The Clarity of Love (Montereal series #2)

05

"Whoa! Shhh! It's just me," the familiar voice called out, and a wave of relief washed over me. My lips trembled, caught between the remnants of fear and the shock of recognizing the speaker. As I regained my composure, the dim light revealed the figure before me, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw him clearly. It's Ryder.

"Why were you following me? Gosh! You even scared me! Don't you have anything better to do with your life?!" I couldn't help but voice my complaints, attempting to mask my initial vulnerability.

He unexpectedly took my hand, and it startled me. I couldn't move properly because of it. When he held my hand, it felt like an electric current surged through me. My heart pounded wildly in my chest as his warm fingers intertwined with mine. I could feel my cheeks flush with a mix of embarrassment and excitement. It had been so long since someone had held my hand like this, catching me completely off guard. His touch sent shivers down my spine, and for a moment, the world around us seemed to fade away. All that existed was the tingling sensation where our skin met, and the unspoken emotions that hung in the air like a delicate thread.

"It's dangerous. Where are you going?" I pulled my hand away from his grip, feeling cautious and concerned. Raising an eyebrow at him, I silently questioned his intentions. "Tsk. Didn't you see what happened to my car? It's gone! Completely wrecked!" I exclaimed in frustration, pointing towards the damaged car. My emotions were a mix of anger and exasperation, and I couldn't help but vent my frustrations.

"I can buy many cars easily! And why would I even think of damaging your car?!" he shouted. Despite starting to move away from him, he quickly ran towards me.

Determined to find out who dared to disrespect my beloved car, I set out to locate the school's security guards. I knew that the CCTV footage would hold the key to identifying the culprit, and they would soon regret their actions. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

I briskly walked through the corridors, my anger fueling my steps. As I approached the security office, I could feel my heart pounding in anticipation. I was ready to face the truth and expose the person responsible for damaging my car.

"Excuse me," I said firmly as I entered the security office. The guards looked up from their desks, surprised by the intensity in my voice.

"I need to access the CCTV footage," I demanded, trying to control my emotions.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but the CCTV in that area of the parking lot is malfunctioning," explained one of the guards standing in front of us. Slowly, a feeling of irritation started to build within me upon hearing this news.

"What?! Are you serious? Why does it have to malfunction just when it's needed the most? Ugh!!!" I couldn't help but express my frustration, feeling exasperated by the unfortunate timing of the CCTV malfunction. It seemed like everything was working against me in trying to uncover the truth behind what happened to my car.

As I turned to leave the security office, I felt a presence trailing behind me. Ryder was still following me.

"I can drive you home instead," he said.

"Do you really think I'll ride in your car? No way!" He shrugged dismissively, about to step into the car, but I stopped him.

"You know what, Ryder Montereal? I was just kidding earlier. Sure, you can drive me home," I said, playfully rolling my eyes as I hopped into his car. Ryder chuckled.

I didn't want to be left here because even if I wanted to call Dad, I couldn't. My brilliant step-sister might think I'm causing trouble and ruining their father-daughter bonding. She acts like she's my dad's real daughter.

"Do you have any important items in your car? Why don't you get them first before I start it?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. I looked out the window and saw my car with a broken window. I wondered if I had left anything important inside. I couldn't remember if there were any valuables in there. The situation had caught me off guard, and I felt a mix of worry and frustration. I gestured to him that I would step out of the car to check if there were any important things left inside. As I got out, I approached my car cautiously, my heart sinking at the sight of the broken window.

"Be careful. There are a lot of broken glass pieces there," he warned. I was surprised to see that he had followed me all the way. Glancing at my car, I confirmed that the window was indeed shattered.

"Tsk. As if you care," I retorted, feeling a mixture of annoyance and frustration. However, my emotions quickly shifted when I remembered something important. Oh no! No way! Where's my bag?! Gosh! Did they take that too? No!!

Frantically, I began searching through all the belongings in the car. I couldn't afford to lose it. My favorite bag – a precious item I had gone to another country to purchase. My heart pounded as I dug through the scattered items, hoping against hope that my bag was still there. I could feel my anxiety rising with each passing second.

"Hey, calm down!" he continued to talk, acting as if he cared about me.

"Ouch!" I looked down at my finger and pouted when I saw it was bleeding. Gosh! There was blood! I felt Ryder pulling me closer, and I scowled at him.

"Tsk. What did I tell you? Now look what happened!" He took my hand and examined the injured finger.

"Duhh! It's just a wound, I won't die from it. Losing my bag is worse. Look, my powder pink Lady Dior bag is missing!" I lamented, my frustration evident. Losing that bag would be so painful! It's an expensive piece!

"Oh please. It's just a bag that you lost, okay? You're being overdramatic! You can buy another one," he retorted, pulling me towards his car. I sat inside his car with a frown, crossing my arms in frustration. I felt so down and unlucky today. Everything seemed to be going wrong. Once again, he reached for my hand and tended to the wound. Tsk. He was being overly attentive. It felt like his gestures were insincere, as if he just wanted me to praise him.

As he gently treated the cut, I couldn't help but feel conflicted. Part of me appreciated his concern, but another part was skeptical of his intentions. Our history of clashes made it hard for me to fully trust his actions now. I tried to shake off my negative thoughts and focus on the present. Perhaps he was genuinely trying to be caring.

