Chapter 151: The Guardian
Just as Ryan suspected, a swarm of reporters with cameras and microphones had gathered at the preschool gates. But with Nova Group’s security clearing a path, no one dared to step within a yard of Evelyn and her son.
Still, some wounds cannot be blocked by bodyguards.
In the car back to the apartment, Elias kept his head down. He gripped his little backpack, which was embroidered with an iris, and didn't say a word.
"Eli, what’s wrong?" Evelyn noticed his silence and pulled him into her lap. "Are you feeling okay?"
Elias looked up, his large amber eyes—so much like her own—brimming with tears.
"Mommy..." the little boy’s lip trembled. "Jack said I’m a stray... he said I don't have a daddy. And he said you’re a bad woman."
"Waaah..."
The child, who had been holding it in, finally burst into loud sobs. His tears soaked into Evelyn’s shirt. "Mommy isn't a bad person! And I’m not a stray! I have a daddy... I have one, right?"
Evelyn felt as if a piece of her heart had been ripped out. She held her shaking son tightly, her throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. It hurt to breathe.
How could she explain it? Should she tell Elias that his biological father was the man who had nearly killed them both multiple times?
"Elias... I’m so sorry."
Other than an apology, she had no words. The car was filled with the sound of a child’s muffled crying and a mother’s helpless silence.
Ryan, sitting in the passenger seat, watched through the rearview mirror. His jaw was set tight. He didn't turn around, but he pulled out his phone and sent a text to his assistant.
Find out which school board member placed that kid, Jack. Get him transferred.
The car pulled up at the apartment. Evelyn carried the still-sobbing Elias toward the elevator, and Ryan followed, carrying a massive Lego box.
"This is for Elias."
Back at the apartment, Elias’s eyes sparked at the sight of the limited-edition Star Wars Lego set, but they quickly dimmed. He hid shyly behind Evelyn’s leg.
Ryan didn't just shove the toy at him. He set the huge box on the rug, dropped to one knee, and reached out his hand to Elias.
"Elias, look at me."
Ryan’s voice was steady and deep, carrying a natural sense of authority and safety. Elias sniffled and peeked out from behind his mother.
"The people who say you don't have a daddy are fools."
Ryan pointed to the iris brooch on his lapel. "If anyone ever tries to bully you again, you tell them Ryan Lawrence is your guardian. If anyone touches you, I’ll make them regret ever being born."
He didn't pretend to be the father, but he gave a promise heavier than any fatherhood.
"A guardian? Like a Jedi?" Elias blinked, his lashes still wet.
"Better than a Jedi. I have more money, and I hit harder."
Elias let out a small laugh through his tears. He carefully reached out his small hand and bumped his fist against Ryan’s large one.
"Pinky swear?"
"Pinky swear."
Evelyn stood to the side, watching the man and the boy tear open the box and build blocks on the rug. Ryan had discarded his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, revealing his toned forearms. He was patiently helping Elias find every tiny piece.
The man who was ruthless and feared in the business world was now happily playing on the floor just to make a four-year-old smile. The warm yellow light of the living room cast a glow over them, creating a scene of domestic warmth that felt surreal.
A bittersweet warmth rose in Evelyn’s chest, like a frozen lake finally cracking under the sun. She had dreamed of this image countless times. If Damian hadn't betrayed her, maybe it would have looked like this.
But there were no "ifs."
Sensing her gaze, Ryan suddenly turned his head. Their eyes met. The playful warmth in Ryan’s eyes was replaced by an unshielded intensity. It was raw, filled with pity, desire, and a silent question, waiting for her response.
"Evelyn."
Her heart skipped a beat. Evelyn frantically looked away and grabbed a glass from the table. "I... I’ll go get some water."
She fled into the kitchen and turned on the tap. The cold water ran over her fingers, but it couldn't cool the heat rising in her cheeks. This was a forbidden zone she didn't dare enter.
Ryan watched her retreat. The light in his eyes flickered and then deepened into a dark, unreadable ink. He wasn't in a hurry.
Eventually, Elias grew tired and fell asleep on the rug, still clutching a half-finished Lego model. Evelyn gently carried him to his room. After tucking him in, she stood by the bed for a long time, listening to his steady breathing until her own heart finally calmed.
As she closed the bedroom door and turned around, a tall shadow loomed over her. Ryan was leaning against the hallway wall, clicking his metal lighter open and shut.
"Can we talk?"
Evelyn glanced at the closed door. "It’s late, Mr. Lawrence. Please leave."
"I don't mind talking right here, unless you’re afraid of waking Elias."
Evelyn bit her lip and pushed open the study door. "Fine. In here."
The main light in the study was off, leaving only a vintage desk lamp. Their shadows stretched long across the floor, overlapping in a way that felt heavy and intimate. Evelyn stood behind the desk, her nails digging into her palms to stay composed.
"What do you want to say?"
Ryan didn't answer. He strode around the desk, stopped right in front of her, and placed his phone on the table.
"Look at this. Thousands of hours of surveillance footage. Hundreds of ticket stubs." He leaned forward, trapping her against the desk. His eyes were bloodshot. "Evelyn, how do you think I spent these last four years?"