Anne hissed out loudly, pissed off that Ryan would not reply to her question. "Tell me, Ryan. The reason she suddenly showed up was for you to hand over the company back to her -because you failed her and did not follow in her plan accordingly? Is that her reason for the visit?"
Ryan could tell how greatly disturbed she was at her own makeup stories and theory as she shook his shoulders so violently, it was visibly reflecting on her silence. Even though he did not know the reason she had suddenly flared up, he felt like there was more to it, and he needed to know whatever it was.
"And what if that was the reason behind her visit? To make me hand back the company to her?" Ryan threw the question at her with a plain expression on his face, patiently anticipating the kind of reaction she would omit.
Her face crumpled down into a deep frown as well as glaring daggers at Ryan. "She dare not come up with such an idea, Ryan." She said with a snort, her voice as hard as steel -that Ryan could barely recognize her voice. "She would never want to try such to start with, she wouldn't dare."
Ryan thought he heard wrong, is Anne indirectly trying to lay a threat to his mother -kind of strong warning? 'No...' He shook his head in disapproval, feeling like he was going too far with his thought. 'Anne won't dare try such...'
But the fact that she used the word 'dare' on his motherwas enough to bother him of whatever thought might be going on in Anne's head. Why would she use such a phrase in the first place? Was it because she's angry, or it was on purpose, sending a message across to his mother?
"This shouldn't be what I'm thinking, Anne." He told her sternly, returning the same vibe as hers. "This should be far from my thought."
Anne, though hesitantly, let go off Ryan's shoulders slowly, snickering. "I don't know what your thoughts are..."She muttered in a sharp tone as she removed the few strands of hair that stuck to her sweaty face, tucking it behind her ears. "-but whatever they are, they are just as right as mine."
Has she suddenly gone crazy? Ryan wondered, staring indifferently at her and trying to figure out what she meant. However, the more he tried, the more confused he was.
"Back to your previous words of threats, woman, what do you mean by 'she wouldn't dare'？" He asked her, quick enough to break the awkward silence that was starting to build into a tension between them. "The company used to be hers to startwith, she has every right to claim what was hers."
"Did you hear yourself, Ryan?" She asked, almost tempted to clap her palms dramatically against each other. "You said it used to be her, but now it's ours, we both own that damned company and it no more your mother's. So, in one word, she loses every right to that company already -and this house too. She now needs to be invited before coming over..."
Ryan could not believe what she had just sprouted. That his mother has no right whatsoever to come to the company and home, except invited? Are there any words more absurd as that she had just sprouted out? Ryan doubts it.
"Have you suddenly gone crazy already, Anne." Ryan managed to muffled out, despite being speechless. "Did you listen to yourself at all?"
"Too much defense for the same woman who did not think it twice before disowning her own son." Anne said with a scoff. "I wonder why you still allow that woman to stay so long in your office, Ryan -the same woman who had to turn her back against you before you chose me over that lady."
To Ryan, he felt as if he had invited trouble to himself. How did she turn this way overnight? How much more of this is he supposed to expect from her, and how often is he to expect such from her?
******
It's been months since Ciara left Ryan and went back home; the only place she's ever comfortable in and doesn't need to wear herself out with worry. Within that few months, things have changed drastically for her, and they were happening so fast.
Just when Dwayne had allowed her settle in fully, and she was starting to awaken her old feelings -that same feeling of sense of belonging she used to have before she disappeared from home, she was faced with yet another encounter.
She's still enveloped by the feeling of guilt even after Dwayne had told her to let go of it
-she felt like she had betrayed him a hundred times, not just by leaving home but also returning with a pregnancy which the child's father isn't responsible enough.
Ryan never loved her, not once had he shown her affection or be, at least, friendly with her. She has seen cases of one-sided love that soon morphed into a long-lasting relationship, contractual marriages where the couples ended up loving each other and keeping the marriage instead of signing off the deal.
-those were the thought that had kept Ciara going when she finds out she was starting to develop what was more than attention for Ryan. She had abandoned her career just to be with him, and she needed to justify her actions.
Ciara was forced to realize there was no place nor hope for her with Ryan when she finds out he was still with his ex -that must have initiated his thoughts about a divorce. She was of no use to him, he only needed her for his gain and since he got what he's always wanted, the best was to toss her off. The thought of it shattered her heart into a million pieces.
"Thinking about him again?" The deep masculine voice snapped her out of her, though. It was Dwayne, her brother.
Ciara quickly wiped the tears that were threatening to drop from her eyes. "Of course not." She denied almost immediately. "He is such a jerk, who wastes their time thinking about jerks?"
"My sister, who couldn't get over that same jerk." Dwayne enunciated with a small laugh as he made to sit opposite her. "It's a mutual feeling, you will get over him with time."
"I'm trying but..."She trailed off with a soft sigh. "...it's hard, no matter how much I try, Dwayne. Most times, I wish I never met him because I keep having this feeling that he only used me to his advantage."
"Don't say that, little sister..."Dwayne cautioned her lightly. "So, what is your plan now? Is it the same decision?"
Ciara understood what her brother meant by his words. "It is the same decision as always, Dwayne. I'll keep the pregnancy away from him, even if he is the child's father, he has no right whatsoever to the child. And I'll make sure to keep the child away from him -if possible, forever..."