Chapter 342 I Hate This

Chapter 342 I Hate This
After leaving the guest room, Ryan walked back to the sitting room. When he entered the sitting room, he found Amelia and Mrs. Cole already seated, while the security personnel occupied the other chairs, with about four of them monitoring different locations on the laptops while the others were simply seated, waiting for further instructions. The doctor was also there, seated on one of the spare chairs. On entering the room, everyone turned toward him, while Ryan immediately faced the doctor.

"You can go in now," he said, and the doctor nodded before standing up and picking up his bag from the floor. He was about to walk past Ryan when he stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"And, if possible, give him something that will help him sleep tonight, something strong enough to knock him out until tomorrow," he said. He didn't trust Derek not to try something reckless once everywhere became quiet and everyone's attention was elsewhere. He needed his friend to be strong if they really wanted to rescue Rebecca, and at the moment, Derek was a liability to them until he got treated.

The doctor nodded before replying, "I understand."

Ryan watched him disappear down the hallway before turning his attention toward Mrs. Cole, who was seated beside Amelia.

"You've had a long day too ma'am," he said gently. "I think you should go home and get some rest tonight, then come back tomorrow when Derek has been treated and is feeling better, and we can all sit down and discuss everything properly," he added. He was tired too and desperately needed a break.

Mrs. Cole nodded slowly. She had thought she would have a chance to talk with Derek, but she also understood that he needed some time alone.

"Alright," she replied as she picked up her bag before standing up.

"And another thing, thank you so much, Mr. Ryan, for your time and effort," she added, while Ryan simply nodded.

"And please don't worry too much tonight," he said gently.

Mrs. Cole gave him a sad smile.

"How can I not worry when my son is responsible for something like this?" She asked sadly.

Ryan did not know what to say to that, so he simply nodded.

Mrs. Cole then turned and walked toward the door, leaving the house with a heavy heart and countless thoughts running through her mind.

After she left, Ryan turned toward the security personnel.

"You've all had a long night as well, so take the two rooms downstairs and get some rest, but keep one person awake at a time in case anything comes through from the tracking team, and also, someone should stay behind to let the doctor out," he said, his tone indicating just how tired he was.

The men nodded and began gathering their belongings.

After making sure everyone had what they needed, Ryan finally turned toward Amelia.

She was still sitting quietly, staring at the floor, and he immediately noticed how emotionally drained she looked.

"Come on, you need to get some rest too," he murmured softly.

Amelia stood up and walked closer to where he was standing, and when she got there, Ryan placed his hand on the small of her back, and together they walked upstairs.

Neither of them mentioned food because, after everything that had happened, neither of them had the appetite to eat.

When they reached Ryan's bedroom, he opened the door and allowed Amelia to enter first.

"Sit on the bed," he told her gently. "I'll get everything ready."

Amelia nodded and sat quietly on the edge of the bed while Ryan walked into the bathroom and began preparing everything they would need.

A few minutes later, after making sure they had everything they needed, he walked back into the room.

"Come on," he said softly.

Amelia stood and followed him into the bathroom, and when she stepped inside, she noticed that Ryan had already prepared everything. The bathroom was warm and quiet, and the atmosphere felt completely different from the tension that had filled the house only moments earlier.

After undressing, they eventually settled into the warm bath together. Amelia sat in front of him while Ryan sat behind her, and for several minutes, neither of them spoke. The silence between them did not feel uncomfortable; instead, it felt like the only peace either of them had experienced all night. Ryan gently washed her hair and shoulders while occasionally leaning forward to press a soft kiss against her temple or cheek, each small gesture reassuring her that she did not have to carry everything alone.

After they had finished bathing, they returned to the bedroom, and after towelling their bodies dry, Amelia changed into one of Ryan's shirts while he changed into his nightwear. After they had both prepared for bed, they walked over to the bed and lay down together.

Ryan pulled Amelia gently into his arms, allowing her to rest against him. For several minutes, neither of them spoke, but after a few moments of complete silence, Amelia finally broke it.

"I can't help but imagine how Rebecca is feeling," she murmured softly.

On hearing her tone, Ryan turned her in his arms until she was facing him, then gently lifted her face so that she could look at him.

"I know."

"I hate this," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I hate knowing that I'm here, lying on a comfortable bed, while my friend is somewhere out there, probably frightened and wondering if anyone is coming for her," she added, trying desperately to keep any tears from escaping, which caused Ryan to tighten his arms around her.

"You haven't done anything wrong, babe," he murmured softly.

"But it still feels wrong," she murmured brokenly.

"I understand."

She swallowed hard before continuing.

"And now that we've found Derek, I thought I would feel better, but I don't, because we still don't know where Rebecca is."

Ryan gently stroked her hair.

"We're going to find her," he promised. He would make sure they found Rebecca, if not for anything else, then because of Amelia. He hated seeing her like this.

"What if we're too late?" she asked, lifting her head slightly to look at him.

"We won't be."

"You can't promise that."

Ryan was silent for a moment before answering.

"You're right, I can't promise what I don't control, but I can promise you that we're not going to stop looking for her."

Amelia rested her head against his chest again.

"I just want Rebecca back."

Ryan kissed the top of her head gently.

"So do I."

The room became quiet again, but neither of them immediately fell asleep because, although they were finally away from the danger and exhaustion of the rescue mission, their minds remained with Rebecca and their godchild.