Chapter 483 The Truth Beneath His Guard

Chapter 483: Chapter 483 The Truth Beneath His Guard

The question squeezed Rose’s heart painfully.

She met Ryan’s gaze, her lips parting, but when she finally spoke, her voice came out hoarse.

"You used to hate hypotheticals more than anything."

She turned away and busied herself with the first-aid kit, pretending she had something important to do.

"I won’t abandon you."

"Then what are we?"

Ryan wasn’t about to let her dodge the question.

He rose to his full height and slowly approached her.

"What happens when I recover? What happens to us then?"

He wanted a straight answer, and he wasn’t going to let her change the subject this time.

Rose tipped her head back to look at him as he closed the distance between them. She instinctively retreated, taking one step after another until her back hit the cabinet behind her.

There was nowhere left to go.

Ryan bent toward her, bringing his face closer to hers. His voice dropped, rough around the edges.

"When I’m better, will you still want me?"

He kept coming at her with one question after another, leaving her no room to hide.

Rose stared into his dark, unwavering eyes. The intensity of his gaze sent a tremor through her.

"You’re acting really strange right now."

She raised a hand and pressed it against his chest, hoping to put some distance between them.

"Yeah. I’m not happy."

He caught her hand before she could pull it away, turned her palm upward, and guided it over his heart.

"Just knowing Trevor exists is enough to make me jealous. Honestly, any man who gets too close to you drives me crazy. I don’t want another man taking even the smallest piece of your heart, Rose."

His fingers tightened gently around hers.

"I can’t stand the thought of you not loving me. Even without my memories, it still hurts like hell. I’m not going to pretend I’m above jealousy or that I can just accept the idea of losing you."

Rose tried to withdraw her hand.

Ryan wouldn’t let go.

Instead, he kept one of her hands against his chest and took the other, bringing it to his face. His cheek brushed against her palm.

"The thought of getting better, losing my excuse to keep you close, and watching you walk away again..." His voice faltered for a moment. "Sometimes, I wish I’d never come back to life."

Rose’s eyes widened.

Her heart hammered against her ribs.

With both her hands in his, she could do little more than stare at him. The emotions in his eyes were so raw and overwhelming that she felt as if she might drown in them.

"You..."

She looked away, her ears burning.

"Ryan, this isn’t you."

This manipulative fox is nothing like the Ryan she used to know!

"This is me."

He lowered his head slightly. A faint flush colored the corners of his eyes.

"The man I used to be was arrogant, and he was seriously ill. He would’ve rather let you hate him than admit how much he needed you. I kept everything bottled up because I thought it was the only way to protect you."

He let out a humorless breath.

"If I’d kept living like that, I probably would’ve lost my mind a long time ago."

Rose felt as though he had surrounded her completely. His closeness, his voice, and the vulnerability he was showing her left her struggling to collect her thoughts.

Especially those words.

Her heart wouldn’t slow down.

"When I’m better, will you still want me?"

Ryan wasn’t letting her escape that question.

Deep down, Rose had known how she felt for a long time. But standing here with him, hearing him say everything she’d once desperately wanted to hear, she was suddenly overwhelmed.

She opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

Then her phone rang.

Rose startled like a cat caught off guard. She immediately pushed Ryan away, rubbed her flushed cheeks, and grabbed her phone.

"Diana?"

"Why do you sound so breathless?" Diana asked.

"I’m fine. What’s up?"

"I know you’ve been working yourself to the bone lately. It’s Liam’s birthday today, and we’re celebrating our sixth anniversary, too. We’re having a little get-together. Come hang out with us for a while. You could use a break."

Rose didn’t even look at Ryan.

"Sure! I’ll be there soon. Text me the address."

She practically bolted out of the room, making her escape before Ryan could ask another question.

Ryan stayed where he was, watching her disappear. He didn’t follow her right away.

He knew she had a lot to work through, and pushing her any further wouldn’t help.

He rubbed his thumb against his fingertip before heading into the bathroom.

In the mirror, he caught sight of the faint smear of blood at the corner of his mouth, left by Trevor’s punch.

He could have dodged it.

He simply hadn’t wanted to.

A little well-timed sacrifice had been enough to make Rose worry about him more than she wanted to admit.

And it had brought them to a point where neither of them could pretend their relationship meant nothing anymore.

Ryan’s expression gradually settled back into its usual composure. He casually brushed his finger over the injured corner of his mouth.

’RoRo... You really do still have a soft spot for me.’

******

"Didn’t Ryan come with you?"

The moment Rose arrived, Diana glanced past her as though expecting Ryan to appear behind her.

