Ryann didn't know how much time had passed before she finally got to her feet and headed straight for the psychiatric hospital.

It was still the same room.

At the end of the hallway, the iron door was tightly shut.

She pushed against it, nothing. Just as she was about to knock, the door swung open from the inside.

Two men in white coats stood there, expressionless.

"Miss Fowler, please come in."

She stepped inside, only to find Charlee wasn't there.

"Where's my brother?" she demanded, panic rising.

One of the men smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Miss Fowler. Once you're fully recovered, you'll be able to reunite with him."

"I'm not sick!" Ryann's heart sank, and she spun around to leave.

"Every patient says that," the other man replied, picking up a document from the desk. "This is a court-approved involuntary examination order signed by Mr. Willis. Miss Fowler, please comply."

She tried to push past them, but one man grabbed her, and handcuffed her to the chair.

The next three days and nights became the darkest memories of Ryann's life.

She was bound to the chair, interrogated nonstop. The men worked in shifts twenty-four hours a day. The moment she closed her eyes, a jolt of electricity would shock her awake.

They grinned cruelly, forcing her to admit crimes she didn't commit.

"Tell us, are you jealous of Miss Price?"

"Is Charlee insane?"

"Did your parents deserve to die?"

Ryann gritted her teeth, biting herself until her mouth was raw, but she refused to admit anything.

By the third night, her mind was hazy, and even lifting her head felt like a struggle.

The door opened.

Colby walked in.

He was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, hair immaculate, utterly out of place in the filthy, dim room.

He glanced at Ryann, brows furrowed, and said to the men behind him, "Take her out."

Her restraints were removed.

Her legs gave way, and she nearly fell, but Colby caught her.

His hand was warm, yet Ryann flinched as if it burned.

Colby didn't speak. He draped an arm over her shoulders and led her out.

The hallway lights stabbed at her eyes.

Leaning against him, her voice barely audible, she whispered, "Charlee… let me see him…"

Colby paused, silent.

"Please… let me see him," she begged softly. "I know I was wrong. As long as he's safe, I'll do whatever you want…"

After a long moment, he sighed and led her to another building.

Ryann practically crawled into the room. It was smaller, darker, and even more cramped, the air carrying a faint stench.

Charlee crouched on a straw mat in the corner. Hearing her, he slowly lifted his head.

When he saw her, his hollow eyes flickered with recognition.

"Ryann…" he murmured.

Ryann threw herself at him, tears pouring. "Charlee… I'm so sorry…"

Charlee's hand weakly patted her back. "Go, Ryann… don't worry about me…"

"No!" she hugged him tightly. "I'm taking you with me. I promise…"

"I can't go… I'm ruined… but you can still run. Don't bother with me…"

"Don't say that!" Ryann wiped her tears and forced herself to stay calm. "Listen to me. Just hold on a few more days. I'll come back for you. Wait for me, okay?"

Charlee looked at her and nodded slowly.

A knock sounded on the door. "Time's up."

Ryann held Charlee one last time and whispered in his ear, "Wait for me."

She stood and walked out of the room.

As the door closed behind her, she heard his faint voice, "Please… be happy."

Outside the building, her legs buckled, and she almost collapsed.

A pair of hands caught her.

Colby supported her limp body. Leaning into his chest, Ryann finally broke down, crying uncontrollably.

She pounded his chest with her fists repeatedly, but her strength faded. In the end, all she could do was clutch his jacket and bury her face against him, trembling with sobs.

Colby stiffened for a brief moment.

The woman in his arms was so thin, so light, sobbing like a child.

Memories surged back. Years ago, Ryann had cried like this too, clinging to him after they lost their first child. Back then, she had treated him as something more important than life itself.

Instinctively, he tightened his arms around her, patting her back gently.

"That's enough…" His voice softened. "Stop crying."

Ryann looked up at him through tear-filled eyes. They were swollen and red, her nose flushed, looking fragile and pitiful.

"Colby…I was wrong…" she choked. "I won't make trouble anymore. I'll behave. Just… please let Charlee go, okay? I can divorce you… or not divorce you… whatever you want. I'll do anything. I'm begging you."

Something in Colby's chest loosened slightly.

"I never considered divorce," he said, his tone noticeably gentler. "As long as you stay with me and don't stir up trouble, Charlee will be fine."

Ryann nodded frantically. "I won't… I really won't…"

Colby raised a hand and wiped her tears away. It wasn't tender, but he did hold back his strength.

A thought flickered through his mind—maybe this wasn't so bad.

Ryann was too stubborn. Without suffering a little, she would never bend.

And now, she was finally showing that familiar dependence again.

He even found himself enjoying the moment—her softness, her obedience, the way her eyes held only him.

"Let's go home, " Colby said. "Take a bath and get some sleep."

Ryann nodded obediently, letting him guide her into the car.

---

Over the next few days, Ryann became noticeably more "well-behaved."

She stopped mentioning divorce, stopped asking to see Charlee, and even ignored Suzanne's repeated provocations.

Colby was pleased and finally agreed to bring Charlee home to recover.

