Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan) novel Chapter 173

LILY

Another day, another excuse not to show up at the hospital. I couldn’t bring myself to face a patient, to look them in the eyes and offer them that practiced smile, telling them everything would be fine when, in reality, my own life felt like it was falling apart around me. I was sinking, and nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

Sprawled out on the sofa with a half-empty bottle of water, I stared blankly at the TV screen. It wasn’t on—just a black void. Nothing seemed to hold my attention these days. It was hard to focus on anything, hard to care about anything after everything that had happened. Everything felt distant and surreal.

There was a soft knock at the door before it creaked open. Neo stepped inside, offering a curt nod as he always did. “Good evening, ma’am,” he said, his voice as formal as ever.

I didn’t even bother sitting up. I simply swung my legs off the sofa, giving him a tired nod in return. “Do you have any information for me?” I asked, my voice flat, drained.

He didn’t waste any time. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out an envelope and laid it on the coffee table. With a slight flick of his wrist, he slid out a series of photographs. I picked up one of the pictures, recognizing her instantly.

“Her name is Camilla,” Neo began. “A single mother. Her husband is deceased. She’s currently caring for her sick daughter, who seems to be on dialysis.”

I studied the face of the woman in the picture. I remember her clearly. My fingers tightened around the edges of the photo as I asked, “What about her address? Where does she live?”

“547 Hystan Street,” Neo replied. “She lives there with her daughter.”

I nodded slowly, absorbing the information. I handed the picture back to him. “Continue keeping a close eye on her. If you see anything suspicious, report it immediately,” I instructed. “We’ll be paying her a visit tomorrow.”

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to act sooner, but today wasn’t the day. It was already getting late, and Ryan should be home soon. I had no intention of letting him find me out on another errand, disappearing when I should be home. Tomorrow would be soon enough.

I didn’t want Ryan finding out about any of this until I was absolutely certain I was on to something. I couldn’t afford to get his hopes up or make him worry for no reason. This was something I had to handle carefully, quietly, until I was sure.

“Yes, ma’am,” Neo responded, still standing in the living room, his hands slipping the pictures back into the envelope.

Just as he was about to leave, the front door opened, and Ryan walked in, his presence immediately filling the room. His eyes flicked toward Neo with a spark of curiosity. “Is everything okay?” he asked, walking over to me and planting a soft kiss on my forehead.

“Yes,” I replied, leaning into his kiss, trying to let the moment settle the unease I felt building up inside. “I just asked him to run a few errands for me.”

Ryan’s gaze lingered on Neo for a beat, his brows furrowing slightly. He didn’t say anything at first, but I could tell he was trying to make sense of the situation. He glanced between Neo and me before speaking again, his tone cautious. “Are you done with him?” His eyes were still on Neo, waiting for an answer.

“Yes, I am,” I replied quickly, trying to keep things moving smoothly.

“Can you pick this lock?” I asked Neo, my gaze fixed on the door.

“Yes, ma’am, I can,” he replied.

I took a quick glance around the neighborhood, making sure no one was watching us. “Do you think there might be cameras monitoring us?” I asked, my mind racing with possibilities. Whoever Camilla worked for might have eyes on her—on us—at all times.

“Right now, no cameras around the area are working effectively,” Neo answered. “The cameras are frozen for the moment, until we leave this place.”

I raised an eyebrow, impressed by how thoughtful and prepared he was. “How did you know to do that?” I asked, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

“Mr. Ryan instructed me on what to do,” he replied simply, his expression neutral.

Ryan’s protective instincts were still pushing him to involve himself in something I was trying to keep from him. But I couldn’t deny that Ryan had done exactly what I needed—he was focused on keeping me safe, even when I hadn’t asked him to.

Smiling softly, I nodded toward the door. “Do unlock it. I’m sure Camilla has at least a chair to welcome us.”