Chapter 23
Chapter 23:
“She’s fine.” Ryan’s eyes narrowed, his mind drifting back to the bag she had been carrying. “But if she crosses a line with you again, don’t hesitate to say something. You don’t have to tiptoe around her just because she’s grown p>
“Don’t you think that’s a little much?” Olivia asked softly.
He brushed off the concern. “There’s nothing wrong with being firm. She’s as stubborn as ever, and giving her free rein only makes it worse p>
Olivia responded with careful, measured words, though her true intentions were plain enough. Ryan said only what he thought would put her at ease. He had no real intention of disciplining Kailey—their relationship had never been that simple. Still, Olivia was convinced she needed to find a way to separate them for good.
Rest did Kailey good, though her sleep was cut short by her phone ringing.
The call was from her school. A jewelry competition she had entered had caught the attention of the international press, and reporters were requesting an exclusive interview.
“It’s quite a prestigious contest, with prize money in the tens of thousands. For the school’s reputation, it would be best to go ahead with the interview, don’t you think, Kailey p>
Ro𝗆𝗮ո𝘤𝗲 no𝘷𝖾𝘭ѕ 𝘰𝘯
Public attention had never sat well with Ryan. Kailey had only agreed to compete because the school had promised to keep her identity private. Clearly, things had changed. She paused, weighing her options. “Is it possible for me to stay off camera p>
The school’s representative sounded delighted. “Absolutely, that won’t be a problem at all p>
Once the details were sorted, Kailey got herself ready for the day.
She didn’t expect to find Ryan still at home when she came downstairs. Dressed in a pale gray sweater, he looked far more relaxed than usual as he sat at the table. He glanced up as she approached. “Come and have breakfast p>
After a brief hesitation, Kailey took a seat across from him. Spoonful by spoonful, the warm porridge went down easily.
“Heading out soon?” he asked.
“Yes, I have a few things to take care of at school p>
Ryan gave a slow nod. “Did you get everything together for the trip back p>
“Almost,” she replied, keeping her tone even.
A short silence settled between them.
On the surface, the conversation sounded perfectly pleasant, but Ryan could feel the resistance beneath every word she spoke. He ground his teeth, struggling to hold his irritation in check. When he finally spoke, his voice was tight.
“You’re really testing my patience, Kailey. I heard what happened yesterday—you ran into Olivia and could barely manage basic courtesy. Your words were sharp. I didn’t say anything at the time, and yet here you are, still acting distant toward me. Olivia even tried to speak up for you. When are you going to stop behaving like a child p>
Kailey lost her appetite on the spot. A moment ago the porridge had been comforting. Now he wanted to lecture her about maturity, all while refusing to hear her side of things. Wasn’t that a little hypocritical?
She set her spoon down and quietly dabbed her lips with a napkin.