Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan)

Chapter 75

RYAN

As the days passed, it became increasingly clear that locating Sophia wasn't as straightforward as we had hoped. Time was running out, and we couldn't afford to continue searching indefinitely. The public outcry was growing louder, the court summons loomed closer, and the pressure from the board was becoming unbearable.

In moments like these, I had to set aside my human empathy and focus solely on finding a solution that would allow me to emerge from this ordeal unscathed. It was a harsh reality, but it was necessary if I wanted to get out of this situation.

I instructed Angelo to drive me to Sophia's parents' place without hesitation. On the way there, I finally opened the message icon on my phone, which I had been ignoring for the past two days due to the barrage of unwanted texts from the board members.

As I tapped on Lily's name, a wave of guilt flooded over me, seeing her messages buried among the ignored texts. Choosing to prioritize other pressing matters over responding to her had been a mistake, one I now regretted. Instead of typing out a reply, I opted to dial her number, hoping to convey my apologies more sincerely through a conversation.

Surprisingly, she answered after just a couple of rings, her prompt response a testament to her concern for me despite her busy hospital duties. "Hello, sweetheart," I greeted with a teasing tone, knowing full well that the endearment would elicit a reaction from her. Glancing at Angelo through the rear-view mirror, I noticed his raised eyebrows, clearly surprised by the sudden change in my demeanor. My recent moodiness and stress had become apparent to everyone around me, but in this moment, I felt a glimmer of relief at the prospect of sharing a light-hearted exchange with Lily.

Brushing aside Angelo's unspoken curiosity, I focused on the call at hand. "I owe you an apology," I began, my tone sincere as I acknowledged my lapse in communication. "I didn't realize you had messaged me until today, and for that, I'm truly sorry." She let out an audible sigh. "It's fine. How have you been?"

"Fine," I lied smoothly. "We're close to resolving the case," another falsehood, "so this should be over soon." I didn't want Lily worrying about me on top of managing the hospital and taking care of the triplets. Better she focus on her responsibilities rather than my staff's incompetence.

"Are you sure about that?" she questioned skeptically. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better and not worry about you, are you?"Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Her intuition hit the mark, and I couldn't help but smile at her perceptiveness. "Really, things are falling into place," I assured her, though I knew it wasn't entirely true.

As Angelo pulled over outside the apartment complex, I knew our conversation had to be cut short. "I'll have to call you back later tonight, Lily. There's an issue I need to handle."

"Sure," she replied instantly. "We can talk later tonight. I don't want to keep you from your work." After a brief pause, she added, "Be safe, Ryan. And if you need my help in any way, don't hesitate to reach out."

My smile widened at Lily's offer of assistance. "I won't," I reassured her before disconnecting the call. Exiting the car, I made my way towards the building with Angelo by my side, while the rest of the security team remained stationed outside.

Coming to a stop at the door, Angelo pressed the doorbell, and after a few moments, it swung open to reveal a young woman, slightly younger than Sophia but bearing a striking resemblance to her.

Angelo addressed her with a steely tone. "We're here to see your parents," he informed her matter-of-factly. "Are they home?"

The young woman nodded in response. "And who are you, please?" she inquired, her curiosity evident.

Angelo glanced at me, silently seeking permission for an introduction, and I nodded in affirmation. He then turned back to the young woman. "My name is Angelo," he began, "Mr. Williams' assistant and security. And this," he gestured towards me, "is Mr. Ryan Williams, your sister's boss's boss."

She looked at me nervously, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "Are you saying you both work at Williams Enterprise?" she asked.

Retrieving my card from my pocket, I handed it to her with a raised eyebrow. "You can read, right?" I queried, the edge of annoyance evident in my tone.

With a scowl, she took the card and quickly skimmed through it before returning it to me, opening the door wider to allow us entry. As we stepped inside and took a seat, she disappeared towards the back of the house to fetch her parents.

A few minutes later, she returned with a woman who eyed us nervously as she settled onto the vacant sofa. "Good day," she greeted tentatively. "How can I help you?"

"We have a few questions concerning Sophia," Angelo began, trying to maintain a level of professionalism in his demeanor.

Her brow furrowed in concern. "What about her?" she inquired, her apprehension obvious.

"We're interested in her current whereabouts," Angelo interjected, his tone far more polite than I would have managed.

The woman exchanged a glance with the young lady before redirecting her attention to Angelo. "May I inquire as to the reason you're asking about her? To the best of my knowledge, she doesn't work for your company anymore."

My patience wore thin. "And did you bother to ask her why?" I snapped at her, unable to contain my frustration.

Her eyes widened slightly at my abrupt tone. "She mentioned that your company gives her an overwhelming workload that she couldn't bear, and the stress was too much for her," she explained tentatively.

I clenched my jaw, seething with frustration at the woman's dismissive attitude. "Your daughter submitted a stolen design to us, collected her percentage for a successful sale, and then abruptly left the company," I reiterated, my voice dripping with disdain. "Now we're facing a lawsuit because another company has provided evidence that they rightfully own the design. If you don't tell us where your daughter is, I'll expose her as a national fraud, ensure she faces jail time, and ensure that every news outlet carries the news. That way, she won't be able to get a job when she gets out."

Her expression changed a bit as she absorbed my threat. "My daughter is in Singapore," she finally divulged, her tone defiant. "And just so you know, I don't believe what you just told me about her."

I scoffed inwardly at her refusal to acknowledge the truth. "Who cares about what you choose to believe?" I retorted sharply. "I've heard you've been chatting with her, but you've never had a phone call with her, have you?"

The woman's eyes widened in shock. "How did you know that?" she stammered, clearly unnerved by my knowledge.

"Call her," I repeated firmly, my patience wearing thin.

She shook her head, still hesitant to comply. It seemed she didn't realize the seriousness of the situation. Leaning back in my seat, I crossed my legs and shifted my gaze to the other young girl in the room. "She just gained admission to study medicine, right?" I inquired casually, though I already knew the answer.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "How did you..." she began, but I cut her off.

"I will revoke that admission," I stated calmly, but with an undertone of threat. "If you piss me off with your stubborn attitude again. Don't ask me how I'll do it, but I assure you, it will happen. And as for your husband, his name is on the list of patients at Uthech Hospital receiving donations for their medication." I leaned in closer, my tone ominous. "I swear to you on my grandmother's grave that you won't find his name on that donation list if you do not do as you are told."

With a shaky hand, the woman picked up her phone to dial Sophia's number, while Angelo instructed her to put the call on speaker. Unfortunately, the call didn't connect, adding to the tension in the room. "If your daughter had the choice to be anywhere else other than Singapore, where do you think she would be?" I pressed, my tone firm.

She licked her lips nervously before answering. "At her grandmother's place."

Angelo, ever efficient, omitted checking the old woman out since she was already deceased. "And where does this grandmother of hers live?" he inquired.

The woman quickly rattled off the address, and I gave Angelo a nod, signaling that he understood what needed to be done.

He is to find her and drag her ass to me.