Samuel, dressed in a white coat, continued to deceive Layla and Isabella, claiming that Andrew’s condition was a normal reaction to a concussion. Fortunately, Layla and Isabella knew little about medical knowledge and were too worried to think clearly, their minds entirely focused on Andrew. Otherwise, if they had looked it up online, Samuel would have been exposed.
Andrew was in a coma for two days, during which Isabella stayed by his side without eating or drinking, taking care of him. She visibly lost weight, her face turned pale, and her eyes were bloodshot.
“Isabella, Samuel said Andrew won’t wake up for a while. Go get some rest, I’ll watch over him,” Layla said to her.
Isabella stubbornly shook her head, half-lying on Andrew’s bedside, tightly holding his hand and refusing to let go, afraid that if she did, he would disappear.
Layla was infuriated and said coldly, “He’s in a coma now. What good is it for you to stay here? If he wakes up and you collapse, it will only make him worry. Do I have to find someone to take care of you then? Isabella, you’re not a child anymore. Use your brain and don’t become a burden to Andrew.”
Isabella was almost brought to tears by Layla’s scolding and, hanging her head, went to the next room to rest.
Mrs. Hannah thought Layla was being too harsh and sighed, “I know you’re worried about Andrew’s condition, but why take it out on the poor girl?”
“I originally didn’t agree with Andrew marrying such a young girl. She’s not mature enough, still a child herself. She’s delicate and needs to be taken care of even when there’s nothing wrong. When something happens, all she does is cry,” Layla said unhappily.
“Everyone goes through that age. When you were her age, you weren’t as clever and sensible as she is. She might not understand now, but she’ll learn in time. The most important thing is that Andrew likes her. Life is short. If he can’t be with the one he loves, what’s the point?” Mrs. Hannah replied.
While Andrew was in a coma, Ryan was not idle.
He had his men capture the drunkard’s wife and son. For Ryan, capturing the two was effortless, but interrogating them was a headache.
A seven- or eight-year-old child did nothing but cry, knowing nothing. The woman was a shrew, crying and making a fuss, giving Ryan a headache.
He decided not to bother with questioning them and had his men tie the mother and son to the highest rooftop in Ithaca Town.
“Let them enjoy the wind and the view for a while,” Ryan casually instructed, adding, “Tie them securely. It wouldn’t be fun if they fell down before we could get any useful information.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Ryan. The ropes we’re using are for securing steel bars. They’re strong,” his men assured him.
The mother and son were tied to the railing on the rooftop of a fifty-something-story building. Just looking down made them tremble all over. The little boy was so scared he almost wet his pants.
Ryan, feeling a bit of pity, pointed to the child, “Let the little one down first. We don’t want him to faint from fright.”
His men untied the child, placed a chair for him to sit in the corner.
The woman, still tied to the railing, shouted, “Do you even know the law? Kidnapping in broad daylight, restricting personal freedom, I’ll sue you!”
Ryan, holding a cigarette that wouldn’t light due to the strong rooftop wind, replied, “Sue me? Sure. Do you know where the courthouse is? Do you want me to take you there? Talking to me about the law? Your husband ran over my boss. Did he care about the law?”
“That was his wrongdoing. What does it have to do with me?” The woman retorted, her face flushed.
“Aren’t you his wife? Husbands and wives are one,” Ryan said, still holding the cigarette.
“We’ve had no feelings for each other for a long time. I’m in the middle of divorcing him,” the woman cried, her legs trembling uncontrollably, not daring to look down from the railing.
“But you’re not divorced yet, are you? Tough luck,” Ryan said, then leisurely walked down the rooftop through the safety passage.
Ryan drove directly to the detention center.
The detention center had already been well-connected, and the guards inside were very polite to him.
“Ryan, here to see Torin again? That Torin really doesn’t know what’s good for him,” a guard muttered while unlocking the door.
Ryan gave a perfunctory smile and followed the guard inside.
It was the same small room with an iron window dividing it. Ryan sat outside, while Torin, handcuffed and wearing a prison uniform, sat inside with his head down, looking impatient.
“I’ve said it many times, I was drunk and mistook the brake for the gas pedal. Just sentence me however you need to! If someone died from the crash, I’d repay with my life,” Torin said righteously.
Ryan was so infuriated by his words that he laughed out of anger. “Torin, with your worthless life, you think you’re fit to repay Andrew’s?”
Torin gritted his teeth and glared at Ryan, clearly resentful. He knew he had hit a rich man, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been driving a luxury car.
“Being rich is amazing, huh? I spit on you!”
“Oh, still got some spirit, huh? Good, keep that attitude,” Ryan said with a sneer, slowly pulling out his phone from his pocket.
“I don’t care about your life. I want the life of the person behind you. I’ll give you one last chance. Confess, and I’ll give you a way out.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Torin said, lowering his eyelids.
Ryan couldn’t be bothered to waste words with him and directly connected a video call on his phone. The screen showed the rooftop scene, with the sound of the howling wind especially clear.
Then, the camera focused on Torin’s wife. The woman, tied up for too long, was pale. Seeing Torin through the phone screen, she started cursing him.
“Torin, you heartless bastard! What did that bitch give you to make you work for her like this? I’ll tell you, even if I die, I won’t let you off as a ghost!”
On the other end of the call, Torin’s wife was hysterically cursing.
Torin frowned and glared at Ryan. “You won’t threaten me with a woman. You heartless rich people, the law will eventually get you.”
Torin’s words made Ryan feel like laughing and crying. He had carried a gun in the military, stood guard, supported the border, and been on the battlefield to protect the country.
And this bastard dared to shout in his face? He must be tired of living.
“Torin, I don’t blame you for being blind. I’ll tell you, the woman you’re protecting is the one who should be facing justice,” Ryan said.
But clearly, Torin wasn’t listening at all.
To Torin, Victoria was an absolute goddess. His goddess was wronged, and he, as a man, had to protect her.
Ryan also saw that Torin had no affection left for his wife.
Ryan despised this kind of man the most. If you want to enjoy the outside world, don’t get married and have kids. Once you enter the walls of marriage, you should stay true to your wife and children.
Men like this, who are inside the walls but still eyeing the outside world, don’t deserve to be called men. They might as well be castrated.