Chapter 148 Ryan is out

Chapter 148 Ryan is out
Chapter 149

Ryan's POV

The door to my cell opened, and I immediately lifted my head.

For a moment, I thought another officer had come to question me, but the expression on his face was different this time.

"You're getting out," he said.

I stared at him. "Getting out?"

"You've been granted bail."

I slowly stood from the narrow bed. "On what condition?"

"You'll be under house arrest until the investigation is concluded. You're not allowed to leave your residence without permission, and if you attempt to run, the conditions of your bail will be revoked."

I almost laughed.

"House arrest?"

"Yes."

I rubbed my face, feeling more frustrated than relieved. "So basically, I'm still a prisoner."

"You're free to go home."

"I don't want to go home."

The officer gave me a strange look.

I looked away.

Home was the last place I wanted to be. My mother was there, and I knew she would be waiting for me. She would probably have another speech prepared, another threat disguised as concern, another attempt to make me believe I had no choice but to obey her.

I would rather stay in this cell.

At least here, I knew exactly where I stood.

But then the little girl crossed my mind.

I remembered the moment I had seen her.

The fear in her eyes.

The thought of her lying somewhere because of something my mother had done made my chest tighten.

I couldn't stay here.

If going home gave me even the slightest chance of finding out what had happened to her, I would go.

I picked up my belongings and followed the officer out.

The ride home was silent. I stared through the window, watching the streets pass by while my mind returned to everything that had happened.

My mother had framed me.

She had used the little girl to force me into a corner.

And now she had made sure I couldn't simply walk away.

When the car finally stopped at the house, I stepped out without saying a word.

I didn't bother looking around.

I walked straight inside and headed for my room.

One of the guards tried to speak to me, but I ignored him.

I needed a shower.

I needed to wash away the smell of the cell, the exhaustion, and the anger that had been sitting inside me since yesterday.

But even under the shower, I couldn't stop thinking.

Eileen.

My eyes closed as the water ran over my face.

What was she doing right now?

Had she noticed I wasn't in school?

Had she wondered why I disappeared?

More importantly, had my mother gone after her?

My mother knew Eileen mattered to me. If she wanted to control me, hurting Eileen would be one of the easiest ways to do it.

I quickly turned off the shower.

I dried myself, dressed and walked toward the window.

I needed to see Eileen.

Even if it was only for a few minutes.

I pulled the curtain aside and looked outside.

Two guards stood near the main gate.

I frowned.

I moved to another window.

Two more.

I walked toward the back of the house and looked through the window.

Another guard stood near the alley.

My jaw tightened.

The back route was usually the easiest way out. I had used it countless times because the guards rarely paid attention to it.

Now they were standing there too.

"She knows," I muttered.

My mother must have figured out that I always used the back alley.

I stared at the guards for several seconds.

There was no way I could walk out casually.

I could have taken them down.

I knew I could.

But I didn't want blood on my hands.

Not theirs.

Not mine.

I had already seen enough violence.

I looked around my room, thinking.

Then an idea came to me.

A small device rested inside one of my drawers.

I picked it up and examined it.

A laser pointer with a modified setting that could temporarily disorient someone when aimed directly at their eyes.

It wasn't enough to hurt them permanently, but it could give me a few seconds.

I smiled faintly.

"Sorry, boys."

I waited until the guard closest to the back entrance turned away.

Then I slipped outside.

The first guard barely noticed the flash before stumbling backward and rubbing his eyes.

I moved quickly.

The second guard turned around, but I was already behind him.

Another flash.

He staggered.

I caught him before he fell hard against the ground and lowered him carefully.

"I told you I don't want to hurt anyone."

I moved through the alley.

Once I reached the other side of the wall, I finally breathed.

I had made it out.

For a few seconds, I simply stood there.

Then another thought struck me.

My friends.

I hadn't told any of them what happened.

The car I had been driving that night didn't belong to me.

It belonged to one of my friends.

My stomach dropped.

"What if they got to him?"

I immediately pulled out my phone.

No messages.

No missed calls.

Nothing.

I tried calling him.

The call rang several times before going unanswered.

I called again.

Still nothing.

My heart began pounding.

My mother had already framed me. What would stop her from framing him too?

She could easily claim that he had given me the car knowing what I intended to do.

Or worse, she could have already had him arrested.

I lowered the phone.

"Damn it."

Now I had two problems.

Eileen or my friend.

My mind immediately went to Eileen.

I needed to know she was safe.

But if something had happened to my friend because of me, I couldn't ignore that either.

I leaned against the wall and stared at the road.

The little girl was another problem entirely.

I had no idea where she was.

I couldn't even begin to search for her without knowing what my mother had done.

I clenched my fists.

"Think, Ryan."

Running blindly wouldn't help.

I needed information.

My friend's phone was still unreachable, and Eileen was probably at school or home.

I checked the time.

My heart pulled me toward Eileen.

I needed to see her.

I needed to know that she was okay.

But the thought of my friend sitting somewhere because of my mother's actions wouldn't leave me alone.

I looked back toward the road.

For the first time since I escaped the house, I felt completely stuck.

Then my phone vibrated.

I froze.

I looked down at the screen.

It wasn't my friend.

It wasn't Eileen.

It was an unknown number.

A single message appeared.

‘Stop looking for the girl.’

My breathing stopped.

Another message came immediately after.

‘Or the next person who disappears won't be a stranger.’

My fingers tightened around the phone.

They were watching me.