Bridgetown was this tiny, out-of-the-way vige, about a six-hour drive from the Capital, almost like you''re heading into another city altogether. They hadn''t even gotten around to setting up high-speed trains yet; all they had were those old, clunky green trains that rattled along slower than a car.


    Ryan found somefort in the fact that Megan was pretty easygoing. As soon as they got in the car, she started sharing stories about ra, which piqued his interest. They chatted away until noon when Megan admitted she was tired and needed a break, giving Ryan the chance to focus on the drive.


    By the time they rolled into Bridgetown, it was the crack of dawn-four in the morning. With no motels in sight, Ryan had no choice but to lean back the car seat and try to catch some sleep. Growing up with the Bradford family''s luxury, he wasn''t used to roughing it like this. He woke up sore all over, but by eight, he was up and nudging Megan awake.


    Megan had that ssic good-girl look-petite and fair-skinned. Once they were out of the car, Ryan made a beeline for the mountain path. The road was too narrow for cars, so they had to leave theirs behind. Megan noticed his quick pace and hurried to keep up.


    "Ryan, why are you rushing?"


    Ryan didn''t slow down; ra was on his mind, making him anxious. "ra gave me this task, and I''ve got to see it through."


    He was determined not to let ra down, even if it meant pushing himself to the limit to find the old herbal medicine expert for the insomnia remedy.


    Megan wasn''t looking too happy, and after a few steps, she twisted her ankle and fell, scraping her skin. Hearing her fall, Ryan spun around, rushed over, and helped her up.


    But he wasn''t feeling particrly gant. "Megan, you''re hurt. Maybe it''s best if you wait in the car. It''s about an hour''s walk to the herbalist''s ce. I should be back in about three hours. There''s food in the car, and you can rest."


    Megan felt dismissed, her face paling. "But ra mentioned the herbalist too. I wanted to get something for cramps. Doesn''t ra need that too?"


    Her thoughtfulness for ra softened Ryan''s resolve, and he decided to help her. "Alright, I''ll help you. We should make it in two hours."


    Megan shed him a smile. She worked at Moonlight and knew how to soften a man''s heart with just the right look, like the smile she''d perfected in front of the mirror. Even the most jaded would fall for it.


    But Ryan didn''t even nce her way. He just pulled her up and kept moving, practically dragging her along. Megan''s leg throbbed with pain, and her face went pale for a moment.


    Trying to keep the conversation going, she asked, "Ryan, do you know about ra''s boyfriend?"


    She was curious about him-was he good-looking? Ryan perked up at anything involving ra. "Yeah, I know. ra really likes him, but he''s pretty insecure and doesn''t like meeting people. Once he''s ready, ra will probably introduce him to me. After all, I''m her only brother."


    He sounded almost boastful about being ra''s brother, like it was something to brag about. Megan''s expression soured further, especially seeing that pride on his face, and her hand clenched at her side. But when she heard ''insecure,'' she rxed a bit. It seemed ra''s boyfriend was just a regr guy.


    After an hour of walking, Ryan was getting impatient, having to support her. Megan dug through her bag and handed him a small piece of chocte.