Ryan’s eyes followed Emily as she stepped close to him to check his vitals and administer his treatment when it was her turn. He noticed the way she avoided his gaze as she worked quietly on the monitors.
The silence stretched as she bent to check the drip, the line, the beat on the screen, but not once did she look directly at him.
She was annoyed that he’d disappointed her by releasing that video. She had thought they were mistaken about him and maybe his grief had led him to do all he had done and maybe he wasn’t such a terrible person, but she wasn’t so sure anymore.
When Emily was done, she turned to leave without a word but Ryan stopped her before she could.
"Wait," Ryan said. His voice was soft but carried command.
Emily stopped and turned halfway. "Do you need something, sir?"
"You just checked me. Am I doing okay?"
Emily nodded. "Your recovery is surprisingly faster than usual."
"For some of us, physical wounds heal faster than other wounds," he said, and she nodded.
"Sit with me and tell me more about Callan," he said when she began to walk away again.
She turned fully, her eyes cool. "If you need company, you can ask your aide to sit with you, sir. I have other things to do."
Ryan’s brows rose. "What other things could you possibly have to do? We’re on air. And I’m your only responsibility here."
Emily’s lips pressed tight. She gave no answer making it clear she just didn’t want to sit with him.
Ryan’s brows pulled together. "Did I do something to offend you?"
Her chest rose as she drew in a sharp breath. Then her words spilled out. "Offend me? Not exactly. But I’ve just been wondering what you were you thinking making such a video."
Ryan’s face didn’t flinch. "I see you heard me recording."
"The curtain wasn’t exactly sound proof," she said, and his lips twitched.
"Well, I only said the truth. That’s all. The world deserved to hear it. Or do you think I was lying?" He asked, and Emily’s throat worked as she swallowed hard.
How could she have forgotten that he was still the same person despite his weakened state? She wondered.
"Whether it was truth or not, I don’t think putting it out that way was the best. You could have waited until you got to Ludus. You planned to meet Callan and your daughters. You should have spoken to them first. How do you think your daughters will feel when they see that video?"
"Why should I care how they feel when they don’t care about me? Do you see either of them here? While I almost died, Abigail was being destroying everything I’ve built, and Genevieve didn’t even bother to take her calls. So, tell me, why should I care about people, who abandoned me despite all I’ve done for them?" Ryan asked, his voice low but edged with bitterness.
Emily’s eyes widened with disbelief, unable to wrap her head around the fact that he was thinking of himself as the victim right now.
"If you were my father, I’d abandon you too especially after this stunt. Because it shows you care only about yourself. You think of no one else." Her words tumbled fast before she could stop them. "If there’s one thing my father ever taught me, it’s that being a father means sacrifice and selflessness. But you—" her voice trembled as she shook her head. "You only think of yourself and I don’t think you deserve to be anyone’s father." Especially not Callan’s, she thought to herself.
Emily did not realize how loud her voice was until she heard the gasps of the nurses behind her.
The silence that followed was thick. Emily’s heart raced. Her words echoed in her own head. How could she have been so bold and careless? Had she forgotten who she was talking to?
This was Ryan Harris. The tyrant who had done all those terrible things to Dawn and her maternal family. What was she doing lecturing him?
Her palms went cold as she met Ryan’s cold gaze. Gone was the warmth and softness on his face. His face looked hard now.
She sucked in a deep breath. "I’m sorry," she said quickly, her voice small and scared now. "I spoke out of turn."
Without another glance, she turned and walked briskly away, her steps quick, as though fear itself pushed her.
Ryan’s eyes stayed on her retreating figure, fire lighting in them. A slow, dangerous smirk curved his lips. If she wasn’t important to Callan, he’d have dealt with her for daring to speak to him that way and lecture him on fatherhood.
What did she think she knew about him to judge him that way? How dare her say he didn’t deserve to be anyone’s father? Ryan fumed, his gaze on her.
Emily’s hands trembled slightly as she dropped into her seat. She pressed her lips together and blew out a long breath, scolding herself inside.
’You need to be more sensible, Emily. You can’t keep running your mouth like that," she said, slapping her lips.
She noticed the curious gaze of the nurses and she shut her eyes. Almost immediately her phone vibrated in the pocket of her lab coat.
She opened her eyes as she took it out of her pocket and her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was a WhatsApp notification from Callan.
She tapped quickly on the screen quickly to read the message.
Callan >: How are you, Princess Emily? Are you safe?
The nickname that usually offended her, brought relief to her now since he sounded like the annoying Callan she knew, not a broken Callan.
Emily >: I should be asking you that. How are you? Are you fine?
The reply came almost a minute later.
Callan >: I’m alright. Are you safe? Is everything okay over there?
Emily smiled faintly, her chest easing.
Emily >: I’m okay. I’m safe.
Callan >: Although I don’t like that you got involved in my mess... But thank you.
Emily shook her head and typed quickly.
Emily >: You don’t have to thank me. How are you really? Before we left Westend, I spoke with your Dad. I tried calling after I spoke with him but your phone was off.
Callan >: I’m fine. You don’t have to worry. I set it on DND because I needed time to process everything.
Her eyes softened as she read his words.
Emily >: I’m glad you’re alright. Although I’ll confirm for myself when I arrive. Have you seen Jam?
Callan >: Yeah. I just left them. I’m on my way back home. It just occurred to me that I hadn’t checked in with you. Mari said she’d been worried about me, and I figured you might be worried too, so I wanted to let you know I’m feeling better and you didn’t have to worry.
Emily’s fingers flew over the screen.
Emily >: You spoke with Mari? Did she call you? How is Jam and...
She was still typing when her phone was snapped out of her hand by Mack, Ryan’s aide. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