CHAPTER 015: Family Moments


    I feel the blood drain from my face as Ryan''s eyes slowly turn toward me, his expression unreadable. That stare-cold, calcting-sends a chill down my spine, but I don''t flinch. I won''t give him the satisfaction. "What the hell is this, Julie?"


    I take a deep breath, trying to y it cool even though my heart is pounding in my chest. "What does it look like?" I ask. I lean back into my seat and cross one leg over the other.


    Ryan''s jaw tightens. "It looks like you''ve got some exining to do."


    "Do I?"


    God, I hate this. Why is it always a performance with him? Why does he get to be the one who''s angry?


    Emily, who''s still clutching her phone like it''s a live grenade, nces nervously between the two of us. I can tell she''s trying to figure out how to mediate without getting caught in the crossfire. Good luck with that.


    "Uh, maybe we should just..." she starts.


    1 cut her off with a sharp look. "Who sent that video, Emily?"Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    She hesitates, eyes flicking to Ryan as if hoping he''ll rescue her from answering. Of course, she doesn''t want to say. She loves ying the innocent act, but I''m not buying it. Not today.


    "I-I don''t know if I should say," Emily stammers, her face flushing.


    Pathetic. "Oh, don''t give me that," I snap, standing up. "If you''re going to pull out security footage of me, at least have the guts to tell me who sent it."


    Ryan steps in, his voice sharp. "That''s not the issue here, Julie. The real question is-are you the one being pulled into the supply closet by Luke?"


    I turn to him, meeting his stare head-on. "Yes. I am."


    There''s a beat of silence that seems to stretch for eternity. I watch his eyes narrow. I can see the wheels turning in his head, the calctions, the rationalizations, trying to make sense of what I just admitted. "Why?" His voice is tight, controlled, but I can hear the anger in it.


    "Why?" I echo. "Because it''s none of your damn business, that''s why."


    Ryan''s jaw clenches, his fists balling at his sides. "It sure as hell is my business when it involves my wife and my business partner!"


    "Oh, now you care about what''s going on in my life?" I spit back. "You didn''t seem to care when you were off ying house with her."


    I shoot a look at Emily, who visibly shrinks into the couch, her face pale. I almost feel bad for her-almost -but then I remember she''s part of this mess, too.


    Ryan''s face turns red, and I can see the tension building in his neck. "This is different, and you know it." "Different how?" I ask, folding my arms. "Because I''m not sleeping with someone under our roof?"


    CHAPTER 015 Family Moments


    Emily clears her throat, trying to ease the tension. "Maybe we should all just calm down-"


    "Stay out of this," Ryan snaps at her, not even sparing her a nce. His eyes are locked on mine, full of fire. "Are you seriously going topare what I''m doing with you messing around with Luke? My business partner?"


    I throw my hands up. "Oh, my God, Ryan, give it a rest. Luke being your business partner is irrelevant. My personal life isn''t up for discussion."


    His eyes sh, and for a second, I see something in them I can''t quite ce. Fear? Betrayal? It''s there for a split second before he hides it behind the anger again. "Your personal life became very relevant when you started sneaking around."


    I take a step toward him, refusing to back down. "I''m not sneaking around. I just haven''t paraded my rtionship in front of you like you have with Emily."


    That hits a nerve. Ryan''s face darkens, and for a moment, I wonder if I''ve gone too far. But I don''t back down. Not this time.


    "Why didn''t you introduce him to me earlier today?" Ryan demands.


    Because we didn''t know!" I shout back, throwing my arms out. "We didn''t know each other''s real names until lunch today! It was as much of a shock to me as it was to you."


    Ryan stares at me, dumbfounded. "What the hell are you talking about?"


    I grit my teeth, feeling my patience wearing thin. "Luke and I started dating a while ago. But neither of us knew who the other really was. We never usedst names. We just... connected, okay? It was fun. It was... "So, what-you''re telling me it was all a coincidence? That you just happened to start dating the one person who could blow up everything between me and mypany?"


    "Exactly," I say. "It was a coincidence, Ryan. I didn''t n this, and neither did Luke. But now that we know, we''re figuring it out."


    There''s a dead silence in the room. Emily looks like she''s about to crawl out of her skin, while Ryan just stares at me, his face unreadable. I can feel the weight of his disappointment, his anger, pressing down on me like a boulder.


    And then he speaks, his voice calm. "I beg your pardon?"


    "I said," I start, my voice steady even though my heart is racing, "Luke is my boyfriend. And we''re figuring things out."


    It feels so good calling Luke my boyfriend. I feel like saying it again just to get that look on Ryan''s face. The silence that follows is deafening. Ryan looks at me like I''ve just pped him across the face, while Emily''s mouth is slightly open, blinking as if trying to process what''s happening.


    Ryan''s voice, when it finallyes, is low and cold. "You need to end whatever this is. Right now."