His lips were cracked from all the crying, and he hadn''t had even a sip of water. ra hurriedly tried to give him some, but Ryan ended up choking, coughing so hard that his nose started to run. She didn''t notice and put the cup down. "Is this about Annie?"


    Ryan''s eyshes fluttered. He turned his head away, refusing to speak.


    ra let out a bitterugh. "The rehab center called me. They said Annie''s not there anymore. Did you rent her an apartment? All thosete nights and early mornings were you sneaking off to see her?"


    Ryan opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, "Annie did give me a lot of things to eat."


    Every visit brought something new, and he wasn''t sure what had steered him wrong.


    ra grabbed his cor, staring down at him. "Ryan, snap out of it! She''s going to ruin you and take down thepany. If you keep siding with her, I''m done with you. Don''t even think about calling me ra! And whatever you''re hooked on, if you don''t quit, don''t ever reach out to me again!"


    Fear shed in Ryan''s eyes; he was clearly scared.


    But ra turned and walked away. Ryan quickly pulled the IV out of his hand and got out of bed to follow her. His hand began to bleed from the rough action, but he didn''t even notice.


    "ra, I was wrong! I really was!"


    He was so weak, he barely made it a few steps before copsing. ra didn''t stop, heading straight into the elevator once she left the hospital.


    Ryan got up and rushed after her. Seeing the elevator doors closing, he frantically pressed the buttons. "ra, don''t ignore me, I was wrong, I really was."


    He just didn''t want to lose another family member. It was his own weakness, his indecision. He wanted to live by his own rules once, but he didn''t expect such a harsh lesson.


    ra was right; he needed to grow up.


    Ryan stumbled all the way to the ground floor, but ra''s car was already gone. He stood there, sobbing uncontrobly.


    The nearby police officers were instructed not to let him leave, and they quickly held him back. "Mr. Lee, please return to your room."


    Ryan was desperate, clinging to the officers'' arms. "Please, call ra for me. I know I was wrong."


    But the officers took him back to his room without a word.


    Ryan cried until his eyes were swollen again. Under police watch, he was stuck, without a phone, cut off from the world.


    When the officers brought his meal, one of them spoke. "Mr. Lee, this stuff can ruin your life. Since you were set up, we agreed with your sister to keep you here. Otherwise, you''d be in a detention center for rehab. If you hadn''t been found in time, in a few months, you''d be a shell of yourself. Don''t me Ms. ra for being tough. This stuff is a demon that can destroy anyone and any family. We won''t let it slide."


    Ryan sat on the bed, pale as a ghost. "I don''t me ra."


    The officer handed him the food. "Then show some resolve. Ms. ra has a lot going on right now."


    Ryan''s lips quivered, his eyes reddened, and he started crying again. The officers couldn''t understand how a man could shed so many tears, like he was made of water.