Rose waved dismissively, dropped onto the nearest seat, and poured herself a glass of wine.

"Don’t even ask. I couldn’t take the heat anymore, so I ran for cover."

Diana laughed.

"What happened? Is he hounding you again? Being a complete pain?"

Rose pinched the bridge of her nose.

"He’s been pulling out every trick in the book lately. It’s like someone gave him permission to say whatever he wants. And don’t even get me started on how forward he’s been."

"Oh, I get it now!"

Diana clapped her hands, looking delighted by the revelation.

"So the cold, emotionally unavailable guy has transformed into a full-time heartbreaker? And you’re the rookie who wandered into the wrong level of the game. How are you supposed to survive that?"

To be fair, with Ryan’s face and physique, Rose would have had a hard time finding anything to complain about even if she’d wanted to.

Rose downed her wine and shot Diana a suspicious look.

"Why do you sound so pleased about my suffering?"

"I’m worried about you, obviously." Diana leaned closer, her teasing expression softening. "Seriously, though. What are you thinking? Have you figured out what you want to do about him?"

She paused before continuing.

"When I spoke to Charlotte, she told me a few things I hadn’t known. Ryan genuinely thought he didn’t have much time left. That’s why he never gave you any hope of a future together."

The thought brought a pang of sadness.

Ryan had been seriously ill, yet he’d carried all that pain by himself. Even when he was suffering, he’d kept his feelings buried rather than let Rose see how much he wanted her.

Rose picked up her glass again, frustrated with herself for not knowing what to say.

"I don’t know."

Diana studied her for a moment.

"Have you forgiven him?"

Rose froze.

Had she?

Ever since she’d learned what Ryan had done behind her back, all the resentment she’d spent so long suppressing had finally come pouring out.

But knowing the truth had changed everything.

The anger she’d clung to no longer felt as solid as it once had. In its place was a rush of emotions so intense that she could barely make sense of them herself.

Diana gently patted her shoulder.

"Rose, the fact that you’re hesitating tells me you haven’t stopped loving him."

Rose lowered her eyes to her glass.

"You’ve loved that man for ten years. You can’t just switch those feelings off overnight." Diana paused, choosing her words carefully. "You don’t have to figure everything out today. But you do need to know that he loves you, that he’s choosing you, and that he’s serious about staying. You need to feel secure enough to trust him again."

It wasn’t simply about forgiveness.

It was about wanting to be loved without having to beg for it. About being chosen without wondering whether she’d be abandoned again. About knowing that the person she loved would stand by her, even when things got difficult.

Diana had once blamed Ryan for the way he’d treated Rose. There had even been a time when she’d hated him for it.

But adulthood had taught her that relationships weren’t always as simple as they appeared from the outside.

She didn’t want to push Rose toward forgiving him, nor did she want to convince her to walk away.

All she wanted was for Rose to find the happiness she’d been missing for far too long.

Rose remained quiet, absently lifting her glass for another sip.

"...Thanks, Diana."

Her voice was subdued.

Diana pulled her into a hug.

"I know, sweetheart. You’ve spent so long feeling insecure and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Of course you’re scared to trust him now."

They stayed together for a while, talking and drinking.

Eventually, the wine began to catch up with Rose. Her head felt light, and she decided she needed some cold water on her face.

The place was packed, with friends and business associates filling the room. Liam had built quite a network over the past couple of years as his career had taken off.

The party was in full swing, and it was almost time to bring out the birthday cake. Diana had gone to help Liam get everything ready.

Rose headed toward the restroom.

Her phone buzzed.

It was a message from Ryan.

Ryan: [Where are you? When are you coming home?]

Ryan: [Send me the address. I’ll come get you.]

Ryan: [It’s getting late. I’m worried about you.]

Rose stared at the screen.

Ryan had never been like this before.

He was worried about her, but he wasn’t demanding that she come home or insisting that she tell him every little thing she was doing. He was simply checking on her, making sure she was safe.

That somehow affected her more than she wanted to admit.

With her head still spinning slightly, she took a moment to type out her location and send it to him.

After washing her face with cold water, she stepped back into the crowded venue.

The atmosphere had grown even livelier.

Liam had plenty of friends, and his growing success had brought him into contact with more and more people in the business world. Everywhere Rose looked, people were laughing, chatting, and raising their glasses.

She made her way toward the exit.

Just as she passed a heavy velvet curtain, Liam suddenly stepped out from behind it.

Rose slowed.

For a split second, she thought she saw another figure moving in the shadows behind the curtain.

She blinked and looked again.

Had she imagined it?