As Ryan stepped into the room, he was hit with the stark reality: Sarah had been living in what was essentially a bathroom. It was so cramped there was barely enough room to move. Her parents had already tossed out most of her belongings, leaving just a small bed frame behind. A few of her things teetered on the highest windowsill, the only ce they hadn''t managed to reach.


    If they had been any taller, those items would''ve been out too.


    The moment the couple noticed Ryan''s intrusion, they freaked out. Grabbing a broom, they charged at him, shouting.


    "Who the hell are you? Get out of here! Did that tramp Sarah send you to mess with us? Get out!"


    "That little brat''s probably too scared toe back after we dealt with her. Ha! You think you scare us? We''ll deal with you too!"


    Ryan wasn''t in the mood for their drama. He shoved aside anything in his way, stretching on his tiptoes to reach Sarah''s stuff on the window ledge.


    Just then, the man swung the broom at his head, but Ryan was too focused on grabbing a small vial to dodge. Fortunately, ra intercepted the broom just in time.


    The guy was all talk and no action, a typical bully with no real strength. He spent his days drinking and terrorizing his wife and daughter.


    ra gave the broom a solid shove, sending the man sprawling backward,nding hard and grimacing in pain.


    It was only then he noticed ra''s presence. His eyes lit up at the sight of her.


    She was stunning.


    The man had a weakness for women, often visiting the red-light district in the slums where he could find women who charged next to nothing, not caring about diseases, just the money.


    Seeing ra, his sleazy instincts kicked in.


    He got up and lunged at her. "Hey, gorgeous, how much for a night?"


    ra kicked him in the gut, her voice icy. "Five thousand for a night of mourning. Interested?"


    Her fierce gaze and tone must have been terrifying because he curled up on the floor, too afraid to say another word.


    His wife, trying to muster some courage, was about to curse them out, but one re from ra and she shrank back, silent.


    These parents were your run-of-the-mill bullies, finding a twisted sense of power in oppressing their daughter. It made them feel like royalty. Naturally, they took it too far.


    Growing up in an environment like that, it was no wonder Sarah had her issues.


    But ra couldn''t find it in her to sympathize, especially since she still had no idea Sarah was gone.


    Once Ryan had finally snagged the small vial with the dog tooth, ra asked, "Done here? Let''s get out."


    It was already past midnight, and his twentieth birthday had slipped by.


    Ryan turned to leave, but the cowardly woman called out, "I''ll report you! You barged in and took our things! You''re nothing but thieves!"


    Ryan paused, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "How much do you want?"


    The woman''s eyes gleamed with greed.


    Judging by their clothes, Ryan and ra were loaded. It seemed lik Sarah had indeed found herself a wealthy supporter. No wonder she cut ties with them.


    She scoffed and threw out a ridiculous demand, "Five million!"


    They''d never seen that kind of money in their lives, didn''t even know what Ryan


    had taken, yet had the nerve to demand five million.


    Ryan was taken aback by their


    audacity, but ra stepped in. "Five million could buy your whole family''s lives. Think before you speak. Your


    useless son works for me. If want him gone, he''s gone."


    Bullies always crumble when faced with real threats.


    The woman paled, shrinking back, "Forget the money, just leave. Please, just go!"


    As ra exited, Ryan asked, “Is her son really working for you?"


    "No, I''ve never met her son."


    But the son was their weak spot, their Achilles'' heel.


    Ryan was momentarily lost for words.


    They made their way back to the car, the path still cloaked in darkness, the wind through the trees adding to the eerie atmosphere.


    As they approached the car, Ryan spoke, "ra, I''ve let Sarah and the kid down."


    ra was about to tell him that he could make it up by treating Sarah well in the future.


    But before she could say anything, a group of men, armed with machetes, surrounded her.


    She looked over at Ryan, who stood outside the circle.


    He was staring at the vial, his face unreadable, almost blending into the night.


    "I''m letting you down too. You don''t trust me, so can''t trust you either. You''ve lost your memory, and I don''t know if it was before or after the trust broke. Someone said they can help you get your memories back, so you should go with them."


    Those words were the final blow for Ryan.


    ra was trapped, weapons pointed at her, unable to do anything but watch Ryan


    walk away.


    But this time, he wasn''t joking.