9

Lying in bed, gazing at the roses on her nightstand, Chloe Johnson felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

Drifting off to sleep surrounded by the roses' sweet fragrance, she dreamed of Ryan Carter walking toward her with an enormous bouquet, her lips curling into a blissful smile.

Meanwhile, back at his downtown apartment, Ryan Carter was far from peaceful. Seated at his desk, he couldn't focus on a single word from the case files in front of him.

With a frustrated sigh, he set the documents aside and pulled open a drawer—inside lay photos from his trip to Japan with Chloe Johnson. Thank god for that Japanese man, he thought. He captured that perfect moment.

In the photo, Chloe was smiling at him, radiant and carefree. His fingers traced the image—her face, her lips—now reduced to mere paper. This was all he had left: clinging to the memory of her joy.

If only I'd fought harder for her… But he loved her. He refused to let that love become a chain.

Enough. Dawn would break soon if he kept this up. Forcing his thoughts aside, he lay back down—only to stare blankly at the ceiling.

By the time pale light crept through the window, exhaustion finally dragged Ryan into a fitful sleep.

He woke at 10:00 AM. Bolting upright, he rushed through his routine and sped to the office.

But the moment he stepped in, Jake Thompson was already there, lounging on the sofa with a cup of tea.

"I don't recall paying my employees to sit around drinking tea," Ryan Carter leaned against the doorway and remarked.

"Relax, boss. I've already put in overtime. Can't a man steal a quiet moment for some tea?" Jake Thompson kept munching on his pastry, sipping his Earl Grey without even glancing at Ryan.

Then, holding his cup aloft, he added, ​"Want some? It's the good stuff."

Ryan walked over and sank into the sofa across the coffee table. Jake slid a cup of tea toward him.

"Honestly, I don't get you. If you love her, just say it. Why torture yourself like some lovesick ghost?" Jake lobbed the grenade of a question casually.

Ryan's hand froze mid-sip.

How does Jake already know my heart—when she's still clueless?

"Loving someone means letting them know, right? Hell, you taught me that in college." Jake locked eyes with Ryan, baffled by his mentor's sudden hesitation.

"Jake, you don't understand. When love only brings confusion, it becomes a burden. She's young—she should chase her dreams freely. My job is to wait… till she's ready to understand love." Ryan stared into his swirling tea leaves.

"Screw your noble theories. Love means claiming her—making her world revolve around you. Can you even guarantee what your 'waiting' will earn you in the end?"

Ryan chuckled darkly. If he followed Jake's logic, love would turn selfish—and he'd never do that to Chloe.

Watching Ryan's bitter smile, Jake made up his mind. I'm helping him. No way I'll let him drown in pain while everyone else moves on.

Finals were over, and the world seemed brighter.

Chloe Johnson stepped out of the exam hall, clutching her stationery. Taking a deep breath, she quickened her pace toward the payphone—she wanted to share this lightness in her chest with Ryan Carter.

Why him, of all people? She rationalized it: He encouraged me. Sent those roses that lifted my mood. Probably why I aced the test.

"Chloe!" The same four girls from the diner swarmed around her again.

"Hey! How'd you do?" Chloe inwardly groaned. Once they latched on, escape was impossible.

"Chloe, are you inviting Ryan Carter to graduation ball next week?" Chu Lin blurted—not because she wanted to ogle him (though he was easy on the eyes), but for her clueless friend's sake.

Ryan Carter, she decided, was better for Chloe than that Alex Taylor.

"Yeah, invite him!" another chimed in.

"We'll keep him entertained!"

Their chatter rose like excited birdsong, all four girls orbiting Chloe with one agenda: another glimpse of him.

Is Ryan really that special? The way everyone fawned over him grated on Chloe.

"Fine, I'll ask him," Chloe Johnson replied, swallowing her irritation.

"Chloe." Alex Taylor's voice cut through the air as he appeared, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the gym without a second glance at the ongoing conversation.

Chloe let herself be dragged along. Alex seemed upset—had he bombed the test? No way, he always aces everything.

Once inside the gym, Alex spun to face her. ​"Where were you the night before the exam?" He'd called her house, only to be told she wasn't home yet.

"I was out with friends," Chloe answered carefully.

"Who?" His frown deepened at her timid tone. Was he really that intimidating? She was his girlfriend—why did she act like she was walking on eggshells?

"You don't know them," she murmured, staring at the floor.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Alex snapped, frustration boiling over.

Chloe jerked her head up, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Shouldn't love feel like honey? Why did hers taste like bitter tea?

She bit her lip, afraid words would unleash the tears.

"Chloe." Alex caught her arm as she tried to turn away.

He hadn't meant to yell. Damn it. But her helpless expression infuriated him—at himself, for caring so much, for failing to own her heart.

"Don't cry, okay?" Alex Taylor lifted his hand, catching the tear tracing down Chloe Johnson's cheek.

He couldn't understand how things had gotten to this point between them. He genuinely cared about her—never imagined his affection would make her feel this way.

"Let me walk you home," Alex murmured, wrapping an arm around Chloe's shoulders as they stepped out of the gym.

Late at night, Chloe Johnson tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She picked up the phone on her nightstand, fingers hovering over Ryan Carter's number, but ultimately set it back down.

Her family had noticed her gloom but tactfully avoided prying, assuming she'd done poorly on her exams.

The truth was, she'd aced them. She just needed someone—him—to talk to about everything that had happened today.

Just as she wavered, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Chloe answered listlessly.

"Chloe, it's me." Ryan Carter's deep voice resonated through the line.

He'd waited for her call all evening. When it never came, he'd caved and dialed her number himself, hoping he wasn't interrupting.

"Ryan..." Hearing his voice, Chloe nearly choked up.

"Did you want to tell me something?" Ryan kept his tone steady. Unsure how her exams had gone, he left the door open—good or bad, he'd listen.

"I... I actually wanted to call you right after the test. I was so happy earlier—I really wanted to share that with you."

Chloe gripped the receiver, hesitating. Would Ryan even care about what came next? Hot tears spilled over before she could stop them.

She pulled the phone away, cleared her throat, and asked, "Ryan, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm listening," Ryan Carter replied with a quiet sigh.

"Alex dragged me into the gym today. He asked where I was the night before the exam. I couldn't tell him the truth—I was so scared of him, I couldn't even look him in the eye. Then he yelled at me..." Chloe's words tumbled out in a messy rush. ​"I felt so hurt, like I was about to cry, but I fought back the tears as hard as I could."

Silence stretched on the other end, broken only by the faint sound of breathing.

"Ryan... am I boring you with all this?"

"I'm still listening," he said softly. And it's breaking my heart. If it were him, he'd never let her feel this way.

"Ryan, being with him is exhausting. I just want to run away and never see him again. Ryan...? Can you hear me?" Static crackled faintly on the line, making her pause.

"Chloe, my phone's dying," Ryan's voice came through weakly.

"Where are you right now?"

"Outside your place."

"Come up, please?" He'd been sitting outside her house, listening to her vent on his phone?

"It's too late," Ryan said—just before the call cut out.