Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

Chapter 27 RYAN 1 located the room where the medical teams are staying through the help of one of the staff. Since the event is over, and Lily didn't get to be my date for the night, I figured I should give her a ride back home. On getting to the door, I began to hear commotion coming from within. At first, I thought that the commotion is being caused by the fact that they team are trying to pack up. However, when I walked in and found a complete stranger, holding onto Lily's arm with his hand halfway in the air, ready to strike her. I made sure the arm remained there, hanging in the air. Maintaining a vice-like grip on his arm, 1 applied pressure, twisted, and maneuvered, ultimately pinning his hand firmly behind his back. A pained yelp escaped the man's lips, prompting Lily's eyes to snap open in alarm. "Release my son this instant!" hissed the lady who had suffered a fall onstage, her voice dripping with venomous intent. "I will not hesitate to pursue legal action against you for assault]" With a steely glare, I met her threat head-on. I welcany legal challenges. With a forceful shove, the man stumbled backward, colliding with one of the nearby beds. Turning my attention to Lily, I asked in a bone laced with concern, 'Are you alright, Lily?" She managed a weak nod, her eyes widening as she glanced past my shoulder. "Watch out!" Reacting swiftly to her warning, I spun around abruptly, just as the young man charged towardwith reckless abandon. Acting on instinct, I delivered a powerful blow to his jaw, aiming to inflict enough force to potentially dislocate it. Staggering backward, he crashed to the floor, subdued and incapacitated. The woman's eyes widened, a potent blend of shock and fury coursing through her veins. Despite the obvious urge to rise, she remained seated, thwarted by the injury to her ankle. "How dare you?" she bellowed from her constrained position, her voice reverberating anger. Lily shot a piercing glare at the woman, her frustration evident. "Can't you see he charged at him first she countered, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Ryan was merely defending himself" Even if I hadn't been, who would truly care? "If your son so much as looks at Lily the wrong way again, I'll ensure he finds himself in a far worse predicament than you're in right now." room, evidently responding to a As if summoned by the chaos, the door swung open, admitting a flurry of security personnel who rushed into the ro distress call Seizing the opportunity to present her version of story, the woman wasted no tin vocalizing her beliefs. That young man barged in and initiated an unwarranted assault on my son," she spat out vehemently, her words filled with conviction. The security team conducted a swift scan of the room upon their arrival, their eyes eventually settling on me. Recognition flashed across their faces, prompting a subtle widening of their eyes Both individuals approachedwith expressions of genuine concern and remorse etched across their faces. "Mr. Williams, are you okay?" they inquired simultaneously, their voices tinged with worry. In response, the woman's anger flared, her face turning a shade of crimson. "I just informed you that he hit my son, and you're asking him if he's okay?" she retorted incredulously. "Are you kiddingright now?" However, the room remained indifferent to her outburst. Even the security personnel, who had just entered, paid no heed to her, their undivided attention fixed on me. "I am perfectly fine," I assured them, attempting to alleviate their concerns. The man was merely being a nuisance, I explained, "but I handled the Offering a sharp nod, the bald-headed security officer stepped forward, extending an apology on behalf of the team. "We deeply regret any inconvenience caused by him," he conveyed sincerely, "rest assured, we will address the situation promptly and thoroughly." and my Undeterred, the woman continued her tirade, shouting at the security personnel, "Do you even know who I am?! You will regret treatinga son with such disrespect Lily, intervening with authority, chastised her, "Keep quiet Victoria! Cease further embarrassing yourself." As the door swung open, Angelo strode into the room, his gaze immediately drawn to the obvious tension in the room. "What's going on!" he inquired, turning to one of the security personnel, his voice tinged with concer As the guard began reciting the events, I shifted my attention to Lily, silently checking in with her amidst the commotion. "Are you finished here?" I asked gemily. She notled in response, her demeanor composed yet determined. "Pease, allowto drive you home, Tolleres, wanting to 11:36 AM Chapter 27 П ensure her safety and well-being However, she shook her head in refusal, her attention now directed towards the injured