You Had Me, You Lost Me, You'll Never Find Me novel Chapter 14

Sure enough, just as she was about to leave, she heard Ryan call out to her.

"Ms. Harlow."

Sylvia stopped in her tracks. "Hello. Can I help you with something?"

Ryan's voice was warm and accommodating. "There's no need to be so formal, Ms. Harlow. Actually, I have a favor to ask."

Sylvia didn't reply, simply waiting for him to continue.

He offered an apologetic smile. "My sister can be quite impulsive, and it seems she took a role that belonged to you. Consider this a small gesture of apology. I know it doesn't make up for it, but I hope you can do me the honor of not holding it against her."

Sylvia froze, suddenly realizing exactly what he was talking about.

Ryan Winslet, Reina Winslet. She should have figured it out sooner.

It was just that the two siblings were absolutely nothing alike.

Ryan actually possessed the gentle, refined grace of a true gentleman. But in the end, everyone had their own selfish motives.

Sylvia couldn't expect a stranger to prioritize her feelings over their own family. That just wasn't how the world worked.

She raised her eyes, meeting his gaze directly. "I appreciate the opportunity you gave me, but these are two separate issues. I can't agree to that."

Ryan maintained his good-natured smile. "I'm sorry to put you in a difficult position. It's rare for my sister to find something she's truly interested in, and I simply wanted to make a friend and smooth things over."

Sylvia's tone was flat. "There's no need to talk about friendship. I'm not in your social circle. If you're worried about Ashton, you can rest easy. We've broken up, and I have absolutely no power to cause any harm to your sister. My refusal to forgive her is purely a personal choice."

Besides, it was Ashton who had replaced her in the first place.

Hearing about the breakup, Ryan looked genuinely stunned, completely caught off guard by the revelation.

He had heard plenty about Ashton's girlfriend, Sylvia. Being able to stay by Ashton's side for three whole years, getting him to settle down and even cut back on his reckless street racing—their bond had to be incredibly deep.

Not to mention the brief glimpse he had caught of them at the club the other night. Ashton had guarded her so fiercely, getting violently jealous over even the slightest accidental contact from strangers. They certainly hadn't looked like a couple on the verge of a messy breakup.

But he had no interest in prying into other people's private lives. If it weren't for Reina, he wouldn't have crossed paths with Sylvia today anyway.

Still, there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity and genuine concern he felt toward the young woman.

By the time Sylvia returned to her cheap motel, the sky was pitch black.

She stopped for a quick solo takeout meal at a small diner on her way back.

"You can come to the clinic for a checkup tomorrow."

"Okay."

That should have been the end of it, but Dr. Sterling sent one more unexpected message. "Did anything happen today?"

Sylvia stared at the screen, pausing for several seconds.

A lot of things had happened, actually, but given their strictly professional relationship, it was hard to open up about any of it. So she simply replied, "No."

He replied with a simple acknowledgement and didn't push any further.

Just as Sylvia was about to go to sleep, her phone buzzed violently with several more notifications.

[Where are you?]

[When are you coming back?]

[Even if you're out having fun, you need to give me a time you'll be home.]

The barrage of voice messages was strained with suppressed anger. Sylvia knew he was teetering on the edge of his patience.