Chapter 2
Not eating? That was something I could handle.
I gathered up all the snacks in the house, stuck to a strict meal schedule, and cleared the table as soon as mealtime was over.
[Is she seriously starving Ryan? Sunny used to feed him by hand!]
[This side character's got a death wish. Just waiting for Ryan to lose it and take her out.]
[Low-key don't want Ryan to turn dark... but she's totally asking for it.]
After a few days, it wasn't just the live comments making me uneasy. I was starting to worry for real.
What if I actually ended up starving Ryan?
Lunchtime came around again. After preparing the meal, I knocked on his door.
"Can we talk?"
"I'm not eating," came Ryan's voice, weaker than before.
"I can fix your door lock. Eat properly, and I'll handle it," I offered.
He was quiet for a moment, then let out a dismissive snort. "You fix it today, and my mom removes the whole door tomorrow. Is this a game to you?"
"I have my ways. Just eat. Leave the rest to me."
I went back downstairs to wait. Lunchtime was nearly over, and he still hadn't shown.
Another twenty minutes passed. I was about to call it quits.
Then the door suddenly opened.
Ryan came downstairs in loose pajamas, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. He slumped into the chair across from me and began eating. Clearly unhappy, but eating.
I just stood there, stunned. Wait, was I dreaming? This couldn't be real.
He ate quietly, well-mannered, almost like that big fluffy Alaskan Malamute I used to have.
Without thinking, my trainer instincts took over. I reached out and patted his head. "Good boy," I said.
Ryan went completely still. When he realized what I'd done, his ears turned so red they looked ready to bleed.
"Are you out of your mind?" he snapped.
He shoved the bowl aside and threw himself onto the couch, sulking.
I felt a pang of guilt. Great, now he would probably never eat my food again.
A long silence followed. Just as I was about to clear the table, he suddenly walked over and sat right beside me, picking up his fork again.
He kept his head down, inching slightly closer now and then, almost as if hoping for another pat.
The chat exploded.
[Is he... asking for head pats right now?]
[Side character, are you a saint? How are you not patting him?!]
[Ryan: pouting but still wants pets.]
Me? Pat his head? Seriously?
I was completely lost.
Ryan's whole demeanor was too hard to read, so I stayed still and didn't move.
Sure enough, he got upset again, muttered "This is so gross," and stormed off.
*****
Over the next few days, Ryan actually showed up to meals on time. Mary was thrilled and finally permitted me to fix his lock.
After the locksmith installed it, I handed the key to Ryan.
"See? Told you I'd make it happen," I said, smiling.
He studied me for a long moment. "Why are you helping me?"
Without hesitation, I replied, "For the 1.5 million."
Click. The door locked from the inside.
This guy really was hard to please.
Now that Ryan was eating regularly, it was time to tackle his insomnia.
Back at the training compound, we had a beagle that barked all night. We'd take turns walking him up the hill to chase mice. As soon as he got back, he'd crash.
But Ryan wasn't a puppy. I couldn't just leash him and drag him outside if he didn't want to go.
While the chat was buzzing, the doorbell rang. I opened it to find a girl in a floral dress, sweet-faced and smiling brightly.
"Hi there! I'm Sunny Chase, Ryan's childhood friend," she chirped, her voice sugary sweet.
[Sunny's here! Ryan is saved.]
[Side character, just leave already! Stop getting in the way.]
Sunny breezed in like she owned the place. "Ryan's not eating, so just make lunch for me."
She bounced up the stairs, but when she saw the new lock, she let out a sharp gasp.
"How could you change his lock?" Sunny fumed, breathless with anger. "Guys like him shouldn't have locked doors! Do you even know what you're doing?
"If something happens to him in there, you could never pay for it, not in a thousand lifetimes."
The chat instantly flooded with support.
[Sunny's already protecting her man! Ryan's always been unstable, and this nanny is completely unhinged.]
[Did the plot change? In the summary, the first time Sunny visited, the door was broken. She walked right in and caught him fresh out of the shower.]
[Thanks for the reminder! Side character, give us back that iconic scene. I'm losing my mind over here.]
Seriously, what was wrong with everyone? If someone's privacy kept getting violated, of course, they would never feel safe.
Before I could respond, Sunny's eyes welled up. "Ryan's so pitiful... Good thing I'm here," she said, posing as his savior.
She immediately pulled out her phone. "I'm calling Mary right now to get you replaced. Go ahead and pack your stuff. Your nanny days are over."
"Wait, it's not—" I tried to explain.
If she got me fired, I would never see the rest of that money.
"You have no right to send her away," Ryan's cold voice cut in.
He pulled the door open abruptly, hair still damp.
"And she's not the nanny. She's Yana."