Chapter 178
Lily's POV
The numbers on my phone screen glowed like tiny accusers in the pre-dawn darkness of Dorm 304: 7:32 AM. One hour and twenty-eight minutes until Carter Industries' corporate offices opened in Aspen. One hour and twenty-eight minutes before I'd make the call that might finally give me answers about where Ryan had gone.
Or might get me killed, according to the information Ellie had dug up last night.
I sat on the edge of my bed, the sticky note covered in department extensions and direct dial numbers trembling between my fingers. The paper's edges had gone soft and damp from my nervous sweating over the past twelve hours. I'd rewritten the opening script so many times the words had lost all meaning:
"Hello, my name is Lily Parker. I'm calling about Ryan Carter. He's a student at Cedar View University and—"
Too formal.
"Hi, this is Lily. I'm Ryan's girlfriend and I'm worried because—"
Too emotional.
"Good morning. I need to speak with someone regarding Ryan Carter's whereabouts—"
Who the hell talks like that?
I crumpled the note for the fourth time that morning, then immediately smoothed it back out. The list of names stared up at me: Director of Communications. VP of Public Relations. Executive Assistant to the Board. All those corporate titles that meant nothing to me, gatekeepers between me and the truth about where my boyfriend had disappeared to three days ago.
Boyfriend. The word felt strange now, almost quaint, after learning that Ryan Carter—my Ryan, who wore thrifted flannels and complained about the cafeteria coffee and taught me how to shoot three-pointers in the Blue Water Lake parking lot—was actually the sole heir to a billion-dollar industrial empire.
"You should eat something."
Ellie's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. She hadn't moved from her position against the wall since I'd woken at 6 AM to find her already there, wide awake, watching me with those strange amber eyes that sometimes caught the light wrong. She looked terrible—shadows like bruises under her eyes, her usual neat ponytail replaced by a messy bun, her fingers pressed so hard against the wall behind her that I swear I could see the paint cracking.
"I'm not hungry," I said automatically, which was a lie. My stomach had been empty since yesterday afternoon, growling protests I'd been ignoring.
"Lily." Ellie pushed off from the wall, and I noticed the way she moved—too carefully, like someone trying not to startle a wild animal. Or like someone in pain. "You need to eat. And drink water. And—"
"And what? Calm down?" The words came out sharper than I intended. "Ellie, I'm about to call a multibillion-dollar corporation to ask if they know where their missing heir is. The same heir who's been lying to me for eight months about who he really is. So excuse me if I'm not particularly hungry right now."
Ellie flinched, but she didn't back down. Instead, she crossed to my desk and picked up the water bottle I'd been ignoring, pressing it into my hands with a gentleness that made my eyes sting.
"I know," she said quietly. "I know this is... impossible. But you'll think more clearly if you're not dehydrated. Please?"
I took the bottle because it was easier than arguing, and because despite everything—despite the secrets Ellie was clearly still keeping, despite my anger and fear and hurt—she'd sat up with me all night. She'd dug through online records and social media archives and corporate filings to give me at least some answers about who Ryan really was. She'd let me cry on her shoulder when the reality of his wealth and the scale of his deception had hit me.
She was still here.
The water was cold going down, shocking my empty stomach. I drank half the bottle before I could make myself stop, then checked my phone again.
7:36 AM.
"Tell me again what you found about his family," I said, because the silence was worse than talking. Because if I sat here with nothing but my own thoughts for another hour, I'd lose my mind.
Ellie settled onto Megan's bed across from me, her movements still too controlled. "Ryan Carter. Only child of James Carter, who died in a boating accident when Ryan was fourteen. Raised by his grandfather, William Carter, founder and CEO of Carter Industries—mining, real estate, tech investment. Net worth estimated at $4.7 billion."
I knew all this already. She'd shown me the articles, the business profiles, the rare photos of a stern-faced old man in expensive suits. But hearing it again somehow made it more real.
"William Carter suffered a major heart attack three days ago," Ellie continued, her voice carefully neutral. "There's been no public announcement, but according to Miles's sources, he died that same day. The board of directors has kept it quiet while they... handle internal matters."
Internal matters. Such a bloodless phrase for what was probably a vicious power struggle over billions of dollars.
"And Ryan?" My voice cracked on his name. "Where does he fit into all this?"
"He's the direct heir. With his father dead and his grandfather gone, he inherits everything." Ellie's eyes met mine, and I saw real worry there. "Which makes him extremely valuable. And extremely vulnerable."
My hands tightened on the water bottle, plastic crinkling. "You think someone in his own family would hurt him?"
"I think..." Ellie chose her words carefully. "I think there are probably a lot of people who'd prefer a more... manageable heir. Someone they could control. And Ryan has always been..." She gestured helplessly. "Ryan."
Yeah. Ryan, who'd rather spend Saturday mornings teaching underprivileged kids to play basketball than networking with business contacts. Ryan, who talked about studying medicine so he could join nonprofit healthcare organizations, not corporate practice.
Ryan, who'd lied to me for eight months.
"So what do I say?" I looked down at my crumpled notes. "When I call? How do I—"
My phone buzzed.
For a second, I just stared at it, my brain unable to process the sudden vibration in my hand. Then I looked at the screen.
Unknown Number (970 area code)
970\. Aspen, Colorado.
"Ellie." I couldn't make my voice work properly. "Ellie, look—"