"The pain I'm feeling right now is worse than heartbreak. I even booked a flight to New York just to buy that bag, and now, it's gone! Whoever stole and damaged my car better be ready for me!" Throughout the entire journey, I couldn't help but vent about the pain I was feeling. Losing my beloved bag was like a stab in the heart, and the frustration over the damaged car only added to my exasperation.

"Stop the car!" I exclaimed as soon as I saw our house. Ryder immediately looked at me with a stern expression, as if wondering if I had done something wrong. Like, did I commit some heinous act to deserve such a look?

My surprise was evident as I watched Ryder step out of the car before me, swiftly moving to open the door for me. My mouth formed a perfect 'o' shape in astonishment at his unexpected gesture.

"Wow," I couldn't help but exclaim, my voice tinged with disbelief.

He looked back at me with a slight smirk, clearly enjoying my reaction. "Surprised?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Tsk. No need to be a gentleman. I can manage," I muttered as I stepped out of the car. I noticed that he was looking at our house. As I walked away, I couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed by his sudden act of courtesy. It felt out of character for him, and I didn't want to be indebted to him in any way. "Do you want to come inside?" I asked while smiling at him. "Sure." he then smiled.

"Sorry dear but you can't. No pets allowed ehh." I smiled and rolled my eyes.

As soon as I entered the house, chaos greeted me as the maids bustled around, looking worried and agitated. I knew something must have happened for them to be in such a state, so I hurriedly made my way upstairs to check on my mom. "Gosh, Mom!" I gasped as I reached the upper floor and found her lying on the floor, looking extremely weak and sluggish. I rushed to her side.

"Call an ambulance!" I urgently commanded the maids who were only panicking and getting flustered. The situation demanded immediate action, and I needed them to act quickly. Their eyes widened at my command, and without wasting any more time, one of the maids rushed to grab her phone and dialed for emergency assistance.

"Mom, please. Please don't leave me." I pleaded with tears welling up in my eyes.

I couldn't hold back anymore and stepped out of Mom's room to find Ryder. I hoped he was still around. Mom couldn't wait for the ambulance; she urgently needed to get to the hospital. My eyes widened when I saw Ryder. He had just entered the house and was hurrying upstairs. I quickly followed him, and he immediately lifted Mom and carried her out of the house. My heart raced with relief as I watched Ryder take quick action to help.

As I opened the car door to make it easier for Ryder to carry Mom, I couldn't help but feel immense relief that he was still there. If he hadn't been, I couldn't imagine what could have happened to Mom. His presence turned out to be a crucial lifeline in our moment of crisis. Ryder didn't waste any time, quickly taking the wheel and driving us to the nearest hospital in our subdivision. The urgency in his driving mirrored the fear and concern that I felt for Mom's condition.

Upon arriving at the hospital, the medical staff promptly attended to Mom. They carefully took her from Ryder's arms and rushed her inside for immediate medical attention. I stayed close, watching anxiously as they worked to figure out what had caused Mom to collapse so suddenly. I felt a whirlwind of emotions inside me – fear, confusion, and helplessness. Mom had always been healthy and strong, and there had been no signs of any underlying medical conditions. It was puzzling and alarming to see her suddenly lose consciousness.

As I sat in the hospital waiting area, my mind was filled with conflicting thoughts and emotions. It had been an overwhelming day, and I couldn't help but wrestle with the idea of calling my dad to update him on Mom's condition, part of me felt like he should know about her health crisis. However, another part of me hesitated. "She's now safe. She's your Mother right?" The doctor asked and I nodded. "Keep an eye on her all the time. Maybe she's too busy right now, that's why she forgets to eat on time. She needs to take care of herself; she'll get sick if she keeps this up." Oh, Mom really. She's been all work these past few weeks. I already talked to her about this the other day."

The doctor gave me a reassuring smile. "It's common for people to get caught up in their responsibilities, especially when they're dedicated to their work. But it's important for her to prioritize her health too. Stress and exhaustion can lead to health issues if not properly addressed." I listened attentively to the doctor's advice, realizing the gravity of the situation. Mom had always been a hardworking and resilient woman, but I needed to make sure she took breaks and cared for herself. "I'll make sure to keep a closer eye on her from now on," I assured the doctor. "I'll remind her to take breaks, eat properly, and get some rest."

"Thanks for the ride," I said to Ryder, and his eyes widened in surprise at my unexpected gratitude.

"Tsk. I'm only thanking you now, so just accept it," I retorted, rolling my eyes at his reaction.

"Good thing I'm a soft-hearted man, that's why I helped you. Soft-hearted and handsome, of course, and a gentleman," he replied, trying to add a touch of humor to the situation. He even winked at me, further adding to his cheeky charm.

"Hmm. How can I pay you?" I asked, feeling a sense of gratitude for Ryder's help. I knew he was incredibly wealthy, and he didn't need money, but I still wanted to show my appreciation.

Ryder smirked, and I could almost predict what he was thinking. "Use me then. As if I care. Call that as a payment for your kindness a while ago," he replied, his tone teasing and flirtatious.