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CHAPTER 68
RYAN’S POV
BREAKING NEWS: Heir to Wolfe Empire Accused of Raping Sister–Pregnancy Confirms Explosive Scandal Days Before CEO Inauguration!
I froze when I saw the headline. At first, I thought it had to be some sick joke, probably Chris pulling one
of his stupid pranks. He had called me early this morning, waking me up, and I was already half irritated expecting him to either tease me about Sasha or ask me for something ridiculous. But then he asked me if I had seen what was trending online and sent me the link. The moment I opened it, my entire world stopped spinning.
“What?!” I shouted so loud that the phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a thud, and my voice was enough to jolt Anna awake. She sat up on the bed, rubbing her sleepy eyes, confused.
“What is it?” she asked softly, her voice groggy, but I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to tell her. Not yet. Not like this. I couldn’t let her see it before I figured out what the hell was going on.
She frowned, her brows knitting together. “Then why did you just shout like that? What happened?”
I swallowed hard, grabbed my phone again, and scrolled through the article. My jaw ticked, my chest heaving as I read line after line of filthy lies. They had twisted everything, painting me as a rapist, making it sound like Anna had been some poor innocent girl I forced myself on, and that now I was trying to cover it all up while taking over my father’s company. The article screamed that a rapist had no right to be the next CEO of Wolfe International. My name was being dragged through the mud, and worse,
Anna’s name too.
I couldn’t even breathe. Who the fuck would do this? Who even knew about the pregnancy? Only a handful of people, our parents, Dr. Kellan, Chris, and maybe Sasha. That was it. How the hell did it get out? How the hell did it spin into this nightmare?
“Ryan…” Anna’s voice cut into my thoughts as she stretched, slipping out of bed and walking toward the bathroom. “Don’t forget our flight this morning, okay? Did you even remember to pack?” She spoke so casually, humming a little under her breath as she picked up her towel. She had no clue. No clue her world was about to collapse.
I couldn’t answer. My eyes were glued to the phone, re–reading every word as if maybe if I looked long enough, it would disappear. My body felt frozen, my chest tightening with each second. How was I supposed to tell her this? How was I supposed to look her in the eye and show her the way the world saw us right now?
She came out of the bathroom doorway, tilting her head. “Ryan, what’s wrong? Why are you so quiet?”
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68
+15 BONUS
I didn’t even notice her until she was suddenly in front of me, her curious eyes narrowing as she reached for my phone. I tried to pull it back, but I was too slow. She snatched it out of my hand and read the headline.
Her scream shattered the room. “What the hell is this?!”
Her whole body trembled, her eyes wide with shock, her lips parted in disbelief as she scrolled through the disgusting words. “How–how could this be-” Her voice cracked, breaking apart as her hands shook so violently the phone almost slipped from her grip.
“Anna…” I reached for her, but she stepped back, staring at me as if the walls were collapsing in on us. Listen to me, this is nothing but lies. I swear to you, baby, it’s all lies. Someone’s trying to destroy us.”
Her breathing was unsteady, her chest rising and falling fast as tears started filling her eyes. “But… it’s everywhere, Ryan. If this is on the internet, then everyone will see it, everyone will think…” She broke off, covering her mouth with her trembling hand. “Oh my God.”
Just then, my other phones lit up all at once, buzzing violently across the nightstand. Calls upon calls. The board of directors. Business partners. Family friends. Big names. People I couldn’t ignore. The scandal had exploded already, and there was no hiding it.
Anna was sobbing now, shaking her head as if she was trying to erase it all. “What are we going to do? Ryan, what the hell are we going to do?”
I clenched my fists, the phone screen blurring in my vision from the rage burning inside me. Whoever
had done this, whoever had thought they could ruin Anna and me like this… they had no idea what storm they had just unleashed.
Because if I caught them, if I found out who dared to drag her into this mess, I would make them wish they had never existed in this lifetime.
