Chapter 4

OLIVIA

“Who the fuck does he think he is?" I screamed, throwing my hands in the air. This was so unbelievable. He dumped me in the middle of nowhere and also, a part of the city I was very unfamiliar with.

With no other hope, I started trekking. I had nowhere to go but I would follow the trail of his car. It drove forward, so I'll go that way.

“Great. Just so perfect." I muttered and brought out my phone from my purse.

I would just order for an uber but to my dismay, my phone was dead.

Cars drove past me and I clutched my purse to my chest tightly hoping nothing happened to me.

He's out of his damn mind and now, I've gathered my resolve to stay far, very far away from him.

Just then, I noticed a car slowing down and moving towards me. My heart slammed against my chest as I quickened my pace.

“Hey…” A man poked his head out of the window but I was too terrified to look.

What if he's a kidnapper?

I can't die like this good lord.

My palms became sweaty despite the cold in the city and I kept walking faster and faster. Different cars drove past me but that didn't give me any hope as there was nobody on the road trekking.

“Ma'am, Mister Ryan sent me to pick you up." The driver blurted out once he caught up with me. I slowed down and looked back at him.

“And how do you expect me to believe that?" I wanted to hop into that car because my leg hurts like crazy.

He brought out an ID and showed it to me. That ID isn't supposed to mean anything but it did.

I entered the car and took off my shoes, and then I heaved a sigh of relief.

I leaned back against the car seat, hugging my purse like it was the only thing keeping me alive.

The driver didn’t say much after that. Just quiet hums, the sound of the road, and the occasional glance in the rearview mirror that I pretended not to notice.

My feet were sore, my head was pounding, and honestly, I was done.

When we finally pulled up in front of Ryan’s house, my stomach twisted. The tall gates, the endless driveway, the mansion glowing in warm lights, it all looked like a scene out of a movie. A rich, cold, arrogant movie.

The driver got out first and opened my door. I stepped down slowly, slipping my shoes back on even though my feet screamed.

My eyes moved to the front door, already half open.

He was there.

Ryan stood in the doorway, with his hands tucked in his pockets, and his face unreadable.

His black shirt clung to his chest, his hair was slightly messy, like he had run his fingers through it a hundred times. He looked calm.

I stopped walking and jjsu stared at him from the distance.

The urge to yell at him, to ask what the hell was wrong with him, boiled in my chest. But when his eyes locked on mine, the words stuck in my throat.

I forced my legs to move. Each step toward him felt heavier.

“Inside,” he said flatly when I reached him. No hello. No explanation. Just that.

I clenched my jaw but walked in. The driver closed the door behind us, leaving me alone with him.

I dropped my purse on the console table and turned to him. “You left me. On the road. Like I was some stranger you didn’t care about. Do you have any idea how—”

“You’re here now,” he cut in. His voice was calm, but it sliced straight through me.

I blinked at him. “That’s all you have to say?”

He walked past me with slow steps until he reached the living room. He sat down on the couch, olaced his elbow on his knees and looked at me like I was the one overreacting.

“You’re unharmed.” His eyes flicked over me, lingering on my feet before moving back to my face. “That’s what matters.”

I almost laughed. “That’s your apology? Really? ‘You’re unharmed’? Do you even hear yourself?”

He didn't answer.

He didn’t look guilty. He didn’t look angry. Just… controlled. Always controlled.

I threw my hands in the air. “You’re unbelievable.”

When I turned to leave, his voice stopped me.

“You should eat something.”

I froze. My back was to him, but I felt his eyes on me.

“I’m not hungry,” I muttered.

“You haven’t eaten since the event.”

I spun around. “Oh, so now you’re keeping track?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he reached for the phone on the table, pressed a button, and within minutes, one of the house staff appeared with a tray of food. Warm soup, bread, water.

Ryan didn’t look at me. He just leaned back, like this was normal.

I stared at the tray, my anger fighting with my stomach.

“Are you serious right now?”

“You can shout after you eat,” he replied simply.

I glared at him but sat down anyway. The soup smelled too good, and my body was too tired to keep up the fight. I ate in silence, every spoonful loud in the quiet room.

Ryan stayed on the other couch, watching me. Not saying a word, not moving, just watching. His gaze was heavy, and I hated that it made my skin heat.

When I pushed the bowl away, I lifted my chin. “Satisfied?”

His lips twitched, barely noticeable. “Better than seeing you faint.”

I blinked. That… almost sounded like concern.

Almost.

But before I could react, he stood up. “Go to bed. We have an early morning.”

I shot up too. “That’s it? You think you can just dismiss me like that?”

His eyes hardened. “Do you want me to apologize, Olivia?”

The way he said my name made my chest tighten.

“Yes,” I answered, even though my voice came out softer than I intended. “I deserve at least that.”

For the first time all night, his mask slipped. Just a little. His jaw clenched, his eyes flickered with something I couldn’t name.

“I don’t regret what I said or did,” he murmured. “But… I regret how I left you there.”

My breath caught.

It wasn’t a full apology. Not even close. But coming from him, it felt like a crack in the wall he always hid behind.

I swallowed hard, not trusting my voice.

“Go to bed,” he repeated, softer this time.

I turned away, not wanting him to see the mess of emotions on my face. I walked upstairs, each step echoing in the quiet house.

When I reached my room, I shut the door gently and leaned against it, pressing my forehead to the wood. My chest was still tight, my mind spinning.

He hadn’t really apologized. Not in the

way I wanted. But he’d said enough to keep me up all night, thinking about it.

And I hated that part of me… wasn’t angry anymore.