Chapter 231 MY UNCLE.

Chapter 231 MY UNCLE.
\~~~DAMIEN.

The air in the hallway froze solid for a second. 

Ethan was still standing half-turned in the doorway, staring at the tall, slightly worn figure lingering on the porch. The broad shoulders of his jacket were a little slumped, and the arrogant, untouchable posture Ryan used to carry like armor was entirely gone. 

Before I could step forward or reach for the gun holster I wasn't even wearing tonight, the tension in the hallway dissolved with a soft, self-deprecating chuckle from the doorway. 

“I hope I’m not late to the party,” Ryan said, his voice quiet and tired, carrying straight into the living room. 

The words hit the room like a deflating balloon. The heavy, dark atmosphere of impending violence evaporated instantly, replaced by sheer, dumbfounded bewilderment. Serena blinked, dropping her fork against her plate with a small clatter. 

Ryan stepped across the threshold, sliding his hands casually into his pockets. He didn't look like an enemy. He looked like a man who had been put through a meat grinder and barely managed to crawl out the other side. 

I stepped into the hallway, blocking the line of sight between him and Serena for a fraction of a second before planting my feet. My jaw clenched, my eyes narrowing down at my nephew. 

“Why are you here?” I asked, my voice flat, cold, and entirely devoid of warmth. “I thought you left the country months ago.”

Ryan offered a weak, tired smile, shaking his head. “Of course I did, Uncle. I left.”

He let out a long breath, stepping further into the light of the entryway. Ethan quietly stepped aside, closing the front door halfway behind him and watching Ryan with a wary, cautious eye. 

“Then what the hell are you doing back here?” I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest. 

Ryan looked around the house, his eyes briefly passing over the warm living room, the pizza boxes, and the bright, comfortable life we had built here. A strange, melancholic shadow crossed his face before he looked back at me. 

“I had to come back to pick up some leftover legal documents and tie up a few loose ends with the family estates,” Ryan answered honestly, his shoulders dropping. “And… honestly? I just wanted to see you guys. To say hi before I head out again.”

I didn't move an inch. “What happened to your life down south, Ryan? What about Lisa?”

At the mention of his ex-wife’s name, Ryan flinched visibly. A bitter, painful laugh escaped his lips. 

“Lisa is gone,” he said quietly, staring down at the hardwood floor. “The divorce process… man, it nearly broke me. It took everything I had left mentally. You remember the child too?”

I gave a stiff nod. 

“She took custody of him too,” Ryan muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with a trembling hand.

“Where is she now?” I asked, keeping my tone steady. 

“I don't know,” Ryan answered, looking up with a heavy, hollow expression. “After the divorce finally got finalized, she just packed up and left. She swore she was going to come back and make my life miserable, or try to take whatever was left of my accounts. She even left with the child. I told her—even everything, I told her that I didn't mind being the father, that I would raise the kid anyway because I cared about him. But she refused. She said she would never let me have him.”

He shook his head, looking completely exhausted. 

“She vanished. And honestly? I don't even have the energy to look for her anymore.”

The living room was dead silent. Even Melissa had stopped eating, watching the exchange with wide eyes. 

Ryan took a deep breath, looking past my shoulder into the living room where Serena was standing beside her mother. A soft, self-deprecating smile touched his lips as he looked at her. 

“Hey, Serena,” he said softly, his voice full of a heavy, lingering regret. “You’re… I’m glad you’re okay. I really am.”

There was no spark in his eyes. 

No ownership, or lingering chemistry. Just the painful, humbling realization of a man looking at a life he had completely destroyed through his own unmatched stupidity. 

Serena didn't say anything right away. She just stood there, her hand resting naturally over her hip, looking at the boy she once thought she was going to spend her entire life with. 

Ryan swallowed hard, his gaze shifting back to me before sweeping across the room to include everyone else. 

“I can’t believe I lost my family,” Ryan said, smiling painfully, a thin, cracked smile that didn't reach his eyes. “Just threw it all away because I was arrogant and blind. My mother has completely turned on me, she won't even answer my phone calls anymore after everything. And the media? God, don't even get me started. Every single market day, the tabloids are still talking about me, dragging my name through the mud. I can't walk down a street in this country without people whispering behind my back.”

He let out a dry, humorless chuckle. 

“Karma is a real bitch, Uncle Damien. It really is.”

He looked back at Serena, his eyes shining with unshed tears. 

“I am so sorry, Serena,” Ryan whispered, his voice cracking with genuine remorse. “I know this is years too late. I know an apology doesn't fix the hell I put you through, or how I treated you. But I am really, truly sorry for everything. I wish you the absolute best life.”

He took a half-step backward toward the front door, slipping his hands back into his pockets. 

“I’m heading out of the country again tomorrow. Back abroad, far away from all this. I just… I thought it would be nice to see you guys one last time before I disappear for good. To make sure my uncle and my aunt were doing okay.”

He nodded once, a final, heavy gesture of closure, and turned his heel toward the exit. 

“Ryan,” Serena’s voice cut softly through the quiet room. 

Ryan paused, stopping in his tracks. He turned his head back over his shoulder, looking at her with a questioning frown. 

“Have you eaten?” Serena asked, her voice calm, steady, and filled with a profound, unbothered grace. “Or are you in such a hurry to catch a flight right now?”

Ryan blinked, taken completely aback. He looked from Serena to me, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face. 

“Not really,” Ryan answered slowly, a tentative, almost fragile hope touching his voice. “What does my uncle think about it?”

I let out a long, slow sigh. I looked at Serena, seeing the absolute peace shining in her eyes, and then looked back at the pathetic, broken nephew standing in my hallway. The anger I had carried for him simply bled out of me, leaving nothing behind. 

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. 

“Whatever,” I muttered, my voice dry. “Just mind yourself.”

A genuine, shocked laugh broke out of Ryan’s throat. He shook his head, looking at me with that old, familiar mix of exasperation and disbelief. 

“You are always so intimidating, Uncle Damien,” Ryan smiled, a real smile this time. “Will you ever change?”

I looked over at Serena, who was smiling back at me with all the love in the world, and then back at Ryan. 

“Never,” I answered, pulling Serena closer to my side as I wrapped my arm securely around her waist. “Why would I?”