woman. "Will you allowto handle that sprain?" she addressed the woman with a compassionate yet firm tone. "No one else here is licensed to provide medical assistance at the moment Almost on cue, the door opened once more, revealing a young woman entering the room. "Or she can handle it. Lily muttered, acknowledging the newcomer's potential to assist. Stepping forward, she approached the young woman and instructed her to administer first aid to the injured woman. before joining us outside. With one last glance towards the woman, Lily swiftly retrieved her purse and gracefully exited the room. I followed closely behind her, repeating my offer. "Letdrive you home, Lily," 1 insisted. Once again, she shook her head firmly. That won't be necessary, Ryan," she replied with resolve. "We have the hospital bus for a reason." Frustration coursed through me, prompting a decisive move. I grasped her forearm, gently but firmly, pulling her to a stop. "There's something important I need to discuss with you, Lily," I asserted, my tone tinged with urgency. "It's been a long night for both of us, and I'm certain we both want nothing more than to retire to bed and rest Her gaze fixated on my fingers wrapped around her arm, her nose crinkling in discomfort before she shrugged out of my grasp. "What does that have to do with drivinghome?" she questioned, her voice filled with curiosity and fatigue. "We can discuss what's on my mind during the drive," I reasoned, attempting to persuade her. "It's a win-win situation for both of us" With a weary sigh, she studiedfor a moment before exhaling heavily. "Fine," she relented, her tone laden with exhaustion. "But whatever it you want to discuss had bener be very important." A we reached the entrance, Angelo had already circled the car. I hastened to open the back door for Lily, patiently waiting for her to enter before following suit. Thirty minutes into the ride. I found myself stealing occasional glances at her, offering smiles in an attempt to break the silence. Eventually, Lily grew weary of the quietude. "Are you finally going to discuss what you mentioned was important!" she queried, breaking the ice. With a nod. I reached for my phone, intending to dial her number. However, there was no ringing tone or indication that the call had connected. Lily observed my actions with a puzzled expression, her gaze shifting betweenand the phone. "Did you block my number?" I ventured, finally addressing the pressing question that had been weighing on my mind. Lily let out a sigh, her hand running down her face in exasperation. "Please tellthis isn't the reason you claimed was so important that promptedto get into your car? she implored, a note of frustration evident in her voice. Relaxing back into my seat, I blinked at her, my voice strained. "Being unable to reach you is incredibly important to me, I admitted. "But what I really want to understand is why you chose to block my number. We agreed to maintain civility, didn't we? She met my gaze with a steely glare. "I never agreed to anything of the sort I bit my lip, grappling with the sting of her words. "That still doesn't explain why you blocked my number, I pressed, a note of frustration seeping into my tone. She observedin silence for a moment, as if deliberating on a suitable explanation. The realization that she had blockedwithout cause cut deeper than I anticipated. "I blocked you because you have no reason to be calling me, Ryan," she finally responded, her words laced with finality. My jaw tightened with a mix of hurt "Lily, I'm asking you to reconsider and unblock me," I pleaded. She remained unyielding. I won't do that, Ryan, she asserted firmly. "Just as easily as you obtained my number, I want you to lose it" "You're the only person I can rely on in Canada during an emergency," I reflected, persisting in my you keep blocking me, that lifeline disappears." attempt to persuade her to unblock me. "But if She shrugged indifferently. "If you ever face an emergency, just call Angelo. He'll always be available to assist you," she suggested casually. A dark chuckle escapedas I leaned closer. "You have just three days to unblock my number, I informed her, the seriousness of my tone underscoring the urgency. "Just three days." ly be w Rolling her eyes, she brushed off my ultimatum with a dismissive remark. "You'll probably waiting for eternity," she retorted flippantly. Il dial your number every day at six pm, I continued, "If, on the third day, my call doesn't connect, I'll eat shrimp and wait for you to pick up before taking any amihistamines." Her gaze sharpened, incredulous at my declaration. "Have you lost your mind?" she questioned, a mix of disbelief and concern evident in her voice 11:36 AM Chapter 27 I smiled faintly in response, "My life depends on whether you

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