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CHAPTER THIRTY–TWO
Liana’s pov
“I’m hungry, Mommy!” Ryan muttered from the backseat since we were already finished with shopping. Too many bags filled the back seat, making it a tight squeeze.
“You didn’t even let me finish buckling my seatbelt before complaining.”
“But I’m starving! I can’t wait till we get home. My tummy is growling so loud.” He made a low growl noise in his throat and
rubbed his stomach.
Killian chuckled quietly. “Alright, alright. We’ll stop somewhere and eat. There’s a nice restaurant not far from here.”
Ryan’s eyes lit up immediately. “Do they have chicken fingers? And fries? And ketchup?”
“Yes, they have chicken fingers and fries with ketchup,” Killian confirmed, glancing at me with a small smile before starting
the car.
The drive to the restaurant didn’t take long. Ryan kept tapping his feet on the car floor while humming some cartoon theme song under his breath. I watched him for a moment, letting the sound pull me away from the ache that was still sitting quite
heavy in my chest.
We were seated at a quiet corner of the restaurant. The waiter brought menus, but Ryan already knew what he wanted.
“Chicken fingers. And fries. With ketchup. And apple juice,” he said confidently, handing his menu back.
“You sure you don’t want to look through the whole thing?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He shook his head seriously. “I already made up my mind.”
I looked down at the menu, but I wasn’t really reading. My fingers were just moving, flipping pages as if I was paying
attention. I could feel Killian’s eyes on me.
“Liana,” he said gently. “Try to eat something.”
I nodded slowly. “I will.”
We placed our orders. Ryan began to color on the kids‘ menu with the crayons they gave him. I watched his tiny hands work fast. His tongue peeked out slightly from the corner of his mouth–he always did that when he was concentrating.
I glanced at Killian. He was silent, just watching me. His face was unreadable.
After a moment, I took a deep breath. “Ryan,” I said softly, “Can we talk about something?”
He looked up at me with his big brown eyes. “Okay. What’s wrong?”
I looked at Killian for a second, then back at Ryan. “You remember how we talked about your dad before? And how I told you
some things were complicated?”
He nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing. “Yeah I remember. You said not to ask too much because it made you sad.”
My throat tightened as I reached for his hand. “I think it’s time you know. Killian… isn’t just Uncle Killian. He’s your dad.”
Ryan blinked. Once. Twice. Then frowned. “But… you said he was your brother.”
I swallowed. “I did. And it’s… a long story. One I’m still going to tell you one day. But the truth is… he’s not really my brother. Not by blood. And he’s your real dad.”
Ryan sat back in his chair, as if he was trying to make the pieces fit inside his head. “So… you mean… he’s not my uncle. He’s my dad? Like my real, real dad?”
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Killian leaned forward, his voice gentle. “Yes, Ryan. I am.”
There was a long pause. Ryan didn’t look angry. Or sad. Just… thoughtful.
“I kinda already knew,” he said finally. “Cause you always look at him like you do with me. And he looks at you like you’re
his favorite candy.”
I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped me. Killian grinned too.
“But why did you lie?” Ryan asked, turning to me. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
My smile faded a little. “Because it wasn’t the right time yet…”
Ryan looked down at his plate for a while. Then reached for his apple juice.
“I’m not mad,” he said, taking a sip. “I’m just happy. ‘Cause I always wanted a dad like Uncle–uh, Killian.”
My heart swelled painfully. I reached across the table and held his hand again.
“I love you so much, Ryan. You know that, right?”
“I know, Mommy. And I love you too. And Daddy.”
Killian’s hand slid onto the table next to mine. He didn’t say anything, but he squeezed my fingers gently.
We finished our meal, and Ryan insisted on dessert. A big scoop of chocolate ice cream that he got all over his nose. snapped a photo, pretending not to wipe my tears quickly while he wasn’t looking.
As we got back into the car, I pulled out my phone.
Still nothing from Dad. I stared at the screen, my fingers hovering over his contact.
Killian glanced over. “He’s still not replying?”
I shook my head. “Not a call. Not a text.”
“Give him time,” he said quietly.
“I know… I just… I just wanted to hear his voice.”
The car fell silent again.
The
We drove a while, Ryan dozing off in the backseat again. Killian reached over and turned the music down before he spoke.
“Liana,” he said. “I need to tell you something.”
I turned toward him, my stomach already tightening.
“I’m not going to be staying with you guys. At least not for now.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I’ve moved into a penthouse suite at Imperial Hotel. It’s not far. Just a few minutes from the office. I’ll come by to visit, of course. But I think it’s better this way. Until things with your dad calm down.”
I stared at him. For a moment, I couldn’t even speak. “You’re leaving? Just like that?”
“Not leaving. I just won’t sleep over here anymore. I’m giving you space. I’m giving your father a little peace. If I stay, it’ll only make things worse for now. I’m only trying to show respect. He may not like me, but I’ll earn his tolerance, eventually. I have to.”
I looked down at my lap.
He reached into the glovebox and pulled out a slim envelope. “Here. The keys. There’s two new cars in the garage. One’s for
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Ryan. His driver’s already been hired. Agnes will supervise everything. The second car is yours. I wasn’t sure if you can
drive…”
“I can,” I whispered.
“Good. The driver’s only for Ryan’s transport. You have full control now, Liana. Over everything. This is your home.”
I looked up at him slowly. “Killian… this is a lot.”
“You deserve more. But this is just the start.”
He kissed my temple and drove off, making me miss him already.
Someone was kissing me.
I froze.
For a second, I didn’t even know if I was awake or dreaming. The room was pitch black, and everything felt hazy, like I
caught somewhere between sleep and nightmare. But the pressure of lips on my neck was real. Hot. Urgent.
Killian wasn’t home.
He had said it himself. He wasn’t sleeping here anymore. He’d moved to the hotel. He made it clear. He wouldn’t be around
night. He wasn’t supposed to be here.
So then… who the hell was this?
at
My heart slammed into my ribs, panic rushing through me like cold water as I tried to jerk back, but a firm hand grabbed my
waist, holding me still.
My breath caught in my throat.
I opened my mouth to scream, but another hand clamped down over it.
“Shhh… No one would come help you…”
