NovelOnlineChapter 219
A glance at the clock: not even six. Resigned to wakefulness, | pulled on running gear and headed downstairs.
The complex lay hushed in the pre-dawn light. Head down, focused on my rhythm, | nearly collided with another
runner.
The runner who had just passedslowed, turned, and jogged back. “Ms. Murphy?” A voice called out, clear
and bright against the quiet morning
| halted mid-stride, staring. Ryan?
Just then, an elderly man jogged up, slightly breathless. He opened his mouth, seemed to reconsider, and
snapped it shut.
“Ryan? Are you staying here?” | asked with surprise.
Ryan threw a companionable arm around the old man’s shoulders. “Just crashing with my great-uncle for a bit,”
he explained easily. “He lives alone, so I'm keeping him company.”
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The old man blinked, momentarily flustered, and then nodded with perhaps excessive enthusiasm. “Yes! The
boy’s been very attentive.”
| studied the slightly incongruous pair, a flicker of doubt surfacing, but dismissed it with a nod. “Small world. I'm
in Building A. And you?”
“Building C,” Ryan answered, jerking a thumb towards the adjacent building.
| offered a faint smile. “Right. See you.” Then | resumed my run.
Back home, | scrambled sbreakfast, showered quickly and prepared to work. Around eight, my phone
buzzed-a text from Jared: [Your car has been returned to your parking space.]
Recalling how coldly I'd treated him last night, | was surprised Jared wasn’t furious. Instead, he'd orchestrated
the return of my car. | chuckled bitterly. Too little, far too late. Belated gestures were worthless. My reply was
curt: [Thanks.]
Driving out, | noticed Ryan standing at the curb, arm raised for a taxi. It was rush hour right now, not a cab in
sight. Glancing at the overflowing bus stop nearby, | pulled over beside him. “Hop in, I'll give you a lift.”
A grin spread across Ryan's face as he slid into the back seat. “Thanks, Ms. Murphy. Seriously, you're a
lifesaver,” he said with genuine gratitude.
| gave a small, dismissive smile. “Just look after my
team.”
Ryan asked to hop out a block from the office to avoid potential gossip, | noted. Smart kid. Good instincts.
Later, he appeared at my office door, placing a Starbucks cup on my desk. “Fare payment,” he announced with a
quick grin before disappearing.
Well, if he framed it as fare, refusing would seem churlish.
Days had passed without seeing Yvonne. Jared had mentioned Sally whisking her away on a vacation. True to
form, my phone lit up today with a barrage of photos from Yvonne-snapshots flooding in from her trip. | scrolled
through silently, offering no response.
She even sent a tic close-up of a scraped knee, followed by a deluge of weepy, woebegone emojis.
Day one: over twenty photos. By day two and beyond, the count soared past a hundred. My phone practically
vibrated with the digital onslaught. Finally, | caved and texted: [Focus on having fun. Please, ease up on the
photos.]
To her credit, Yvonne listened. For the next few days, my phone remained mercifully photo-free.
Over lunch with Melissa, she mentioned she’d never been to Lanimire and was curious. | pulled out my phone.
“Yvonne's been documenting her trip relentlessly. Want to see?”
Chapter 219
Melissa pored over the pictures with far more attention than I'd ever mustered. Suddenly, she jabbed a finger at
one Image Victoria, kokitar in the background.” Her voice dropped. “Is that Tracy?”
| froze. Snatching the phone back, | peered at the grainy background figure. A cold, heavy stone seemed to drop
into my gut if was unmistal 16.3 Tran
“Didn’t you say she was pregnant? That she’d gone abroad to have the baby?” Melissa's brow furrowed as she
scrutinized the image. She doesn pregnant here. Not at all.”
The air suddenly felt thick, difficult to draw. Sally took Yvonne abroad to visit Tracy? The implication slammed
into me, cold and sickening. What gwere they playing?
AB
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