Ryan's POV
On the other end of the line, I paused abruptly. Whatever calm I'd managed to hold onto turned cold in an instant.
"What did you call me?"
I heard her stutter, as if she thought maybe I hadn't caught it the first time.
She repeated it, more carefully. "Uncle Landlord."
I said nothing for a moment. I could hear my own uneven breath filling the silence between us.
My voice turned icy before I could stop it. "Don't call me that."
Then I ended the call.
I sat there afterward, rubbing my temples, my irritation building up. That ridiculous title—Uncle Landlord—kept echoing in my head infuriatingly.
What exactly had I done to earn a misconception like that? I pressed the intercom and called for Jace.
"Check if Hazel's studio is in any trouble," I said, my voice clipped.
Jac
