Chapter 5
When I thought of Ryder, I couldn’t help but recall the words he said before hanging up the phone last night.
“With you, I never touched another.”
What on earth did he mean by that?
Was he subtly implying that Bran was cheating behind my back?
After Bran arrived in Vegas, he called me.
I knew that Bran was with Ryder.
However, ever since that call, Ryder hadn’t shown up again, nor had he bothered me.
Bran called me at least three times a day.
1/10
Chapter 5
+ 5 Points
What’s more, he even sent someone flying back just to deliver jewelry to me.
A little past eleven o’clock at night, my phone rang. A text message came in.
I opened it and found that it was actually a video.
At first, I thought it was a pornographic advertisement.
But when I looked at the thumbnail, I was shocked to realize that the naked person in the video looked like Bran.
The woman in the video didn’t show her face.
I was extremely curious. What did she look like?
2/10
Chapter 5
+ 5 Points
Judging from her figure alone, she resembled me quite a bit.
So this was Bran’s type.
I was watching the video with great interest when a phone call suddenly came in.
I casually answered it.
Ryder’s familiar voice came through the phone. “Is this the boyfriend you carefully selected for yourself? My goodness, you really have great taste!”
“I think he’s great. What’s the matter? ”
“You can actually tolerate this? Have you had your head slammed in a door?”
“Do I look like I care? You’re overreacting.”
3/10
Chapter 5
+ 5 Points
“You can stomach Bran’s cheating but not my leaving?”
“You expect me to believe you stayed pure all these years? You must think I’m an idiot!”
Dead silence on Ryder’s end.
Fiddling with my nails, I drawled, “All men are scum. No difference. So cut the crap about who’s useful. Boring.”
After a pause, Ryder said,, “Guess I messed you up good.”
I smirked. “Thanks a lot. Without you, I wouldn’t have met so many ‘fine gentlemen‘.”
Ryder’s voice, desperate, cut through the silence. “You can’t seriously stay with Bran after this! ?”
4/10
Chapter 5
+ 5 Points
I sneered. “Since when’s it your business? Back off.”
“My family was on the brink of a catastrophic disaster, and I was whisked away in the dead of night to handle the crisis.”
“You think that erases the past? You have no clue what I’ve endured!”
Ryder went quiet.
Then, his voice heavy with regret, he said, “I know I hurt you terribly. But my love for you was always real. You were my everything. I never even glanced at another.”
I barked out a mocking laugh.
“When you left, my life shattered! I don’t blame you for leaving then, but who the hell
5/10
Chapter 5
+ 5 Points
gave you the right to barge back into my life?”
“I came back to fix things, to give you the life you should have!”
“Fix things? I’m not that gullible girl who’d do anything you said!”
“We were young and stupid. But if I could choose again, it’d be you. What about you?”
“I choose Bran.
My words hit Ryder like a sledgehammer.
“Isabelle, don’t be so blind! Bran can’t give you a future!”
“I’m the one who decides my future! Stay out of it!”
6/10
Chapter 5
+ 5 Points
With that, I ended the call.
The next day, I rushed home, dreading what I might find.
The dilapidated rental reeked of despair.
I pushed the door open.
Mom emerged from the shadows, her eyes wide with shock and then horror.
“Mom, what’s going on?”
She forced a smile that was more a wince. “N–nothing, honey.”
That’s when I noticed the three men.
The middle–aged one, with a bloated face and cold, greedy eyes, sat with his legs up on the table, flicking ash on the floor.
7/10
Chapter 51
+ 5 Points
The two younger ones, slouched and sneering, flanked him.
I snapped, “Cut the crap. What do you want?”
The older man spat on the floor. “Your brother Alex’s huge usury debt. Pay up.”
.Mom whimpered, “Please, we don’t have the money. Give us more time.”
“More time?” he roared. “When? Hand over something valuable or we’ll take it by force.” His eyes landed on the jewelry box in Mom’s hands.
In a flash, he snatched it. “This old junk? Worthless.”
Mom cried out, “That was my husband’s! Give it back!”
8/10
Chapter 5
+ 5 Points
I stepped in front of her, seething. “Get out!”
One of the young punks sneered, “Debt’s debt. Pay up or face the consequences.”
I growled, “I’ll pay, but you can’t just barge in here and terrorize us!”
The older man laughed, “How? You’re just a broke girl. Pay up today or say goodbye to this trinket.”
Mom looked at me, her eyes filled with tears.
My heart ached.
Then Bran’s face came to mind.
“Stay here. I’ll fix this.”
I fumbled for my phone and dialed Bran.
9/10
Chapter 5
+ 5 Points
The moment he answered, I broke down.
“Bran, please. I’m in trouble. I need you. They’re here, demanding money, and they’re going to take Mom’s last memento of Dad. Please, I don’t know what to do.”
10/10
