House of Cards

Chapter 15

In the middle of the parking lot behind Ryan's office, Maise dashed out of her car when she caught the sight of Ryan walking to his car. He had his briefcase ready in his hand, and it was all she could see for the longest time. Her trembling hands didn't care to shut the door behind herself, nor her feet carried her close enough to whisper anything in secrecy. "Ryan!" she cried, standing in the middle of the parking lot.

As Ryan turned around, he scanned the parking lot with his wide eyes and made his way over to Maise. His brows snapped together, taking in the glassy layers of tears covering Maise's gaze. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to stop this!" Maise cried, shaking her head and fighting back tears. Her breath was caught in her throat when a sob wracked through her chest. "Just go with his plan, at least for today."

Ryan rested his hand against her arm, lowering his head to meet her gaze. "Calm down." His voice was a whisper.

Calming down wasn't the problem. Maise needed him to promise her he would do just as Wayne asked him to. Just for the first hearing, or at least until she could find Emma and Annie while also making sure Wayne would not make Ryan disappear. She didn't want to find herself in a world without the people she cared about.

Maise raised her brows as she tried to blink away her tears. But the tears cascaded down her cheeks, and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Ryan please!"

An immeasurable rage swept through her heart, thinking of all the possibilities of things that could've already gone wrong. How could Wayne hurt her this way? It was so unfair that he could take away whatever he desired and she always fell short of returning the favour. Maise had already promised herself if Wayne had hurt as much as a hair on their head, she'd punish Wayne most brutally. She did not know yet.

Before she could draw in the air her lungs needed, Ryan folded his arm around her back and pulled her close. For a moment, her eyes popped open and the muscles in her body tensed. But then the warmth of his body felt so familiar, without realising Maise melted into his touch. "Tell me what happened?" Ryan asked, pressing his cheek against the top of her head. "Why do you want to stop?"

She drew the curtains of her lids and allowed her fingers to rest against his back. The 14 years' worth of history between them was erased when Maise rested her head against his chest. The heart that beat within him was the same. It still leapt in his chest when Maise pulled herself closer to him. "Annie and Emma are missing." The words tumbled out effortlessly. "Wayne was testing us all. He doesn't suspect us, he knows. We can't go forward with Ian anymore. Not until I find Emma and Annie."

Though Ryan didn't take his hand off, it no longer held Maise against himself. "What about Ian?" he asked in a curt voice. Maise could tell he was already pulling away. "He's at the courthouse and he's ready. This isn't a game for the family who lost their loved one or to Ian. Emma, Annie, or even a thousand other people in your games cannot be the reason a family doesn't get their justice."

Maise withdrew her hands and stepped away. His words felt like shards tearing at her guts. He knew all along how this was going to play out. Why behave like the bearer of justice now? Besides, Ryan wasn't exactly the kind to care about other people. That wasn't how he built his firm. She squinted her eyes, glaring at him. "Since when do you care so much about justice?"

"Since I didn't get mine." Ryan rose his head and turned his face away.

Maise would not stop everything altogether. Justice would be served. Why did it matter if it got delayed a little? It would not make much difference. "I'm only asking you to stall for time."

Ryan shook his head. "We're past that stage. You can't dangle the promise of safety to Ian and snatch it away now when he needs it the most. The man who died–Malcolm–his wife will be there too because we promised to get justice for her husband." He pressed his lips together when Maise continued gawking at him before he said, "I asked you just a few days back if you need time and you denied it then. Because you were so eager to get it over with. Now you want to stall an hour before the hearing and put so many people at risk?"