Special Chapter!!!

The Same Night

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R Y A N

The sound of the motorbikes echoes through the cold night air as we pull up outside Ryza's luxury house. My gang, shadows of their former selves tonight, clad in leather jackets and steely determination, park their bikes in silence.

I take a deep breath, glancing at the dimly lit windows. The scent of revenge lingers in the air, sharp and tantalizing. Tonight isn't just about retribution; it's about sending a message.

I step off my bike, pulling my gloves tighter as I motion for the others to follow. Breaking into Ryza's place is almost laughably easy, and within minutes, we're inside.

The stillness of her living room is unnerving, her luxurious furniture practically untouched, like a showroom pretending to be a home. She's asleep on the couch, sprawled out in silk pajamas with a glass of wine half-empty on the table. I suppress a smirk, my anger bubbling beneath the surface.

This is the woman who thought she could play God with Sarah's life, who thought she could scare and humiliate her without consequence.

I nod to my guys, and they move into action like clockwork. Two grab her, one covers her mouth to muffle any screams. She jerks awake, her eyes wide with terror as she struggles against them, but it's no use.

"Shh," I whisper, crouching down to meet her frantic gaze. "You wouldn't want to wake the neighbors now, would you?"

Her muffled cries make my blood boil with satisfaction. I signal for the boys to carry her out, and we move swiftly back to the van we've parked nearby. Ryza writhes and kicks, her silk-clad legs flailing uselessly.

"You're going to love what I've got planned," I mutter as we shove her into the back. "A little... birthday surprise, let's call it."

The ride to the warehouse is silent except for the occasional muffled sobs from Ryza. I sit across from her, arms crossed, staring her down with cold fury. She glares at me, her eyes full of venom, but there's fear there too.

Good. She should be afraid.

When we reach the warehouse, the boys haul her out and into a dimly lit room with concrete walls and a single, flickering bulb overhead. In the center of the room sits the industrial freezer we prepared earlier, humming softly, its icy chill seeping into the air.

"Here we are," I say, leaning against the doorframe as they dump her onto the cold floor. "The party venue."

She looks around, her eyes narrowing as she realizes where she is. "What the hell is this?" she spits, her voice trembling despite her defiance.

I crouch down in front of her, my face inches from hers. "This," I say slowly, "is where you get to sit and think about all the lives you've tried to ruin. Starting with Sarah."

Her face pales at Sarah's name, and I know I've struck a nerve.

"You're insane," she hisses, but there's a crack in her voice now.

I laugh, the sound cold and humorless. "Insane? Maybe. But at least I'm not a coward who hides behind secret cameras and cheap threats."

I stand and nod to one of the guys. He opens the freezer door, the icy air rushing out like a ghostly exhale.

"Time to chill out," I say, motioning for them to pick her up.

"Ryan, wait!" she shrieks, thrashing wildly as they lift her.

"Oh, don't worry," I say, my voice dripping with mock sweetness. "I'll be back to let you out... eventually. Maybe. Depends on my mood."

The boys shove her inside, and the freezer door closes with a satisfying thunk. Her muffled screams fade quickly, silenced by the thick metal.

I stand there for a moment, staring at the door, my chest heaving with the remnants of my anger.

"She'll survive," one of the guys says, clapping me on the shoulder.

"Yeah," I mutter, turning to leave. "But not without learning her place first."

As we walk out of the warehouse, the cool night air hits my face, and for the first time in days, I feel a semblance of peace. This was only the beginning.

Her screams echo in my ears long after I've opened the freezer door. Ryza's shivering, her lips pale, her body hunched like a cornered animal. I can't watch this anymore.

I grab the nearest blanket from the couch and drape it over her shoulders. She flinches, shrinking away from my touch, but I persist, wrapping it tightly around her.

"You're freezing," I mutter, more to myself than her.

She doesn't respond, her wide, terrified eyes locked on me. I crouch down to her level, trying to meet her gaze.

"Ryza..." My voice softens. "I didn't bring you here to hurt you. I just wanted to make sure you understood. Stay out of Sarah's life."

Her breath hitches, and she shakes her head violently, her damp hair sticking to her face. "You think I don't know that?" she snaps, her voice raw and brittle. "You think I don't know I've lost?!"

Her words catch me off guard. "Lost? Ryza, this isn't a game-"

"Of course it's not a game!" she yells, her voice breaking. Tears spill freely now, her anger crumbling into something far more painful.

"Do you think I wanted to be this way? Do you think I enjoy being the villain in your story?"

I stare at her, stunned.

"Then why?" I ask, trying to make sense of her unraveling. "Why go after Sarah? Why make Noah's life hell?"

Her hands clutch the blanket like it's the only thing tethering her to reality. "Because..." Her voice is barely a whisper now. "Because I only ever loved one person. And that person doesn't love me back."

Her confession lands like a punch to the gut. I've never seen her so exposed. "Noah..." I say quietly, already knowing the answer.

She nods, her tears falling harder. "I gave everything to him. My time, my love, my loyalty. And for what? To be cast aside like I'm nothing. Like I never mattered."

She chokes on her words, her sobs shaking her entire body. "And now, he has her. He looks at her the way I dreamed he'd look at me. Do you know what that feels like? To see the person you love look at someone else like they're their whole world?"

I clench my fists, her pain cutting deeper than I expected. "Then why not walk away? Why not let go?"

Her laugh is hollow, bitter. "Let go? You think it's that easy? Love isn't something you can just turn off, Ryan. It consumes you. It breaks you. It makes you do things you never thought you were capable of."

I lean back, her words hitting too close to home. I think of Sarah, of the lengths I'd go to protect her. "Ryza, I get it. I do. But this isn't the way."

She wipes her face angrily, her vulnerability already being buried under layers of defensiveness.

"What do you want from me, Ryan? An apology? Fine. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I went after Sarah. I'm sorry I tried to hurt Noah. But you don't know what it's like to be...replaceable." Her voice cracks again, and she looks away, ashamed of her own emotions.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my thoughts. "You're not replaceable," I say finally. "But you're better than this. You don't have to keep fighting battles that only hurt you in the end."

She laughs again, shaking her head. "Better than this? Maybe once. But not anymore. This is all I have left, Ryan. It's all that keeps me going."

I stand, running a hand through my hair. Her words are heavy, and I don't know how to fix this.

"Promise me something," I say, my voice firm. "Promise me you won't go near Sarah again."

She looks up at me, her eyes hollow. "And if I don't?"

"You don't want to find out," I reply, my tone cold.

She flinches, then nods weakly. "Fine. I promise. But it doesn't change anything."

I hesitate, wanting to say something more, to offer some kind of comfort, but the walls around her are already going back up.

Without another word, I turn and leave the room, her quiet sobs echoing behind me.

"I will do whatever it takes to get him back, Ryan."