Chapter 156: Give Him a Chance
At three in the morning, Ryan was lying on the beige sofa. It was far too small for him, forcing him to keep his long legs cramped. Though his body was exhausted, his mind was wide awake.
His throat was parched. He threw off the blanket and walked barefoot to the kitchen for a glass of ice water. Passing the master bedroom, he stopped.
The door was slightly ajar. Through the gap, he saw that Evelyn wasn't asleep either. She was sitting on the edge of the bed in a silk robe, staring out the window. The soft glow of a lamp bathed her in light.
Ryan’s fingers tightened around his glass. He wanted to go in and hold her, to tell her she didn't have to carry the weight alone. But he held back. He didn't have that right yet.
His gaze shifted to the nightstand. There was a glass of water and a silver ring that caught the light. Ryan’s pupils contracted. The ring was old and etched with a script letter "L." It looked exactly like the family crest rings worn only by core members of the Lawrence family.
He quickly dismissed the thought. It was probably just a coincidence or a vintage find.
"Who’s there?" Evelyn’s voice was alert.
"It’s me." Ryan didn't enter. He just raised his glass at the door. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I was just getting water."
Evelyn relaxed and pulled her robe tighter. "It’s fine. I couldn't sleep anyway."
Their eyes met in the dark. The air grew thick and heavy. Ryan looked at her vulnerable state, his pulse racing, but he just gave her a deep look. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow is a new day."
"Goodnight, Ryan," she whispered.
"Goodnight." He closed the door, cutting off the view. He leaned against the wall and downed the ice water, trying to kill the heat in his chest.
The next morning, the blanket on the sofa was neatly folded. Evelyn led a sleepy Elias out of the room to find an empty living room and a warm breakfast on the table. Ryan had even made sure Elias’s portion was gluten-free.
"Is the mister gone?" Elias rubbed his eyes, sounding disappointed.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Evelyn thought Ryan had forgotten something, but a different man in a suit was standing there.
"Good morning, Miss Bell. I am Mr. Lawrence’s assistant, Vincent. Sir had an emergency with an overseas merger and had to head to the airport for London."
Gone? Evelyn felt a sudden, strange emptiness in her chest.
"He asked me to give you this." Vincent handed over a thick envelope.
Evelyn opened it. Inside were her "Rebirth" sketches from four years ago—the ones she thought were lost. There were even old doodles from her college days that must have been incredibly hard to find.
Below those was a legal document. Four years ago, when everyone thought she was dead, Omni Group tried to seize her copyrights as company assets. Ryan had used the best lawyers to fight Damian for six months, eventually winning the rights back and placing them in an independent trust. The beneficiary line was blank, waiting for her.
Vincent didn't leave right away. Seeing Evelyn’s eyes grow red, he spoke up. "Miss Bell, these past four years haven't been easy for him. Many women tried to get close to him, but he never let anyone near. He said if you ever came back, he wanted to be worthy of you."
Vincent took a breath. "A man like Damian deserves to lose you. but my boss... please, give him a chance."
Evelyn gripped the papers. She had thought Ryan was just another cage. She didn't realize he was the man who had waited for her in the ruins for four years.
"Mommy," Elias said, hugging her leg. "I like Ryan. He said he’d take me to the theme park."
A child’s instinct was sharp. Elias knew who was real.
Evelyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't let past wounds keep her from the warmth in front of her. She dialed the number she knew by heart.
It picked up on the first ring amidst the noise of the airport. "Evelyn? Is something wrong?" Ryan’s voice was tense. "Did Vincent not handle it? I’ll tell him—"
"Ryan," Evelyn interrupted softly. "When you're back from London, let's go to the theme park." She looked at her son’s hopeful face. "Elias keeps asking. And... I want to go, too."
"Okay," Ryan’s voice was thick with disbelief and joy. "Three days. No, two. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done."