Chapter 403
Chapter 403:
Once Kailey had settled into the back seat, he swung the door shut behind her.
The moment it clicked closed, every trace of tenderness drained from his face. Turning toward the police station, Kyson’s gaze hardened into something icy and unyielding.
The first-floor corridor stretched long ahead of him. The instant he stepped inside, his eyes landed on the man by the window — Ryan stood there with a cigarette between his fingers, the ember glowing faintly, giving him a perfect vantage point of everything happening outside. Daylight streamed in from the opposite direction, casting the view into a neat, framed scene.
“You won,” Ryan remarked without so much as a glance back. Drawing in a slow breath, he let the nicotine flood his lungs, the sharp sting dulling the tight coil of tension in his chest for a fleeting moment. Kailey had always disliked the smell of smoke, which was why — no matter how brutal the pressure became — he had never once lit up in front of her.
None of that mattered anymore. She was gone.
Read without interruptions on.com
Lifting the cigarette one last time, Ryan took a final drag before grinding it out against the rim of a nearby trash can.
Neither of them turned to face the other. Similar in height and equally striking in presence, both men commanded attention in their own way — Kyson with an untamed, dangerous edge, Ryan with a glacial composure that carried the unmistakable weight of a seasoned businessman.
Once the silence had stretched to its limit, Ryan spoke again, his voice low. “You’ve been planning this for a long time, haven’t you? Aren’t you worried Kailey will be furious when she finds out p>
A quiet chuckle slipped from Kyson’s throat. “What exactly are you implying? The project p>
Instead of responding, Ryan merely pressed his lips into a thin line.
“I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. I have no intention — now or ever — of hiding anything from Kailey. And you, Mr. Owen…” Kyson narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold smile playing on his lips. “Why do you insist on invoking your role as her uncle to pressure her time and again? Does raising her mean she’s expected to stay shackled to the Owen family for the rest of her life p>
“That’s a matter between the two of us p>
“She’s my wife now p>
Those understated words landed like a verdict, leaving Ryan with nothing left to say. A married couple moved as one — every decision Kyson made on Kailey’s behalf stood beyond question.
Clearly pleased by the shift in Ryan’s expression, Kyson let the silence stretch before stepping closer and patting Ryan’s shoulder twice. “I respect you as my wife’s uncle. Still, I don’t appreciate you using that bond to stay close to her. It unsettles her. You’d do better to put that energy into the project, don’t you think p>
The subtle rise at the end of his sentence carried an unmistakable edge of warning.