Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

Chapter 104

RYAN

"Did you do this?!" I erupted the moment Istormed into the master bedroom.

Stephanie, clad in a red translucent nightwear, rose from the bed at the sight of me barging in like a raging bull. Crossing her arms, she chuckled arrogantly. "I

suppose stirring up a bit of trouble with Lily was all it took to lure my husband back home."

Her smug demeanor only fueled the flames of my anger. Closing the distance between us in seconds, I seized her by the neck in a tight grip, my fingers digging into her skin with deliberate force. She clawed at my hand, her red-painted nails leaving angry marks on my skin, but I remained unfazed by her struggles.

I felt no pain, not with the white-hot fury coursing through my veins, drowning out all else in its wake. "What the fuck is your problem?" I snarled, my voice dripping with venom. "Do you take pleasure in doing things that make me contemplate squeezing the life out of you?"

At some point, her feeble attempts to claw at my hand ceased, her struggles replaced by a chilling stillness that mirrored the coldness in her eyes.

"What the fuck happened to the sweet old Stephanie whose innocence I once found attractive?" I demanded, my grip on her neck relenting slightly as I searched for a trace of the woman she once was. She attempted to laugh, but it emerged as a strained wheeze, a pitiful sound that only served to fuel my mounting frustration. With a surge of disgust, I released her, shoving her away from me with a forceful motion. "That sweet, innocent woman is long gone, buried beneath people's betrayal!" She spat bitterly.

Had she lost her mind completely? "I never fucking betrayed you, Stephanie!" I continued, my voice rising. "If anything, you're the one who's constantly stabbed me in the damn back, you psycho!" Sucking her cheeks in with a hint of defiance, she nodded reluctantly. "Fine, I accept that I was at fault at first," she conceded, her voice filled with bitterness. "I shouldn't have broken things off with you. But then I did, and when I returned, you accepted me! You assured me that things would go back to how they used to, but they never did! Why did you accept me if you knew you weren't going to keep me?"

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Refusing to engage in a futile back-and-forth with her, I held her gaze steadily. "Every bit of bullshit I've tolerated from you so far has been for Lily's sake," I declared firmly, my voice ringing with conviction. "So don't expect me to stand by and watch you mess with her without fighting back."

Dipping my hand into my pocket, I retrieved my phone and thrust it towards her, my grip on the device tight. "This article you published online is going to cost you," I gritted out through clenched teeth, my tone laced with a warning. "You will fucking regret it."

Exhaling sharply, she crossed her arms defiantly. "This has nothing to do with me."

my head back, I let out a humorless laugh. "And you expect me to believe

believe?" she retorted coolly. "I told you this has nothing to

found none. Either she hadn't orchestrated it, or she had become exceptionally skilled at

have her accompany you

her, my frustration mounting with each passing moment. "I know what a speculative write-up from a blogger looks like," I snapped, my voice edged with impatience. "This is too detailed, Steph, which means

is not me," she insisted, her words carrying a hint of exasperation. "I have no reason to

attack My father was preoccupied with his own affairs, and my mother would never jeopardize our

manner.

me

be Jake? It is plausible he did it out of

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look on your face, I'm guessing you finally remember who you behind it," Steph remarked casually, her voice laced with amusement

it has something to do with you will be sorry," I warned tersely, my tone laced with a hint of menace.

car, I immediately dialed Lily's number, but there was no answer. Frustrated, I left a voicemail, urging her

Unable to shake off the nagging sense of unease, I reached out to s of my security personnel back in Canada,

from one of my guards. He informed m Lily had left for work earlier in the day and had yet to return home. Concern gnawed at my

the caller ID, I answered hastily, my heart pounding in my chest. "What's going Is

emergency board meeting at the hospital, and they've been in there for hours." My

him to prepare for a flight to Canada within the next few hours. With a sense of urgency, hastily wrapped up

relief flooded through me as I saw Lily's name flashing on the screen. Abandoning everything else, I answered the call eagerly, my voice tinged with relief. "Hey,

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five hours, she

skipping a beat as I braced myself for her response. "What meeting?" I inquired, trying to keep my