Chapter 169: A Man in the Family
Damian heard the noise and slowly turned around.
Their eyes met.
The murderous intent in Ryan's eyes was barely contained. "You're looking to die."
Ryan strode forward and grabbed Damian by the collar, hauling him off the ground.
"Who said you could touch him? Who said you could come in here?!"
Ryan's fist slammed into Damian's face.
He held nothing back. Damian crashed into the wardrobe, blood immediately seeping from the corner of his mouth.
But he didn't fight back. He didn't even wipe the blood from his lips.
Ryan was about to hit him again when Evelyn stopped him. "Ryan! Don't wake the child!"
Ryan's chest heaved as he fought down the urge to kill this bastard. He pointed at the door. "Get out. Before I throw you out the window."
Damian steadied himself against the wardrobe, his gaze lingering hungrily on the sleeping Elias, then on Evelyn's disgusted face.
Then he did something that made even Ryan freeze.
Thud.
Damian dropped to his knees again.
Not beside the bed this time, but in front of Ryan and Evelyn.
"I wasn't trying to do anything."
Damian's voice was ragged and broken. Nothing like the powerful Omni CEO he used to be. "Evelyn, I just brought medicine. I know I'm a bastard."
"Evelyn, please forgive me. I just want to make up for how I hurt you."
Ryan scoffed, about to mock him.
The blankets on the bed rustled. Elias woke up. The little boy rubbed his eyes and sat up, looking much better now that his fever had broken.
The moment he spotted Ryan by the bed, his eyes lit up. "Uncle Ryan! You came!"
Then his gaze fell on the pathetic man kneeling on the floor.
Elias's smile froze, then turned into pure terror.
"Bad man!"
Elias screamed, scrambling backwards into the corner of the bed. He grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Damian. "Mommy! The bad man's back! He's going to hit me! No no no..."
Evelyn rushed over and gathered Elias into her arms, blocking Damian from his view with her back, patting his back over and over. "Don't be scared. Mommy's here. Uncle Ryan's here. No one can hurt you."
Ryan walked over, looking down at the man on the ground.
"You hear that? He can't accept you being around." Ryan's voice was cold and merciless. "Take your fake sincerity and get out."
Damian was dragged out of the apartment building by security.
He sat on the ground, his suit covered in mud, the cut on his lip oozing blood.
But he didn't leave. He tilted his head back, staring at that one lit window.
"Ryan Lawrence..." Damian spat out a mouthful of blood. "You think you can keep her forever?"
Inside the apartment.
Ryan soothed Elias back to sleep and walked out of the bedroom, his expression dark.
Evelyn sat on the couch staring blankly ahead, the pepper spray clutched tight in her hands.
"I'm sorry." Ryan squatted in front of her, wrapping both hands around her cold fingers. "I shouldn't have let him get in. It won't happen again. I'll increase security in this building. Not even a fly will get through."
Evelyn shook her head, her voice exhausted. "It's not your fault. I was too panicked yesterday."
Ryan was about to say something when his phone buzzed in his pocket.
The moment he saw the caller ID, the tenderness in his eyes turned to cold steel.
"I need to take this."
Ryan walked to the balcony and hit answer, his voice icy. "If you're calling to lecture me, save your breath."
"Easy now. I'm not here to cause trouble." An old but powerful voice came through the phone, carrying the arrogance of someone used to being on top. "I'm at the lounge at the Four Seasons waiting for you. Since you've been making such a scene in New York, your uncle should come check on you."
Marcus Lawrence. His uncle, slicker than a fox.
Ryan hung up. He glanced back at Evelyn cleaning up inside, his expression unreadable.
"Evelyn, I need to go out." Ryan walked back in and grabbed his jacket. "Stay home with Elias. Don't open the door for anyone."
Evelyn picked up on his change in mood. "Is something wrong?"
Ryan leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry. I'll handle it."
...
Four Seasons Hotel. Top floor lounge.
Marcus sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows, swirling a glass of red wine. When Ryan approached, he didn't get up. He just looked him over with those calculating eyes.
"I heard you outed yourself as having low sperm count for some woman?" Marcus clicked his tongue mockingly. "Ryan, you're a disgrace to the Lawrence family. Is she really worth it? A woman who's been used by another man?"
Ryan pulled out a chair and sat, crossing his long legs. His posture was even more arrogant than Marcus's. "That's my girlfriend. Say one more disrespectful thing about her, and I'll put you into early retirement."
"Girlfriend?" Marcus sneered and tossed several photos onto the table.
They showed Evelyn and her son laughing at an amusement park, along with news clippings from four years ago when she'd been disgraced and forced out of Omni Group.
"A nobody with no background, a dumped single mother with a bastard. The family elders will never accept a woman like that."
Marcus leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Ryan, you're barely holding on. The Nova Group board is already discussing a motion to remove you. If you're smart, you'll get rid of that woman. Don't let her be your weakness."
"That's my business." Ryan stood, straightening his collar, looking down at Marcus. "As for the board, go ahead and try. See who ends up getting kicked out of the Lawrence family."
With that, Ryan turned and left without another glance at the old man.
Marcus watched him go, a vicious glint in his eyes. "Since you won't see reason, don't blame me for going after the people you care about."