Chapter 130 Reconciliation
ANNA'S POV
“Alright, alright, we’ve seen enough,” Dan said with a dramatic sigh as he stepped forward. “If you two want to do more than hugging and whispering, then you can head over to his house.”
He reached us and gently but firmly placed himself between Ryan and me, prying us apart like an overprotective referee.
Ryan and I both burst into soft laughter at the same time. The sound filled the living room and, just like that, the heavy tension that had been sitting on everyone’s shoulders finally vanished. The awkward silence, the sharp glares, the stiff postures, everything melted away as if it had never been there in the first place.
My shoulders relaxed, my hands unclenching without me even realizing they had been tense. I wasn’t glaring at anyone anymore. My chest felt lighter. The room finally felt like home again.
Speaking of glaring…
Tracey, who had clearly noticed that Ryan and I had completely made up, shifted in her seat. She glanced between us one last time, then slowly stood to her feet, smoothing out her dress as she did.
“Well,” she said with a polite smile, “since all is good now, I think I’ll take my leave.”
Her voice was calm, respectful, and without even a hint of bitterness.
“All is good,” I replied, standing up as well, “but I can’t just let you leave without saying something.”
Tracey paused, turning to face me.
“I might have misjudged you,” I continued, taking a step toward her, “and I definitely said some hurtful things. So… I’m sorry.”
For a brief second, she stared at me. At first, I thought I saw her glare, but then it left just as soon as I saw it. Probably it was just my eyes, because then her expression softened.
“It’s okay,” she said gently. “Apology accepted. Honestly, I’m sure I would’ve reacted the same way if I were in your shoes. It’s hard to find a handsome, loving and caring man like Ryan nowadays.”
My smile wavered, a handsome loving, and caring man like Ryan?
I knew Ryan was all that and even more but the way she said those words, it almost sounded like she still had…
No, they're just friends.
But then come to think about it, the way she looked at me the first day we met, the attitude she gave me, the comment she made.
Like she had some kind of issue with me even though we had only just met.
For someone who only came to deliver flowers, that whole attitude wasn’t what I’d expect.
And now she's acting completely different from the first day.
Or could it be that I am just the one overthinking the whole thing?
I mean I did see proof that it was just flowers she came to deliver, and Ryan says they're just friends.
But something still feels off about her.
I immediately forced the smile back on my face, I don’t want to go jumping into conclusions again. I am still trying to get myself out of the small misunderstanding that happened here because I jumped to conclusions.
I brushed off all those thoughts and without thinking twice, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her.
Tracey stiffened for only a split second before returning the hug, patting my back lightly.
As Ryan’s ex, she could have chosen not to get involved at all. She could have ignored everything and walked away. Instead, she came here, faced the awkwardness, and helped clear the misunderstanding. No matter what might be going through my head she still showed up to help, and for that I am grateful.
“Alright,” she said as we pulled apart, smiling at everyone in the room, “you guys have fun.”
She gave a small respectful bow toward my mom and dad, who both nodded back warmly, and then she headed toward the door. Moments later, she was gone.
Mom stood up, folding her hands together as she looked at me. Dad leaned back into the couch, visibly more relaxed now than he had been all evening.
“See, dear,” Mom said softly, “sometimes it’s better to just listen.”
I nodded. “I’ll start doing that from now on.”
I paused, then added casually, “Though I did listen when Dad suggested I change my company name from Anna’s Med Care to Quinn’s Med. I agreed because there were just too many shops, stores, salons, and businesses using the name Anna. I wanted something different.”
Dan immediately placed a hand on his chest in mock pain.
“I was a bit heartbroken when you changed the name,” he said. “I was the one who came up with that fabulous name Anna’s Med Care when you were about to open the company.”
I chuckled. “It was a good name. But as I said, my reason was clear. And it’s also better now that it’s placed under Quinn’s Group.”
Dad nodded approvingly. “You made the right choice, my dear.”
Ryan, who had just taken a seat again, leaned forward slightly. “Speaking of Quinn’s Group, aren’t you guys having another ceremony?”
“Yes,” Mom replied before I could speak. “Next week. Your company got the invite, right?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ryan said with a respectful nod. “And we’d be happy to be there.”
Dad clapped his hands together once. “Now that the air is clear, shall we have dinner together?”
Ryan hesitated slightly. “Sir, I would have loved to, but I need to grab something from the office.”
“At this late hour?” Dan asked, raising a brow.
Ryan smiled apologetically. “I didn’t have much time to focus on the company lately. I’ve been trying to clear my name. Now that that’s done, I have a lot of work waiting for me even as the CEO.”
Dad nodded understandingly. “We understand. Another time then.”
“I’ll escort you to your car,” I said, already walking toward him.
Ryan stood up, thanking my parents once more before following me toward the front door. The cool night air greeted us as we stepped outside.
As we walked toward his car, Ryan suddenly spoke.
“You know who just popped up in my mind?”
“Who?” I asked.
“It might sound weird,” he said, “but Isabel.”
I let out a small scoff. “Why?”
“Well,” he continued, “after all the hatred and threats she sent your way, it turned out to be a bluff. She never went through with any of them.”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding slowly, “she’s probably just tired of everything now. Being disowned, knowing she has no chance of changing Dad’s mind… I guess she finally gave up. And honestly, I’m happy she did.”
“So you’re happy that she’s no longer in the house?” Ryan asked.
I shook my head. “I’m not happy that she’s gone. Mom loved her a lot, and even though she doesn’t say anything, I can tell she really misses her.”
I paused. “As for me… I don’t miss her. She never really gave me a reason to. From the first day we met, she was always rude to me. So for me, it’s just neutral.”
Ryan stopped beside his car and turned to face me. “Dan was right,” he said. “It was just a phase. She took it too far by framing you though, but wherever she is now, I’m sure she’s out of that phase.”
I nodded.
“So,” he said, opening his car door slightly, “I’ll see you again. Tomorrow?”
“Sure,” I replied with a smile. “You can come by the office. I’ll be expecting you.”
“Alright,” he said warmly. “I’ll also call you tonight when I get back. Take care.”
He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead before getting into his car.
Moments later, the engine started, and he drove off down the quiet street.