Ryan couldn''t bring himself to meet Sarah''s gaze. Panic had him in its grip. He avoided looking at ra too, his head hanging low, the picture of defeat.


    ra had seen this side of him too often, and it only added fuel to her frustration. "Ryan!" she snapped, grabbing the front of his shirt and making him look up. "Tell me what''s going on in your head. If you''re choosing Sarah, then I wish you both the best."


    Ryan shook his head, tears spilling down as he bit his lip hard. Sarah was also in tears, standing beside him. "Ryan, are you really going to leave me? If so, I''d rather just die!"


    With that, she got up and ran headlong into the wall without a second thought. The impact left a bloody smear, and she nearly passed out.


    Ryan jumped up, startled. “Sarah!" he cried. Blood streaked across her forehead as she looked up at him, tears still flowing. "Ryan, I swear I won''t be a burden. I want to keep this baby. If I can''t, I''ll die with it."


    Ryan held her tightly, his eyes pleading as they turned to ra. "ra..."


    His voice shook, and his hands trembled as he cradled Sarah. ra found herself questioning everything. How had things gotten so messed up? Everything was fine when Dad was around.


    As she made her way to the door, the guard stopped her. "Ms. ra, if I may... Mr. Ryan tried to reach out to you so many times. You didn''t answer, and that''s when Sarah came into the picture. You kind of gave her the opening. We all think you''ve been too hard on Mr. Ryan."


    It hit her then-her neglect had paved a path for Ryan''s downfall. Her coldness had let Sarah in. It was all on her.


    She rubbed her temples, and even the guard seemed pained to see her this way. "Ms. ra, you and Mr. Ryan are family. You should show more understanding. He leans on you, trusts you. He''d do anything for you, even if it meant handing you a knife in your darkest hour. As the oldest, you need to guide him. He''s not ready to face the world alone. Your distance only confuses him. I''ll leave it at that."


    ra forced a smile, got in her car, and told the guard, "I get it. Thanks for pointing it out."


    She had thought leaving Ryan to fend for himself would toughen him up. But she''d forgotten how sheltered his upbringing had been. He was too trusting, too easily influenced, especially with Johnny around.


    The guard was right. She had let Sarah slip in.


    ra gripped the steering wheel, feeling a deep exhaustion settle in—one that went beyond physical tiredness. She felt guilty about Johnny and angry with herself for not seeing thising.


    Instead of heading to Z''s, she drove home, slipped into the bathtub, and tried to find some peace.


    After soaking for a while, she showered and returned to the living room. Her phone had been buzzing nonstop-Z was calling.


    She answered, her voice heavy with fatigue. "Z, I''m noting over tonight." "What happened?"


    "Just some stuff I need to deal with. I''ve got a headache. Get some rest tonight, and don''t overthink things, okay?"


    There was a pause before Z''s quiet response. "Okay."


    Just as she was about to hang up, he added, "I miss you. Every second."


    ra hesitated, unsure how to reply. Remembering the doctor''s words, she suggested, "How about moving into my building? If you don''t want to be seen, I can get you a ce upstairs. I just don''t like the thought of you alone in that dark ce."