Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan)

Chapter 81

LILY

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When days passed without any news of Ryan’s release, I knew I had to visit him. With the weekend offering a more convenient time, I decided to take their child along, despite having to sacrifice their extracurricular activities for the trip. Booking a night flight, we embarked on the journey.

Upon arrival, we spent the night at Becky’s place, and the following morning, I headed to the detention center to see Ryan. After receiving a visitor pass, I was directed to the visitation room and settled in to wait for him. Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

After a few minutes, the door swung open, and Ryan entered. He stopped short, his expression clouding with surprise and confusion. “What are you doing here, Lily?” he questioned, his frown deepening.

Rising from my seat, I closed the distance between us and enveloped him in a hug. Despite his reluctance to admit it, I knew he needed the comfort of a hug. His hands hung limply at his sides as I held him close. Gradually, he reciprocated, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his head against my neck.

We stood in silence for a moment before I gently pulled away from the embrace. “What’s going on, Ryan? You assured me you were on the brink of resolving everything, yet here you are, behind bars.”

Ryan chuckled wryly as he walked over to the solitary seat. I followed suit, taking a seat opposite him. “It’s nice to see you find humor in this situation,” I remarked dryly. “But seriously, Ryan, what’s

really going on?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Someone was murdered, and someone has to be held accountable.”

My confusion only deepened. “And why does that someone have to be you?” I pressed, unable to comprehend the situation fully.

“I’ll just be here for a while,” Ryan assured me, his tone calm. “I believe by now, the forensic results have been released, confirming the time of her death. All that needs to be done is to find CCTV footage or evidence proving my associates arrived after she was already deceased.”

“And you believe they’ll find it?” I asked skeptically, my doubts lingering. It wasn’t uncommon for CCTV cameras in certain areas to malfunction, and the fact that they were taking so long to find evidence suggested that the camera near the victim’s residence might indeed be out of order.

“Even if they don’t, my father will,” Ryan asserted confidently, his assurance causing a slight wave of relief to wash over me. Perhaps they did have the situation under control after all. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at his attempt to lighten the mood. “This isn’t the time for compliments, Ryan,” I retorted, though his words did manage to bring a small smile to my lips.

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Even if I were facing my last moments, Lily, I would still find a way to compliment you” Letting out a sigh, he leaned back, crossed his arms, and fixed his gaze on me. “Promise me something, though. If I end up spending

more time in here, don’t come back.”

I frowned at his unexpected request. “What do you mean by that?”

“No man wants a woman he’s courting to see him in a detention uniform,” he explained with a rasp in his voice. “So, don’t come back here. When I’m released, I want you to wait for me outside with a bag of chicken and wine.”

I raised an eyebrow at his unconventional request. “I thought chicken was supposed to be paired with a bottle of beer?”

Ryan shook his head. “You’re far too refined for a bottle of beer, he remarked with a hint of admiration Cla

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closed door, he knew our time was limited before the security personnel intervened. “How are the boys?” he inquired, shifting the conversation to something more familiar and comforting.

“Fine,” I replied, a chuckle escaping me as I recalled a recent conversation with Liam. “They all miss you, but Liam’s starting to get a bit upset with you.”

Ryan’s lips formed a tight line. “I can imagine. I promised him I’d attend his musical concert, but I missed it.”

Reaching out, I gently placed my hand on his. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it up to him,” I reassured him. Glancing at my wristwatch, I realized our time was running out. “I guess my

visitation time is up.”

As he stood up, Ryan extended his arms. “Can I have one more hug?”

“Of course,” I replied softly, stepping into his embrace. I inhaled the lingering scent of his cologne, knowing it would fade in time. “You have to get out of this, Ryan,” I whispered in his ear. “You must.”

“Why?” he whispered back teasingly. “Do you miss me that much?”

Suppressing the urge to cry, I pulled back, meeting his gaze. “Don’t be so smug, Ryan. It would crush the kids if you ended up staying here.”

His eyes searched mine earnestly. “And yours?”

For a moment, I debated whether to evade the question, but ultimately, I knew he deserved the truth. “Yes, mine too. It would break my heart to see you locked up here.”

Abroad grin spread across his face. “Then I have to get out of here. I can’t bear to break your heart twice.”

As I made my way to my car, I unexpectedly encountered Sarah and Stephanie. Choosing to ignore their presence, I continued walking towards my destination, but Sarah and her security deliberately blocked my path.

“What are you doing here?” Sarah spat at me, her tone dripping with hostility. Stephanie, standing alongside her, regarded, me with nothing but resentment–a reversal of roles, as I should have been the one harboring such feelings towards her.

“Didn’t I explicitly instruct you to stay away from my son?” Sarah bellowed with fury.

“And pray tell, what purpose do you serve by paying him a visit? Stephanie interjected, her tone accusatory. “You’re neither a lawyer nor do you possess any evidence that could aid his case, so what use is your presence to him?”

“Comfort, I deadpanned, meeting their accusatory gazes with calmness. “Something that, at this moment, neither of you can offer him. You should have witnessed the smile on his face and the laughter in his eyes in my company, despite the challenges he’s facing.”

“Are you trying to play smart with me?” Stephanie gritted out.

“The truth is a bitter pill, sweetheart, but you just have to swallow it,” I retorted, fixing them with a steely glare before continuing on my path towards my car. With purposeful strides I reached my vehicle, climbed in, and slammed the door shut before driving away.

Upon arriving at Becky’s house, I found her in the living room. “Where are the boys?” I inquired, seeking distraction from the annoying encounter with Sarah and Stephanie.

“My husband took them to the park, she replied, her gaze probing as she studied my des

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Sinking onto the sofa, I–released a heavy sigh. “He claims that everything is going to be fine, but I don’t know if I believe him.” I confessed. Lifting my gaze to meet Becky’s concerned eyes, I voiced the fear that plagued my thoughts. “What if he doesn’t get out of this?”

“Why do you care?” Becky’s question caught me off guard, and I furrowed my brow in confusion. “And don’t give me the excuse that it’s because he’s the father of your children.”

“Isn’t that a valid reason?” I countered, genuinely perplexed by her inquiry.

Her skeptical gaze bore into mine. “A few years ago, if you had heard that Ryan was going to jail, you would have popped your champagne without a care in the world.”

“That’s not true,” I weakly argued, feeling a pang of guilt at the reminder of my past indifference. Besides, this is different. A few years ago, he wasn’t a part of my children’s lives, but now he is. I don’t want that bond to be cut short.”

She scoffed dismissively. “I don’t think so, Lily.”

“What do you mean by that?” I pressed, feeling a flicker of unease at the direction of our conversation

Reaching forward, Becky clasped my hand in hers, her touch gentle yet firm. “It means you’re in denial, Lily, she said softly, her eyes searching mine for any sign of acknowledgment.

I chuckled nervously, attempting to diffuse the seriousness of her assertion. I still don’t understand what you’re trying to imply.”

“What I’m saying is,” Becky continued, her tone gentle yet insistent, “you, Lily, are starting to develop feelings for Ryan again, and there’s no denying it.”