Ryan drove Amelia toward the cemetery, no GPS needed. He knew this road like the back of his hand—he’d been down it countless times in the last five years.
Halfway there, he pulled over by a little flower shop that was still open. “Wait here,” he told Amelia, then got out to buy two bouquets.
The shop owner grinned as soon as she saw him. “Mr. Packman, back again?” she greeted. She glanced through the open window and spotted Amelia in the passenger seat. “Is that your wife?” she asked, curiosity written all over her face. “She’s gorgeous. You two look perfect together!”
Ryan just smiled a little, scanning his phone to pay. “Not yet,” he replied.
The shop was close to the cemetery, so it wasn’t long before they pulled up to the entrance. Ryan and Amelia got out, flowers in hand, and started walking in.
Out of nowhere, a flashy car tore into the lot and screeched to a stop about ten meters away. Zoe jumped out, slamming the door behind her.
“Ryan!” she yelled, shooting daggers at Amelia. “I knew something was off with you and this woman. You ditched me at the hotel just to see her? I don’t care—you’re coming with me right now! If you don’t, I’ll tell Dad you aren’t looking after me!”
Ryan’s jaw tightened. He handed the flowers to Amelia.
Before he could say a word, Amelia said quietly, “It’s fine. You should go with Miss Zoe Lennon. I’ll pay my respects for both of us.”
She knew exactly who Zoe was—the pampered little princess. And Ryan, being the Packman family’s illegitimate son, couldn’t afford to cross her. She got it. Ryan had already done so much for her; she didn’t want to make his life any harder.
Amelia turned to leave, but Ryan caught her arm. His grip was a little too tight, and when she looked back, she met his eyes—dark, intense, full of something she couldn’t name. Was he… angry?
He kept his voice cool. “Stay here. Wait for me. Two minutes.”
He let go and strode over to Zoe.
Zoe looked smug, thinking she’d won.
“Ryan, let’s—hey!” Her words turned into a squeal as Ryan grabbed the back of her collar and hauled her up like a kitten.
“Ryan! What are you doing? Put me down! Let me go!”
He dumped her back in his car, slammed the door, and locked it, leaving just a sliver of window open.
“If you pull this again, I’ll put you on a boat and send you straight home,” he warned, his tone sharp.
“Ryan!” Zoe shouted, but he rolled the window up all the way, shutting out her voice. Peace at last.
Ryan walked back to Amelia, took the flowers from her, and headed toward the cemetery without looking back.
Amelia glanced at the car, uneasy. “Is it really okay to just leave her there?”
She worried she might be making things harder for Ryan with his family.


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