Ryann let out a quiet breath of relief. The moment Colby left for the office, she made a discreet phone call.

At the banquet that night, someone had secretly slipped her a business card—Cason Moore, Colby's biggest competitor.

"Mr. Moore," Ryann said softly, "it's me. I have evidence of tax violations across five Willis Group subsidiaries over the past five years. I also have full audio recordings and transfer records proving Suzanne bribed witnesses and fabricated psychiatric reports."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"Your terms?" the man finally asked.

"Help me get my brother out. I've already finalized the divorce papers and prepared fake identities. I just need you to get us out. And... " Ryann paused, ""Before 3 p.m. tomorrow, release the evidence in stages. Especially Suzanne's part. I want her completely ruined."

Carson chuckled, "You hate her."

"Yes," Ryann admitted it without hesitation. "But I hate Colby more. That said… right now, I just want to leave."

"Deal," Carson replied. "Give me thirty minutes to mobilize my people. Send the files now. Stay reachable. My car will be at the back gate of the Willis residence within half an hour. Once you're gone, I'll release everything."

"Thank you."

"No need," Carson said. "Mutual benefit."

After hanging up, Ryann sent the encrypted files, then deleted every trace.

She waited quietly. Colby had promised to bring Charlee home today, but she hadn't expected Suzanne to arrive before they did.

Suzanne strode into the living room, chin lifted. When she saw Ryann, she curled her lips into a sneer. "I heard Colby's bringing your brother over today?"

Ryann ignored her.

Suzanne wasn't satisfied. She stepped closer. "I suggest you know your place. When Charlee gets here, he'd better kneel and apologize properly. Otherwise... "

"Or what?" Ryann lifted her gaze.

The chill in her eyes made Suzanne flinch for a split second. Then she lifted her chin again. "Or I'll have Colby send him straight back to the psych ward. And this time, he'll never get out."

Ryann set the scissors down and stood. "Suzanne, have you ever thought about what would happen if Colby found out everything you've done?"

Suzanne's expression shifted. "What are you implying?"

"Nothing," Ryann said calmly. "Just a reminder. Every lie has a due date."

"You—" Suzanne was about to explode when the doorbell rang.

The maid opened the door. Two bodyguards walked in, escorting Charlee.

He was dressed neatly, but his face was pale. His right arm hung stiffly at his side, his gaze dull and unfocused.

Suzanne stepped closer, scanning him from head to toe, then laughed.

"Well, if it isn't the piano prodigy. What happened to your hand?" she sneered as she reached out toward his right arm. Ryann slapped her hand away.

"Don't touch him."

Suzanne's expression darkened.

"Let me tell you the truth. Colby didn't bring him back to make you happy. He brought this trash home so I could vent my anger. Hold him down. Beat him," Suzanne ordered.

The bodyguards hesitated, glancing at Ryann.

"Who dares!" Ryann stepped in front of Charlee, shielding him.

Suzanne sneered. Then suddenly, she lifted her heel and drove it hard into Charlee's stomach. He let out a muffled cry, clutching himself as he collapsed onto the floor.

"Suzanne!" Ryann's eyes went bloodshot as she shoved her.

Suzanne screamed and fell backward, her lower back slamming into the edge of the coffee table. Blood instantly spread beneath her.

At that moment, the front door flew open.

Colby rushed in. The second he saw the scene, his face drained of color.

"What happened?" he asked.

Suzanne burst into tears. "Colby, help me! Ryann tried to kill our baby!"

Colby's pupils shrank. He whipped his head toward Ryann.

Ryann shook her head violently. "I didn't! She stepped on Charlee's stomach first—"

"Enough!" Colby roared. He rushed to Suzanne, scooped her into his arms, and before leaving, cast Ryann a look colder than ice.

"We'll settle this when I get back."

He carried Suzanne out, his footsteps fading fast.

The living room fell silent.

Ryann stood frozen, staring at her trembling hands, then suddenly laughed.

"So that's how easy revenge is," she murmured. "One small push, and they're already unraveling."

Charlee tugged gently at her sleeve. "Ryann… go… don't worry about me…"

Ryann wiped away her tears and took his hand firmly. "No. We're leaving together."

They ran for the back gate.

Just as promised, a black sedan waited in the alley. Ryann helped Charlee into the car. The door shut, and the vehicle sped toward the airport.

An elderly member of the Fowler family, who had been waiting there all along, handed the siblings their finalized divorce papers and newly prepared IDs.

Ryann clenched the thin stack of papers tightly and finally exhaled.

Goodbye, this disgusting city.

Goodbye, Colby.

As she boarded the plane, her phone buzzed with multiple alerts.

"Willis Group suspected of large-scale tax evasion."

"Suzanne Price exposed for bribing witnesses and fabricating evidence—police launch investigation."

"Suzanne Price's true background revealed—nightclub escort photos leaked."

#Colby Willis accused of shielding his mistress and enabling criminal acts."

Ryann curved her lips into a faint, mocking smile.

"Colby, your real nightmare has only just begun," she murmured.