Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan)



RYAN

Stepping out of the bathroom, I made my way to the foot of the bed, my gaze falling on Lily. She sat there, staring blankly at the bedside lamp, her features tense yet fragile. I could see it-the effort she was putting into keeping up a strong front. But beneath the surface, she was breaking, piece by piece.

"Did you find who you were looking for?" I asked, my voice rougher than I expected. I cleared my throat, trying to sound more composed.

Lily turned her head slightly, meeting my eyes for a brief moment before nodding. A weary sigh escaped her lips. "It was just a delivery woman," she murmured, her voice heavy with exhaustion. “But she gave me the address of the person who handed her the perfume to deliver to Clover."

She sat up straighter, her fingers brushing her lips as she thought. "I gave the address to Neo," she continued. "He said he'd look into it and get back to me as soon as he could."

Just then, her phone buzzed against the rumpled bedspread. She snatched it up quickly, her movements almost desperate, but the hope in her eyes deflated the moment she saw the caller ID. With a frustrated sigh, she placed the phone face-down on the bed and crossed her arms tightly over her chest, retreating into her thoughts once more.

"Who was that?" I asked softly, my eyes narrowing in concern. It was obvious she didn't want to talk to whoever had called. "Is someone bothering you?"

"It's Amell," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She kept her gaze on her lap, her fingers twisting nervously. "I've been avoiding him all this time." A sad chuckle escaped her lips as she stared down at her legs. "No matter what I do, I can't shake the feeling that he's part of the problem."

I hesitated. I didn't believe Amell had anything to do with this mess. Walking around to her side of the bed, I sat down next to her and gently took her hand in mine. "It's okay to feel that way," I said quietly, trying to reassure her.

Her eyes lifted slowly, glistening with unshed tears. "You were right," she whispered. "I should have stayed away from him. Maybe if I had, we wouldn't be in all this trouble now."

The guilt in her voice broke me. I hated to admit it, but I knew the truth needed to be spoken. "I think I misjudged Amell," I confessed. "Back then, I was jealous and anxious. After what happened with Jake... I let my fears get the best of me."

Her lips trembled, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.

“Amell has been doing everything he can to help with the case,” I said gently. “I've even had my men dig into his background thoroughly, and they didn't find a single thing to suggest he's involved in any of this."

The first tear slid down her cheek, quickly followed by others. She let out a bitter chuckle, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Are you seriously defending Amell right now?" she asked, her voice thick with disbelief and a hint of sarcasm.

I shook my head. "I'm not defending anyone," I replied. "All I'm saying is, while you're holding onto this anger toward him, just leave room for the possibility that he might actually be innocent. That's all."

Before she could respond, my phone buzzed on the bedside table. Without hesitation, she reached for it and handed it to me. I glanced at the screen and sighed when I saw the name of the detective.

Switching the call to speaker, I placed the phone down on the bed. "Good afternoon, Detective," I greeted, my tone wary.

“Good afternoon to you too, Mr. Williams,” the detective greeted. "We believe we've found a piece of clothing belonging to one of the boys. It was discovered on an abandoned road, along with a note."

Lily's eyes widened in alarm, her lips parting slightly as she turned to me. The worry etched across her face mirrored my own rising tension.

"We're on our way, Detective," I blurted out . Ending the call, I quickly grabbed a jacket for myself and another for Lily. Without wasting another moment, we rushed out of the house.

*****************

By the time we arrived at the scene, the area was swarming with police officers, their cars parked haphazardly along the roadside, lights flashing in a grim symphony.

I made my way toward the detectivenoveldrama

who had called me, his face grim as he held a small piece of paper in his gloved hands. "Whoever did this left a message for you," he said, handing me a glove before handing the paper over carefully. His eyes studied me as if searching for answers. "Do you know anyone who might hold a

grudge against you? Someone who

could be behind this?"

I took the note, my fingers tightening around the edges as I unfolded it. Beside me, Lily leaned in, her shoulder brushing mine as she peered at the paper. Her breath hitched as we read the words together, the message stark and chilling against the faintly crumpled page.

I AM WILLING TO RELEASE ONE OF YOUR SONS IF YOU DO AS I WANT.

I WANT YOU TO GIVE ALL... WHEN I SAY ALL, I MEAN ALL YOU HAVE TO CHARITY, THEN GIVE UP YOUR POSITION AT THE OFFICE. ONLY THEN WILL I RELEASE ONE OF THE BOYS.

My hands trembled as I gripped the

paper, the words burning into my mind. Anger Surged through me, raw and unfiltered. "I think this has

something to do with Maya," I growled, my voice taut with barely contained rage. The paper crumpled under my grip before I threw it toward the detective. "I want her brought in and questioned. That bitch must know something."

The detective's brows furrowed. "You mean your half-sister?" he asked cautiously.

I shot him a glare, my jaw tightening.

net

"Yes, her," I snapped. "She has to know something about this. Ever since she and her mother forced their way into our lives, she's been relentless-constantly demanding that Thand over everything have to her. She's never been subtle about her greed or her jealousy."

The detective regarded me carefully, but I didn't care. My focus was on finding my boys, and if Maya had even the slightest involvement, she would answer for it.

The detective nodded. "We'll detain her and bring her in for questioning."

As he spoke, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw Angelo's name flashing on the screen. Swiping to answer, I pressed the phone to my ear. "Do you have any information for me?"

"Yes, sir,” Angelo replied. "There have been multiple sightings of Clover around Maya's current residence. It turns out their rent is being paid anonymously. However, after digging deeper, I discovered that the anonymous benefactor is none other than Clover."