Ryan Blake barely slept.
The argument with his parents kept replaying in his head over and over again.
Especially the way his father said Lia Thompson's name.
Not warmly.
Not normally.
Strategically.
Like she was some kind of problem to solve.
And Ryan hated that feeling more than anything.
The next morning, the Blake mansion felt colder than usual.
Ryan walked downstairs wearing a black hoodie and sweatpants, still looking exhausted.
One of the workers immediately pulled out a chair for him at the breakfast table.
His parents were already eating.
Silently.
Like the fight from yesterday never happened.
Which honestly made it worse.
Ryan sat down quietly and grabbed a spoon without speaking.
The tension around the table felt suffocating.
Then suddenly—
His mother broke the silence.
"Madison Reed's family is attending the Carter charity dinner this weekend."
Ryan didn't even look up.
"Okay."
His father folded the newspaper calmly.
"You should attend too."
Ryan finally looked up slowly.
"No."
Simple.
Cold.
Immediate.
His mother sighed softly.
"Ryan."
"No."
His father's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're being immature."
Ryan laughed quietly.
"And you're being manipulative."
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
His mother tried again.
"Madison is intelligent. Elegant. Her family has influence."
Ryan looked genuinely confused now.
"…do you hear yourselves?"
His father leaned back slightly.
"You and Madison would make sense."
Ryan stared at him for a few seconds.
Then suddenly laughed again.
But this time?
There was absolutely no humor in it.
"You know what's crazy?" Ryan asked quietly.
"You keep talking about people like business deals."
Neither of his parents answered.
Because deep down—
They knew he was right.
Ryan pushed his untouched food away slightly.
"I don't like Madison."
His mother spoke carefully.
"You don't have to like someone immediately to build a future with them."
That sentence alone almost made Ryan lose his mind.
He stood up slowly.
"I'm not doing this."
His father's voice turned sharper.
"You are thinking emotionally."
Ryan grabbed his phone from the table immediately.
"And you people don't think emotionally at all."
His mother's expression hardened slightly.
"That girl is distracting you from your responsibilities."
Ryan's jaw tightened instantly.
"Stop talking about Lia like she's some mistake."
The room became quiet again.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Then his father spoke the sentence that changed everything.
"If Lia Thompson disappeared from this situation…"
A pause.
"…everything would become easier."
Ryan froze completely.
The air around him suddenly felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Slowly—
Very slowly—
Ryan turned toward his father.
"…what does that mean?"
His father calmly picked up his coffee.
"It means unnecessary complications should be removed before they become permanent problems."
Ryan stared at him.
And for the first time in his life—
He felt something close to fear around his own father.
His mother noticed the tension immediately.
"Your father simply means—"
"No," Ryan interrupted quietly.
"What exactly does he mean?"
Silence.
His father finally looked directly at him.
"You're too attached to that girl."
Ryan's chest tightened.
"And?"
"And attached people become reckless."
Ryan's breathing slowly changed.
Because suddenly—
He remembered:
the rumors
Madison targeting Lia
people watching her constantly
the pressure surrounding her lately
And a terrifying thought entered his mind.
What if this wasn't just about relationships anymore?
Ryan stepped backward slightly from the table.
"You wouldn't touch her."
His father's expression didn't change.
But he also didn't answer immediately.
And somehow—
That silence terrified Ryan more than words would have.
His mother stood up quickly.
"Ryan—"
But Ryan was already grabbing his car keys.
Angrily.
Fast.
Panicked.
His father's voice followed him calmly:
"You're overreacting."
Ryan turned around sharply.
"No."
His voice shook slightly now.
"I think I'm finally understanding exactly who you people are."
Then he walked out.
Leaving the entire breakfast untouched on the table.
The sound of the front door slamming echoed through the mansion.
Inside the dining room—
Ryan's mother looked uneasy now.
But his father remained calm.
Too calm.
Then quietly—
He picked up his phone.
And made a call.
"Keep watching the girl."
A pause.
"No mistakes."
Another pause.
"And do not let Ryan find out."
Meanwhile—
Ryan drove through the streets as fast as he could.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
His chest felt wrong.
Heavy.
Because deep down—
Ryan Blake suddenly had the terrifying feeling that Lia Thompson was no longer safe.