When Ryan got home that night, the CCTV footage was already waiting in his inbox.
He opened the file with a tight jaw, unsure what he was about to see but nothing prepared him for the anger that surged through him.
It was Sabrina.
The footage clearly showed her following Chloe into the emergency stairwell. Moments later, it showed Chloe being shoved by Sabrina and causing her falling down the stairs. Rina simply standing there and not even trying to help. Not even pulling out her phone.
She had just… left her.
Ryan's fists clenched.
Without hesitation, he forwarded the file to Shawn.
Ryan: "I know you'll handle this."
A simple message but enough. Ryan trusted his older brother, and he knew that Sabrina wouldn't get away with this.
*****
The next day, Ryan picked Chloe up from the hospital the following morning. She looked pale but much better, her forehead still bandaged, but her spirit clearly stronger.
As they returned to Ryan's home, Chloe opened the shoe cabinet to put away her shoes. Her eyes paused on a familiar pair of white shoes.
She picked them up carefully, running her fingers over the brown stains near the toe.
"Ryan, can I ask you something?" she said, holding the shoes.
He looked over. "Yeah?"
"Did you ever help someone during an accident? Like… carry them to the hospital?"
Ryan blinked. "Yeah, I think so. A long time ago. Why?"
"Were you wearing these shoes that day?" she asked, her voice steady.
He nodded. "Yeah. That's how the stains got there. It was a present from Shawn and I never got to throw them away."
"Do you remember where it happened?" she asked again, her heart pounding.
"Outside a university. The girl had a head wound. It was raining… I didn't even get her name," he said.
Chloe stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"I finally found you," she whispered.
Ryan turned, confused. "What do you mean?"
Chloe looked up at him, eyes shimmering. "That girl was me. You saved me that day. I've been searching for you all these years."
His expression softened in stunned realization. "That… that was you?"
She nodded.
Ryan reached out and pulled her into a full embrace, his voice low. "Looks like we really were meant to be together."
Then he leaned down and kissed her gently on her lips.
Suddenly, their kiss was interrupted by a call from Chloe's phone. It was her mom.
"I told your parents about the fall last night," Ryan said quietly.
"Chloe! Ryan told me you had an accident. Are you okay?" her mother's worried voice filled the speaker.
"I'm fine now, Mom. Ryan's been taking really good care of me," she said, shooting Ryan a quick glance.
"Find a day to bring him home. We haven't met him properly yet," her mom said.
"Okay, I will," Chloe promised before hanging up.
Ryan smirked. "You're scared of your mom, aren't you?"
"She's intense," Chloe muttered. "You better impress her, or she'll make both our lives miserable."
"I will," he smiled and reassured.
"Oh by the way, I'm going back to work tomorrow," she added casually.
Ryan frowned. "You don't have to rush. I can afford to support you…"
Chloe immediately covered his mouth with her hand. "I'm not marrying you for your money. I like working. I want to stand on my own."
He grinned behind her hand. "Then I'll quit and be a househusband."
"Only if your shopping habits are minimal," she teased, pinching his cheek.
"You cheeky little thing," he said, laughing and pulling her into a hug.
****
The next morning, Chloe walked hand-in-hand with Ryan from the parking lot to the building elevator. Her heart thudded nervously.
"Ryan, someone might see," she whispered.
"I want them to see. Sooner or later, they'll know you're my fiancée and future wife," Ryan said, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand.
They entered the elevator alone.
"If you feel unwell today, call me. I'll be waiting for you at lunch," he said.
As they reached her floor, Ryan suddenly pulled her close and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Chloe blinked in surprise, cheeks flushing bright red as the doors opened.
Back in the office, Agnes was surprised to see Chloe back to work so soon.
"Chloe, why didn't you take a few more days off?" Agnes asked.
"I feel much better now. I didn't want you working overtime on my behalf," Chloe replied.
Agnes sighed dramatically. "You're too thoughtful. And… I have to tell you, I heard the VP was the one who found you at the stairwell! How romantic is that?"
Chloe smiled. "Yeah… it was."
"But what were you doing in the stairwell?" Yumi asked curiously.
"Oh… I was in a rush to grab something from the office and slipped. It was dumb," Chloe said, avoiding eye contact.
"Anyway, did you hear? The company completely cut ties with Sabrina. She's gone. Just like that."
Chloe looked away, but her heart skipped a beat. So Ryan and Shawn knew. They had found out.
During lunch time, Chloe stepped into Ryan's office for the first time. It was huge, sleek, modern, with a large window overlooking the city.
"Ken, this is Chloe," Ryan said as his assistant walked in with their lunch. "She works in the fashion department. She's also my fiancée."
Ken nearly dropped the tray. "Wait, what? Seriously? Boss! You kept that hidden well."
Ryan chuckled. "You know what to do. You have to look after her when I'm not around."
"Got it, sir!" Ken gave Chloe a bright grin before stepping out.
"He's adorable," Chloe giggled.
"He's like a little brother to me," Ryan said as they sat down to eat.
"By the way… I heard about Sabrina," Chloe said softly.
"That was Shawn's call. We had to act."
"You both found out," Chloe murmured. "But I didn't want to get her into trouble."
"Why?" Ryan asked, frowning.
"Because I know how it feels. Watching someone you like fall for someone else. I've been there too."
"That doesn't excuse what she did."
"You're the kindest person I know," Chloe said, moving to sit on his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"We're at work," Ryan said, resting his hands lightly on her waist.
"It's lunchtime. We're technically not working," Chloe whispered with a smile.
"You said it, not me," Ryan said, and leaned in for a deep kiss.
As his hands slid beneath her blouse, Chloe gasped. "Okay, okay, be I admit defeat. Forgive me?"
"Next time, remember… if I don't stop, I won't be able to," Ryan murmured into her ear before letting her go.
Before she left, he straightened her blouse carefully. "No overtime this week. I'll be waiting for you downstairs after work."
Chloe grinned. "Alright, I'll listen to you… this week."
Ryan narrowed his eyes with a teasing smile. "Just this week? You're getting bold, Miss Reed."
Chloe gave him a cute little wink as she walked out.