May nearly broke into tears at the sight before her. “Heavens above! Dear God, what is this? What on earth has happened?” she exclaimed, her voice trembling with shock and disbelief.
This was the last thing she had ever wanted to see. Not even in her worst nightmares had she imagined such a scene unfolding.
John Baker, too, was completely dumbfounded. He stared at Kayden, his expression a mixture of confusion and unease, unsure of what to say.
“You bastard! You bastard! What have you done to Emma? What did you do to her?” May screamed, her eyes red with fury, as she stormed toward Kayden. She was like an enraged mother hen protecting her chick.
Kayden calmly stepped off the bed without a word. He neither needed nor wanted to explain himself. He had saved Emma-helped her-and that was all there was to it.
May rushed to Emma’s side, quickly covering her exposed body with a piece of clothing. Emma collapsed into her mother’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Mom! Mom, help me! Please help me!” Emma wailed, her voice shaking with desperation.
Hearing his daughter’s cry, John Baker’s last shred of trust in Kayden crumbled. Though he had initially held onto a glimmer of faith in the young man, now it was shattered. He could not believe what he was seeing-or what he was hearing.
May turned her rage on Kayden, shouting, “Kayden, you’ve truly disappointed me! John has treated you so well, and yet you could stoop to something like this? If we hadn’t arrived in time, would you have already-”
She couldn’t even finish the sentence, her anger and disgust choking her words.
Kayden met John Baker’s reddened eyes and let out a slow breath. “Mr. Baker, please don’t misunderstand!” he said, his tone steady. “Emma was drugged and knocked unconscious by him.” He gestured toward Ryder, his face calm and composed. “If I hadn’t arrived when I did, she could’ve been a victim of his disgusting plans.”
Ryder sneered, his expression twisted with malice. “You liar! You’re twisting the truth to suit yourself!” he exclaimed. “You’re nothing but a conniving scoundrel!”
Turning to May and Emma, Ryder’s voice grew more impassioned. “Mrs. Baker, Emma, listen to me! Here’s what really happened. Emma and I were together earlier, but I stepped away to use the restroom for just a moment. When I came back, Emma was gone. I searched everywhere for her and eventually found her here-with this bastard.”
He pointed at Kayden, his voice growing louder with every word. “I kicked the door open, and what I saw was exactly what you just witnessed! He had tied Emma up, saying he wanted to make her his. He planned to force her into a situation where she’d have no choice but to stay with him forever. And if that wasn’t sick enough, he told me-he told me-that he didn’t mind if I stood by and watched!”
Ryder’s voice cracked with emotion as he continued, “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Without thinking, I lunged at him. I couldn’t just stand by and let something happen to Emma! But as we fought, he pulled out a gun and shot me in the hand!”
To prove his point, Ryder lifted his injured hand, blood still dripping from the wound.
Everyone’s eyes were drawn to the sight, their expressions filled with shock and disbelief.
It was clear Ryder was reversing the situation, swapping roles with Kayden to paint himself as the hero. Kayden hadn’t anticipated Ryder’s audacity-that he would dare to push the blame onto him.
For a fleeting moment, Kayden couldn’t help but feel a begrudging sense of admiration for Ryder’s nerve.
“What are you trying to say? Tell me everything!” Kayden demanded, his voice low and threatening.
Ryder’s pupils dilated as he stepped back, fear creeping into his gaze. “See that?” he shouted. “Mr. Baker, Mrs. Baker! This is who he really is-a wolf in sheep’s clothing! He’s trying to intimidate me into confessing to something I didn’t do, just so he can shift the blame onto me!”
“Is that not exactly what happened?” Kayden asked, his tone sharp and unyielding.
Ryder scoffed. “I don’t need to stoop to your level! If I wanted to be with Emma, I wouldn’t need to use such underhanded tactics. I would never drug her or force her into anything! Anyone who knows me knows I would never disrespect Emma like that. My feelings for her are genuine. I’ve always treated her with the utmost respect. I want her to be with me willingly.”
His voice grew hoarse with emotion, as though he were pouring his heart out. To the untrained ear, his words could have seemed convincing-earnest, even.
“You’re determined to drag my name through the mud, aren’t you?” Kayden asked, his voice cold and steady. A palpable wave of hostility radiated from him, filling the room.
He took a step toward Ryder, his eyes dark with quiet fury. “I won’t hesitate to kill you if you keep this up,” he said, his voice like ice.
“Enough!” Emma shouted suddenly, her voice trembling with rage as she turned on Kayden. “Stop pretending, Kayden! It was you-it was you who did this!”
Her words were like a dagger.
“I was with Ryder,” she continued, her voice breaking. “He stepped away for just a moment, and you-you drugged me! I didn’t know who it was at first, but now I see it was you! How could you?!”
Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed. “I thought you cared about me, but you’re disgusting! You’re a monster! If Mr. Steele hadn’t shown up, would you have already-” Her voice trailed off into a choked cry.
May’s anger boiled over. “Kayden, do you still have anything to say for yourself? You’ve shown your true colors! John treated you like family, and this is how you repay him? You’re no better than an animal!”
Ryder seized the moment to press his advantage. “Mrs. Baker, we need to call the police! This man deserves to be locked up for years. He’ll never admit he’s wrong otherwise!”
Kayden’s eyes locked onto Ryder, his fury barely contained. Slowly, he drew in a breath. “If you won’t tell the truth,” he said, his voice deadly calm, “then I’ll make you.”
He began to approach Ryder, his intent clear.
Before he could take another step, a booming voice rang out, stopping him in his tracks.
“Enough!”