotions refusing to let me stay still.

"You're sorry, Ryan?" I repeated, unable to keep the anger from my voice. "Sorry doesn't even begin to cover what you did."

"I know."

"No," I cut in immediately. "You don't know. Because if you did, you wouldn't have disappeared the way you did."

Another pause.

"I know I hurt you."

"Hurt me?" I scoffed. "We were supposed to be trying to make this work. We talked about fixing us. We agreed we'd stop running away every time things became difficult, and then what did you do? You vanished."

"I know."

"You left Hong Kong without saying a word, Ryan."

"I know."

"You blocked my calls."

"I know."

"You ignored every single message I sent."

"I know."

Each answer sounded quieter than the last, and somehow that irritated me even more.

"You never looked back, Ryan."

"I know."

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, trying to steady my breathing because if I didn't, I was going to scream.

"I am so sorry, Emily."

His apology came out strained, almost broken, but I couldn't bring myself to care anymore.

Maybe hearing those words from him few days ago would have been enough to soften me.

I moved towards the desk beside my laptop and closed my eyes.

"Well," I said quietly, "that's in the past now."

He didn't respond.

"All I need from you now is one thing."

His voice lifted slightly.

"You know I would do anything for you."

"For the next few days..." I swallowed before continuing. "Please take care of our daughter."

The line went completely silent.

When Ryan finally spoke again, there was unmistakable panic in his voice.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Emily, what the hell is going on?"

I looked out through the bedroom window, watching the city stretch endlessly beneath the afternoon sun.

“You don’t need to know."

His breathing became uneven.

"Em... you're scaring me."

For a brief second, guilt flickered through me.

I hated hearing him sound like that because it reminded me of the Ryan I used to know, the one who would've crossed continents if he thought I needed him.

But memories didn't erase what he'd done.

"You disappeared," I reminded him quietly. "You made that decision."

"I know."

"You decided I wasn't worth explaining anything to."

"I was wrong. Emily..."

"I don't have time for this anymore. Just..." My voice softened despite myself. "For the sake of God, Ryan... take care of our daughter."

Before he could say another word, I ended the call.

The silence that followed was almost deafening.

I lowered the phone slowly, staring at the black screen until my own reflection looked back at me.

So he had been alive, healthy, and perfectly capable of answering a phone.

All this time.

A humorless smile tugged at my lips.

I had spent weeks convincing myself that something terrible must have happened to him because no one could simply disappear.

Anything that would justify his silence.

Instead, he had simply... chosen it.

If he no longer wanted a future with me, he could have looked me in the eyes and said so.

It would have hurt.

God, it would have destroyed me.

But at least I would've known where I stood instead of wasting weeks chasing a ghost.

I let out a slow breath before turning toward the desk.

My laptop sat exactly where I'd left it earlier that morning.

For days, I had kept postponing what I knew I needed to do, hoping something would change, hoping someone else would make the decision for me.

But we all know no one would.

Which meant it was finally my turn.

I lowered myself into the chair and flipped the laptop open.

The familiar glow illuminated the room as the screen came to life.

Several documents were already waiting for me, along with emails I had deliberately ignored because I hadn't been emotionally ready to deal with any of them.

I clicked through them one after another, forcing myself to focus.

I had spent far too long reacting to everyone else's decisions while mine remained trapped beneath fear and uncertainty.

All that nonsense ends today.

I had barely begun reviewing the documents when my phone vibrated against the desk.

The sound echoed through the quiet room, and I reached for it automatically.

Mateo.

Of course.

I opened the message, and it was an address.

I frowned before typing back.

What's this for?

The reply came almost instantly.

Let's settle this once and for all. Meet me tomorrow.

I read the message twice before setting the phone back down.

A slow smile spread across my face, not because I trusted him, but because for the first time in days, it felt as though the endless game of manipulation and unanswered questions was finally reaching its end.

Mateo wanted a meeting.

Good.

Because I also wanted one and I hope he was ready for me too.