Chapter 356
Chapter 356:
“Ryan, where are you?” Olivia’s words shook as she spoke, tears clearly close. “I called you so many times, yet you didn’t answer. Are you regretting this now p>
From the beginning, their engagement had never been entirely his choice. Her expectations had always weighed on him, and now that she couldn’t reach him, her fear had only grown stronger. Before today, hearing her cry like this would have stirred guilt in his chest. But now, it didn’t. Her sobs poured through the speaker, yet all he felt was a dull irritation.
“No.” Ryan leaned back and shut his eyes. When he opened them again, he stared up at the ceiling—wide and empty, mirroring his thoughts. “I’m in Jucridge. I have some things to deal with here p>
A soft sniff came from the other end. “Then when are you coming back p>
𝗝oin 𝘁𝗁o𝘂𝘴а𝗇dѕ 𝗼𝖿 𝖿𝗮ns 𝗈𝗻
“I can’t give you a definite answer right now p>
Olivia had a feeling it had something to do with Kailey again. She clenched her jaw, resentment burning hot behind her eyes. This wasn’t the first time Ryan had let that woman steer his decisions. He’d gone to Aslesall because of her, and now he was back in Jucridge for the exact same reason. How long was he going to let Kailey control the direction of his life? Even their engagement date after the New Year had been nothing more than him dragging his feet.
“Ryan…” Olivia forced her voice to soften. “Could you come back earlier? The dress is finished, and the designer wants your opinion before making the final changes p>
“Let’s talk about it another time, alright?” His tone stayed mild, but the boundary was clear. “If the size works, then it works. There’s no need to go through another fitting p>
“I just p>
“That’s enough. I’ve got things to take care of. I’ll call you later.” The line went dead with a flat, emotionless click.
Olivia’s restraint snapped. With a sharp cry, she flung her phone against the wall, watching it shatter as it hit the floor. Her breathing broke apart into uneven pulls, and the redness around her eyes looked painfully raw.
After a long stretch of silence, she forced herself to calm down. Shaking fingers dragged through her hair as she glanced at the broken phone on the floor. Without another look, she crossed to the bed, picked up a spare phone, and dialed.
She would not allow Ryan and Kailey a single moment alone. The last time, she had dealt with Kailey without much effort. There was no reason she couldn’t do it again.
Cold air swept through the night streets. Kailey was wrapped tightly in an oversized down jacket, a white hat pulled low over her ears and a scarf snug around her neck. Her gloved hands were hidden deep inside Kyson’s coat pockets. They walked slowly through the quiet neighborhood, familiar scenes stirring old memories.
Ahead of them, she lifted her hand and pointed toward a distant storm drain. Because of the slope, it clogged constantly—no matter how many times property management tried to fix it, every rainfall brought complaints about the smell.