Chapter 11
844 Words
The rain had already started pouring again by the time Ryder left the mansion.
The moment the black car disappeared through the gates, the warmth lingering around him slowly vanished.
And just like that—
Ryder Kane returned.
Cold. Sharp. Dangerous.
One hand rested lazily against the steering wheel while the city lights reflected across his dark eyes.
His mind was not focused on the rain.
Or the road.
It was focused on Elena.
Something about her still bothered him.
The fear in her eyes that night at Hell’s Throttle wasn’t fake.
And neither were the bruises she tried so hard to hide.
Ryder’s jaw tightened slightly.
That bastard.
The thought alone was enough to darken his mood instantly.
A while later, Ryder finally arrived outside Hell’s Throttle.
The neon sign flickered above the entrance, exactly like the night he first met Elena.
The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere in the bar immediately changed.
Several men straightened slightly while others lowered their voices.
Respect.
Fear.
Both seemed to follow Ryder Kane everywhere.
He ignored all of them and headed straight toward the private room at the back of the bar.
Inside, a few of his men were already waiting.
One of them immediately stood up.
“Boss.”
Ryder removed his gloves slowly before sitting down against the couch.
“Tell me everything.”
The room instantly became tense.
One of the men hesitated slightly before finally speaking.
“The police report that night…” he muttered carefully. “Someone tipped them off.”
Ryder's expression remained unreadable.
“I already know that.”
A heavy silence followed.
Then Ryder slowly lifted his eyes toward them again.
“Who was involved in the illegal deal that night?”
The men exchanged uneasy looks before one of them finally answered.
“…Zack’s people.”
The atmosphere instantly turned colder.
Ryder’s jaw tightened slightly.
Of course.
The man continued nervously.
“They were the ones handling the illegal sales that night.”
Another man added quietly,
“And when Zack showed up during the chaos...”
His expression darkened.
“It wasn’t a coincidence.”
Ryder stayed silent.
“He came there on purpose,” the man continued carefully. “He wanted to cause trouble.”
Images from that night immediately flashed through Ryder's mind again.
Zack had planned everything.
A dangerous silence filled the room. Then Ryder suddenly let out a quiet humorless laugh.
“That bastard...”
His dark eyes slowly hardened.
Zack didn’t just want chaos. He was looking for Ryder.
Then Ryder suddenly leaned back against the couch again, his expression still dangerously cold.
“What about the girl's ex-boyfriend?”
“We’re still investigating him,” another man answered. “But from what we found so far…”
He placed a file carefully on the table.
“He’s not just some rich businessman.”
Ryder slowly opened that file.
Photographs. Transactions. Names.
Illegal names.
His eyes immediately hardened.
“He’s connected to dangerous people,” the man continued carefully. “Black market deals. Illegal gambling. Money laundering.”
The room fell silent again.
Suddenly—
Ryder let out a bitter laugh.
No wonder Elena looked terrified.
That man wasn’t just abusive.
He was dangerous.
One of the men spoke carefully again.
“Boss, we also found out he’s been trying to look for her ever since she disappeared.”
Ryder’s jaw tightened.
“How?”
“He’s using his connections.”
Another photograph was placed onto the table.
“This guy is desperate.”
Ryder stared down at the photograph silently.
Then slowly—
His finger tightened around the file.
A dangerous look appeared in his dark eyes.
Because now he understood something very clearly. Elena’s ex-boyfriend wasn’t going to stop searching for her anytime soon.
And somehow….
That thought alone made Ryder want to break someone’s bones.
After the meeting finally ended, the men quietly left the room one by one.
Silence slowly filled the room again.
Ryder remained sitting alone against the couch, one hand resting lazily against his jaw while the city lights flickered outside the rain-covered windows.
His mind stayed on Elena.
On the fear in her eyes.
The way she trembled whenever someone raised their voice too suddenly.
Ryder exhaled slowly.
That bastard had really ruined her.
Suddenly—
His phone vibrated against the table.
Unknown number.
Ryder’s expression immediately darkened.
Slowly, he picked up the call.
“...who is this?”
Silence.
Then—
A low chuckle echoed softly from the other side of the line.
Ryder’s eyes instantly hardened.
“Stay away from her.”
The voice sounded calm.
Almost amused.
The atmosphere inside the room immediately turned dangerous.
Kane slowly stood up from the couch.
“Who are you?” he asked coldly.
Another quiet laugh echoed through the phone.
Then—
“Too late.”
Click.
The line disconnected instantly.
Silence.
Cold.
Heavy silence.
For the first time that night, something dark slowly flickered across Ryder’s expression.
Because somehow—
Someone else knew exactly where Elena was.
To be continued
- Writer
