Chapter 29

Chapter 29


OLIVIA

Ryan pulled away and we both kept staring at each other not until it became awkward and I looked outside the window and watched as the rain poured down.

Kissing this man? I would do it over and over again.

The way he makes me feel is something I can't just get over.

The car was silent as Ryan drove. We were almost close to his mansion, I can see the building from here.

But I couldn't help but notice how the energy in Ryan changed.

“Ryan?” I asked quietly, trying to break the silence, but my voice sounded too small. "What’s wrong?"

He didn’t answer right away. I glanced over at him, but his eyes were focused on the road, his jaw tight.

“Ryan, you’re acting weird,” I pressed, my voice coming out shaky. “What’s going on?”

He glanced at me, just for a second, before turning his eyes back to the road. “It’s nothing,” he muttered. “Don’t worry about it.”

I wasn’t convinced. “You can’t keep saying that,” I said, my heart beating faster. “You’re making me nervous.”

There was a long pause. Then he let out a breath, like he was trying to keep his emotions under control. “Just drop it, Olivia. We’re almost there.”

“Almost where?” I asked, confused. “Where are we going?”

“Home,” he said, his voice tight. “Where else? Damn.” He asked and raised his hand to his forehead.

Can someone tell me what's wrong with this man?

I didn’t say anything. Something felt off. His whole demeanor had shifted.

As we neared the mansion, I couldn’t help but notice how serious he looked. His grip on the steering wheel was so tight, his knuckles white. He kept glancing at the rearview mirror, as if checking for something.

“Ryan?” I asked, my voice trembling. “What are you looking for?”

His eyes flicked to me quickly, but he didn’t answer right away. “Nothing. Just… Olivia!” He called out in frustration. He looked back at the rearview mirror like he was trying to focus on something.

I didn’t say anything else, but the fear in my chest grew.

What the hell is going on?

Finally, he pulled out his phone, and I watched as he dialed a number.

“Adrian ,” he said, his voice low and controlled. “Someone broke into my mansion. It looks like an ambush.”

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. What?

“That’s not possible,” Adrian ’s voice came through the phone, sounding confused. “No one can get past the security.”

I could feel Ryan’s anger bubbling up. “Are you calling me a liar?” he snapped, his voice harsh.

I jumped, startled by his tone. “Ryan, what’s happening?” I whispered, my hands suddenly shaking.

“Sorry, boss,” Adrian said quickly on the phone. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’ll check on it right away.”

But Ryan didn’t calm down. His face was twisted in frustration. “You better,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

I stared at him, fear creeping into me.

I felt the need to call Melanie but what could she do in a situation like this?

“Xav—”

“Princess, I know you're scared but please I'm here and you panicking would make me lose focus.” He looked at me, really looked at me and I could feel my whole never calming down.

I love him calm.

Adrian called again, his voice coming through the phone, sounding a little unsure.

“Boss, I didn’t see anything. No movement. But don’t worry, I’m sending backups right now.”

Ryan didn’t even respond. He just ended the call, and I stared at him. My heart was racing.

"Ryan, what's going on and why did you end the call?" I whispered, my voice shaking.

He didn't answer. He just kept driving, his hands tight on the wheel.

We pulled into the mansion's driveway, and I saw one of Ryan’s workers out in the garden, cleaning up. I felt a small bit of relief.

"Ryan..." I started, still trying to make sense of everything. "Is everything okay?"

Ryan didn't look at me. He rolled down his window, calling out to the worker. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

The worker glanced up, surprised. "Oh, it’s Thursday, sir. We do the cleaning every Thursday."

I blinked. "Much explainable."

"Yeah," the worker said, pointing to the rake in his hand. "We do the whole garden cleaning every Thursday. It's part of the schedule."

He doesn't even know the rules? In his own mansion? He got to be kidding.

Ryan let out a heavy breath, still not looking completely convinced. “Are you sure? No one else should be here.”

The worker nodded, wiping his brow. “Yes, sir. Just doing my job. Everything’s normal.”

Ryan stared at him for a long moment before nodding. He looked at me, but his face still didn’t relax. "Looks like it was nothing," he muttered.

"Then why did you act like that?" I asked softly, feeling confused. "You were so upset. You scared me."

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he just got out of the car and slammed the door shut. I followed him inside, still wondering what kind of a man he is.

When we got inside, I watched Ryan storm off to his room, looking all broody and serious.

I knew he was still thinking about whatever had just happened outside, but I had a plan.

And it was a great one.

I wanted to make him dinner.

Not just any dinner, though. I wanted to make it a cozy, romantic kind of dinner.

And after that? I was going to convince him to cuddle with me until we both fell asleep.

I knew it would be hard.

I mean, he’s Ryan.

He doesn’t exactly do "soft" things, but I was determined.

I always get what I want.

Always.

So, without wasting any time, I dashed to my room.

I jumped into the shower, scrubbing myself clean while imagining how this would all play out.

After I dried off, I slipped into a short, sexy nightie that definitely wasn’t a coincidence. It had one job: to get Ryan’s attention.

I brushed my hair quickly, checked myself in the mirror, and nodded. Perfect.

Time for Operation Cuddle Me, Ryan, to begin.

I practically skipped to his door, excitement bubbling inside me. I knocked a few times—maybe a little too eagerly.

I could hear his footsteps. The door creaked open, and there he was. His hair was still wet, and he had a towel wrapped around his waist.

“Olivia?” he asked, his voice sounding confused. He looked me up and down, clearly taken aback.

I smiled, leaning against the doorframe. “Hey, I was just thinking... we should talk. I'm bored. And maybe have dinner together?”

He blinked a few times, still processing what he was seeing. I took the opportunity to lean in a bit closer, making sure he saw exactly how I was dressed.

But before I could say anything else, he looked down at himself, then back at me, and before I knew it, he slammed the door in my face.

I stared at the door for a second, stunned.

“Ryan!” I called through the door, laughing. “Are you seriously shutting me out right now?”

I heard muffled muttering on the other side.

Then the door creaked open just a sliver, and he peeked out, now holding the towel a bit higher like it was some sort of defense mechanism.

“Uh, Olivia,” he said, voice tight. “Why are you... here? At my door?”

I could barely keep a straight face. “Well, I was thinking we could have dinner, you know? Like, you and me. Together. Maybe we could cuddle or something afterward, too.” I explained with dreamy eyes.

He stared at me, probably wondering if I had completely lost my mind.

But I could see his eyes flicker for a second, as if considering it.

Then, he quickly snapped the door shut again.

“Ryan!” I shouted, laughing. “Come on! You can’t just leave me out here like this!”

I was seriously about to break the door down when it suddenly opened again.

This time, he was still holding the towel in place, but he looked less surprised and more like he was trying to keep himself composed.

“Dinner?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Yep,” I said,
grinning. “And cuddles.”

He sighed dramatically, stepping back from the door. “Fine,” he muttered. “But only because I’m starving...”

This night was going to be interesting.