Chapter 97 We Just Vibe
A month later, life had slowly begun to settle back into a fragile routine.
The court proceedings had finally come to an end, and Vanessa had been sentenced. The judgment brought a strange mix of relief and sorrow to everyone involved. Justice had been served, yet the pain of everything that led to that moment still lingered in their hearts and Michael was still out there.
While Derek had resumed work, Rebecca was still at home being pampered by Amelia and Derek. She had been told by the doctor to take at least two months off anything stressful.
Monday afternoon, Derek stood by the large window of his office, his gaze fixed on the busy city below. The world outside moved on as if nothing had happened, but he knew better. Some wounds did not heal that easily.
Behind him, Ryan sat casually on the couch, scrolling through his phone, though his attention seemed divided. Derek turned from the window and walked back to his desk, his expression calm but serious.
"I’ve already arranged it," Derek said, his tone firm. "My men are keeping an eye out for Michael. If he shows his face anywhere near this city, I’ll know immediately."
Ryan nodded slowly, though his eyes remained on his phone. "Good. That man is dangerous. We can’t take any chances."
Derek leaned back in his chair, exhaling softly. "Exactly. For now, things are quiet… but I don’t trust the silence. Michael isn’t the type to disappear forever, he’ll make a move eventually."
There was a brief pause in the room. The tension that had followed them for months was slowly loosening, replaced by a cautious sense of normalcy.
After a moment, Derek’s expression softened slightly. He clasped his hands together on the desk and spoke again, this time more thoughtfully.
"Now that things are gradually returning to normal," he began, "I’ve been thinking about something important."
Ryan hummed absentmindedly, still glancing at his phone screen.
Derek continued, not fazed by Ryan's lack of interest, his voice steady but sincere. "I want to court Rebecca properly, this time I want her to be my wife, not because of any contract but because I love her." He said, he had thought about their marriage since everything started, and he had come to the conclusion that Rebecca is his life.
That made Ryan finally look up, though only briefly, before his gaze dropped back to his phone again. "That’s good," he said with a faint smile. "She deserves that."
Derek watched him for a moment, noticing the way Ryan kept checking his phone every few seconds, as if expecting a notification.
His brows furrowed slightly. "Are you waiting for an important call or something?" he asked.
Ryan froze for a second, then coughed awkwardly. "Uh… not exactly." He replied, glancing up to see Derek's eyes fixed on him.
Derek leaned forward slightly, curiosity written on his face. "Then why do you keep staring at your phone like that? You’ve barely paid attention to half of what I’ve said."
Ryan let out a small, embarrassed laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, fine. I might be waiting for a message… but it’s nothing serious."
Derek raised an eyebrow. "Nothing serious?" He asked intrigued. He had never seen Ryan this absentminded before.
Ryan hesitated, then finally admitted, "I have a date."
Derek blinked once, then twice, surprised. "A date?"
Ryan nodded, his lips curving into a sheepish grin. "Yeah… from an app."
For a moment, Derek just stared at him, clearly trying to process what he had just heard. Then a slow smirk formed on his face.
"So, while I’m here worrying about security threats and planning how to properly court the woman I love," Derek said dryly, "you’re busy checking your phone because of an app date?"
Ryan shrugged defensively, though his smile widened. "Hey, don’t judge me. Everyone deserves a little romance, right? You’re planning your love life, I’m just… exploring mine."
Derek shook his head in amusement, the tension in the room easing slightly. "You? Although I knew you were the love and marriage type, but I never knew you'd date someone from an app. That’s new."
Ryan scoffed lightly. "I'm not in love. I’m just… making sure I don’t miss her message."
Derek smiled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Wow! Don't want to miss her message. That sounds like you’re really serious about her. So after all this time, you still haven’t found a real girlfriend in the real world? You’re relying on an app now?"
Ryan rolled his eyes, though there was no real annoyance in his expression. "You make it sound worse than it is," he replied. “"I like her, okay? We get along really well. We talk every day, and the conversations never feel forced. We just… vibe."
Derek smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Vibe? Listen to yourself. You sound like a teenager who just discovered romance for the first time."