Chapter 4

　　Iris's POV

　　I sat at the dining table at my mom's place, staring down at my plate. The food tasted like shaft in my mouth. A lot had happened in just under 24 hours I didn't have any appetite all day.

　　"Damian is such a wonderful husband to you," my mom was saying, forcing me to bring my gaze up to her proud face. "I'm just remembering all the lovely things he'd done for you, that man...God bless him. Oh honey, you're so lucky!"

　　I wanted to snap, yell at her to stop praising him, yet I managed to hold a fake smile and mumbled, "hmm, yea."

　　The housekeeper nodded along, pouring more water into my glass. "Yes, Mr. Damian is a true gentleman. I pray for a man like him everyday for my daughters."

　　A wave of disgust washed over me. I felt so sick to my stomach now. A good man? They didn't know about his horrible secret...if only they knew half the truth that made Damian.

　　I squeezed my fork tightly until my knuckles turned white. It was an effort, keeping the smile on my face. "Yes. He is great."

　　After dinner, I couldn't wait to leave. The walls of my mom's house felt like they were closing in on me. I muttered a quick goodbye and drove straight to a nearby pharmacy.

　　My heart hammered against my ribs as I walked down the quiet aisles. I found the emergency contraceptive pills and picked it, then hurried to the cashier to pay.

　　As soon as I got out, I tore the packaging open, popped the pill into my mouth, and swallowed it. I closed my eyes, chugging down the bottle of water with me.

　　Last night was a mistake. I had to erase every part of it. Knowing where I needed to be next, I sighed and hailed a taxi.

　　I needed to get my purse and phone I'd left behind during last night's mistake.

　　I walked up to the counter the moment I arrived at the bar. The air inside was heavy with the smell of old alcohol and smoke. The owner, a man named Felix, raised his head. As soon as his eyes landed on me, his brows shot up. "Hey you," he said. I was a bit surprised he remembered me.

　　"You know..." He leaned forward on the counter, wetting his lips. "Ryder doesn't usually bring women here, especially one who clung on to him all night like you did." He was satisfying his curiosity, trying to find out who I was to the dangerous Ryder Lancaster.

　　I looked at him with a straight face, and said in a sharp tone. "Ryder is my husband's uncle."

　　Felix stopped wiping the counter. His hand froze instantly. A look of pure shock flashed across his face, but he quickly hid it. He was smart enough to know that Ryder's family secrets were none of his business. His lips parted open then he shut it close again and gave a tight nod, not daring to ask a single question more.

　　"I actually came here to take my phone and purse," I said, trying to change the subject. "I forgot them here last night."

　　His brows arched. "Your purse and your phone aren't here, ma'am," he said, watching my face closely. "They're with Ryder."

　　I'd suddenly turned into a 'ma'am' as soon as he heard I was related to Ryder.

　　"Wait, what?" I spat out as soon as the realization hit me. "What do you mean with Ryder?"

　　"He took them with him last night. He said he would keep them safe for you."

　　Damn it, he trapped me. Ryder clearly knew I would come back to the bar for my things. He took them on purpose so I would have to contact him first. He was forcing me to lose the bet on the very first day! The arrogance of this man made my blood boil.

　　"Um, could you... I need to speak with him now. Please?" I said to Felix. My heart was thumping wildly against my chest. For some reason, Felix did not hesitate. He quickly dialed the private number and handed me the phone.

　　It rang once before a deep calm voice answered. "Sweetheart."

　　Hearing his voice made my stomach flip. He must have known I would call, and was already waiting for me. He was probably smiling right now. "Give me back my things, Ryder," I said, angrily. "Send them over to me now."

　　I heard a low, dark chuckle on the other end of the line. "No," he said smoothly. "I don't think I will. If you want your phone and your purse, you'll have to come pick them up yourself. In person."

　　My breath was heavy with frustration. Why was he doing this to me? "What is wrong with you? Why can't you just leave me alone?" I demanded, my voice cracking with emotion.

　　"You wanna know why? Sweetheart, you made the first move last night at the bar, have you forgotten?" Ryder countered. His voice dropped to a rough, quiet whisper that felt far too close. "You came to me first. You can't just start a fire like that and then walk away from the burn. I'll be expecting you tonight."

　　Feeling humiliated and definitely angry, my lips pressed into a fine pause. I knew there was nothing I could do or say to change his mind. He'd planned this right from the beginning, using his power to corner me.

　　Besides, I absolutely could not let him see what was inside that phone. Inside were the secret pictures of Damian and his gay lover.

　　That evidence was my only way out of my marriage, and it had to be kept completely safe until I knew exactly how to use it. If Ryder found those photos, everything would blow up.

　　Finally, I muttered under my breath, completely giving in to his demand. "Fine. I'll come."

　　I handed the phone back to Felix, my hands shaking. I was going to his house tonight, stepping right into the lion's den.