“Will I really have to marry Ryan?” Sophia thought.
Her mind drifted back to the hospital, where Ryan had given her twenty-four hours to think.
She checked the time.
2:00 p.m.
“I only have twenty hours left.” “I can’t believe time is slipping out of my hands so quickly.” “No…
I can’t give up.” “I have to find another way.” But every passing second was forcing her to think about the one decision she didn’t want to make.
She was still lost in her thoughts when her phone suddenly rang.
– Ryan went to the bar after university, just as he had told Zane.
He ordered his usual drink and waited for him.
Soon, Zane arrived and sat across from Ryan.
Ryan turned toward him.
“Now tell me.
Who posted the video?” Zane took a sip before answering.
“It’s Logan.” A cold smirk appeared on Ryan’s face.
“So…
it was right in front of me all along.” “I should have known.” “No one but Adrian could hate me this much.” “You always went easy on him.
That’s why he got the courage to do this,” Zane said.
Ryan knew Logan never acted on his own.
Adrian was always the one pulling the strings.
Without another word, Ryan stood up.
His eyes had already turned cold.
“Where are you going?” Zane asked, immediately sensing what Ryan was about to do.
Ryan looked at him.
“This time, I won’t go easy on them.” Zane didn’t hesitate.
He stood up and followed Ryan.
Ryan knew exactly where Adrian and Logan would be.
Without another word, Ryan left the bar, got on his bike, and sped toward the university.
They were in the abandoned room behind the university—a place most students never dared to enter because of Adrian.
Ryan pushed the door open with force.
The loud sound echoed through the room.
Adrian and Logan looked toward the entrance.
The moment Adrian saw Ryan, a confident smirk spread across his face.
“So…
you finally came.” “I was wondering how long it would take.” Ryan didn’t answer.
His eyes were locked on Logan.
Logan suddenly felt uneasy.
Ryan’s silence was far more terrifying than his anger.
Ryan walked straight toward him.
“You didn’t leave me any other choice.” Before Logan could react— Bang!
Ryan’s fist slammed straight into Logan’s face.
Logan crashed onto the floor.
Pain shot through his jaw.
“What the—” Before he could even finish, Ryan grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back up.
His grip was so tight that Logan struggled to breathe.
Ryan’s eyes burned with rage.
“You enjoyed posting that video?” Another punch landed across Logan’s face.
Blood trickled from the corner of Logan’s lip.
Seeing this, Adrian immediately rushed forward.
But Zane stepped in front of him.
“Your fight is with me,” Zane said.
Adrian let out a mocking laugh.
“You really think you can stop me?” Zane answered with a punch.
Adrian blocked it and immediately struck him back.
The force pushed Zane a few steps backward.
Meanwhile, Adrian grabbed Ryan by the shoulder and yanked him away from Logan before shoving him hard.
Ryan stumbled backward.
The corner of his lip split open.
Blood slowly slid down his chin.
Ryan wiped it away with his thumb.
He looked at the blood for a second.
Then a dangerous smile appeared on his face.
“Good.” “It’s been a long time since someone made me bleed.” The next second, he lunged forward and drove his fist straight into Adrian’s stomach.
Adrian staggered backward, gasping for air as the impact knocked the breath out of him.
Ryan didn’t give him a chance to recover.
He grabbed Adrian by the collar and shoved him against the wall.
“This is the price for messing with me,” Ryan said through gritted teeth.
Adrian struggled to free himself, but Ryan’s grip only tightened.
For the first time, panic flashed across Adrian’s face.
His eyes darted around the room, searching for something.
Then they landed on a nearby chair.
Without thinking twice, Adrian grabbed it and hurled it at Ryan.
“Ryan!” Zane shouted.
He rushed forward and pushed Ryan aside.
The chair flew past them and crashed against the wall with a loud bang, breaking into pieces.
“Have you lost your mind?” Zane shouted angrily.
Adrian only smirked.
The loud crash caught the attention of Mr.
Cole, who was on his way home.
He immediately walked toward the abandoned room.
The moment he stepped inside, his eyes swept across the chaotic scene.
The broken chair.
The blood.
The four boys standing there.
His face darkened.
“Tomorrow.” “My office.” “Sharp at eleven o’clock.” His calm voice carried enough authority to silence everyone.
Without waiting for a reply, Mr.
Cole turned and walked away.
Ryan immediately followed him.
“Don’t tell Grandma,” Ryan said quietly.
“She’ll worry.” Mr.
Cole stopped and turned toward him.
“Even if I don’t tell her,” he said, pointing at the cut on Ryan’s lip, “how are you going to explain those injuries to her?” Ryan glanced at the blood on his lip before looking back at him.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” he said.
Then he turned around and walked away.
Zane followed him without saying a word.
About an hour later, Ryan returned home.
Fortunately, Evelyn wasn’t around.
He quietly went straight to his room and locked the door.
He headed into the bathroom, washed the blood off his face, cleaned the cut on his lip, and freshened up.
After changing into fresh clothes, he lay down on his bed.
The room fell silent.
His mind slowly drifted back to the twenty-four-hour deadline he had given Sophia.
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
“Let’s see what your decision will be, Sophia,” he murmured.
Then he closed his eyes, waiting for tomorrow.