Billion dollar adventure: Meeting Mr arrogant

Chapter 16 : Beneath The Surface

Ryder’s face was a mixture of vulnerability and defiance as he held Lucy’s gaze. There was something raw there, hidden beneath his polished charm and practiced indifference. She could feel the weight of his past pressing down on him, on them, like a storm brewing on the horizon. She wanted to believe in the simplicity of his words—that she was his present and future—but she couldn’t shake the chill that had settled deep within her.

“Ryder,” she began softly, her hand still in his, “I don’t want to be kept in the dark. I need to understand… all of it.”

He sighed, looking away, his gaze settling on the shadows cast by the rose bushes. “What good would it do, Lucy? The past is over. Talking about it won’t change anything.”

“But it’s not over,” she replied, her voice steady yet filled with concern. “Whatever happened with Sophia, it’s still affecting you. And… I feel like I can’t fully understand you if I don’t know that part of your life.”

Ryder pulled his hand away, shoving it into his pocket, his face hardening. “Sophia is… a ghost I’ve made peace with. Or at least, I thought I had.” He paused, his expression turning haunted. “But you’re right. It still lingers. The memories, the guilt… and the things I never told anyone.”

Lucy’s heart quickened. She could see him fighting some internal battle, weighing whether to let her in or to continue protecting her by keeping her out. The quiet tension was palpable, and all she could do was wait, giving him the space he needed.

After what felt like an eternity, Ryder sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Sophia was everything to me once,” he admitted, his voice low and thick with emotion. “We met when we were young, reckless… in love with the idea of freedom, adventure. She wasn’t afraid of the Blackwood name, the power, the danger. In fact, she loved it. It drew her to me.”

Lucy listened, her gaze unwavering, feeling a pang of empathy. Ryder’s tone was wistful, but she could also hear the edges of pain in his voice.

“She loved it too much,” he continued. “Sophia was wild, untamed. We had this... magnetic connection. But it was also a volatile one. She thrived in the chaos of my world, and sometimes, she pushed limits that… she shouldn’t have.”

Lucy’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” she asked gently.

Ryder’s jaw tightened. “Sophia… she liked playing games. Dangerous ones. It was thrilling to her, testing boundaries, even provoking rival families. I tried to rein her in, to protect her, but she wouldn’t listen. She thought she was untouchable.”

His voice cracked slightly, his hands balling into fists as he continued. “That night… we’d fought. She’d taken things too far, done something reckless, and I was furious. I tried to make her understand the risk, to see that we couldn’t keep living on the edge. But she wouldn’t hear it. She stormed out of the house, and… I chased after her.”

Lucy held her breath, sensing the deep-seated pain that Ryder had kept buried all these years.

“It was raining,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, “and the roads were slick. We were both too emotional, too angry to think straight. She... she was yelling at me, saying she’d never let anyone control her, not even me.” He looked away, his eyes distant. “I lost control of the car. It was only a second, but… that’s all it took. We hit a curve, and before I knew it, we were spinning. She…” His voice faltered, and he closed his eyes, as if trying to block out the memory. “She didn’t survive.”

A heavy silence fell between them, the weight of his confession settling like a stone. Lucy’s heart ached for him, for the anguish he’d clearly been carrying all this time. She reached out, placing her hand gently over his. “I’m so sorry, Ryder,” she whispered, feeling the depth of his guilt.

He swallowed, his eyes filled with anguish. “You don’t understand, Lucy. I didn’t just lose her that night. I lost a part of myself. I blamed myself, convinced that if I’d been stronger, stricter, I could have protected her. And even now, I wonder… if she’s still haunting me, if I deserve to move on.”

Lucy shook her head, her voice gentle yet firm. “It wasn’t your fault, Ryder. She made her own choices, and… sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we can’t control the ones we love.”

He looked at her, his expression torn, as if he wanted to believe her words but couldn’t quite let go of his guilt. “Sophia’s family… they blamed me. Said I’d taken her down a path of destruction, corrupted her with this life. They wanted revenge, and for a while, there was open hostility. We’re at peace now, but it’s a fragile truce. They’re a reminder of what happened and why I can’t afford to make the same mistakes.”

Lucy squeezed his hand, feeling the vulnerability he was revealing. She understood now why he was so guarded, so unwilling to let himself get close to someone again. But she couldn’t help but feel that Ryder was more than his past, that he was a man capable of redemption if only he’d allow himself to heal.

“Ryder,” she said softly, “maybe… maybe you deserve a second chance. Maybe we both do.”

He looked at her, his gaze searching, as if her words were the first glimmer of hope he’d allowed himself to feel in years. “Lucy,” he murmured, his voice laced with vulnerability, “you’re different. You make me want things I thought I’d buried. A future, a life beyond all this.”

Lucy’s heart pounded, a mix of excitement and trepidation filling her. She knew that being with Ryder would come with challenges, that his world was far from safe. But she also knew that what they shared was real, a connection that went beyond the surface.

They sat in silence for a while, the night air cool against their skin, each lost in thought. Finally, Ryder pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her in a protective embrace. “If we’re going to do this, Lucy,” he whispered, “then I have to be honest with you about everything. No more secrets.”

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with determination. “I can handle it, Ryder. Whatever it is, I want to know. I want to be with you, fully and completely.”

He nodded, a mixture of relief and resolve settling over him. “Then we face it together,” he said, his voice steady. “No matter what comes.”

They stayed in the garden until dawn, the first light of morning casting a gentle glow over them as they held each other. In that moment, they made an unspoken promise to face whatever challenges lay ahead, to build something real in the shadow of their pasts.

As the sun rose, Ryder took Lucy’s hand, leading her back toward the mansion. They walked side by side, a newfound sense of strength between them. For the first time in years, Ryder felt as if he might actually have a chance at happiness, a chance at a future free from the ghosts that had haunted him.

But as they reentered the mansion, Ryder’s phone buzzed with a message that made his face pale. His grip on Lucy’s hand tightened. “We’re not alone,” he murmured, his voice filled with a steely edge. “It seems someone from Sophia’s family has returned. And they’re not happy about us.”

Lucy’s heart skipped a beat, her stomach twisting with fear. She had a sense that this was only the beginning of the storm that lay ahead, a test of their newfound commitment. But as she looked up at Ryder, she knew that whatever happened, they would face it together.