The Billionaire's Silent Wife (Ryan and Eve) novel Chapter 129

Chapter 129 – What He Promised to Guard 2

Ryan’s face lit up instantly. “They are?”

“Yes. Their restaurant made it into the competition. A few of their staff joined as well. They want to support them, and spend time with us.”

Ryan leaned back, genuinely pleased. “That’s wonderful news.”

“Camila asked if they could stay here,” Eve added. “I told her yes.”

“Good,” he said immediately. “This house could use their noise.”

She laughed. “You say that now. Wait until Mitre starts complaining about your coffee beans.”

“I like his complaints,” Ryan said. “They’re honest.”

It surprised him how true that felt.

The little time he had spent with Camila and Mitre had left an impression on him, their warmth, their lack

of pretence, the way they loved Eve without conditions or expectations. The way Camila had fussed over

her like an older sister, the way Mitre had scolded him for letting her work too hard and then hugged him

anyway.

It was… unfamiliar.

And comforting.

“Do you think it’s a bad idea?” Eve asked quietly. “Them staying here, I mean. With everything going on.

Your family, Steven… the press…”

He shook his head. “I think it’s the best idea you’ve had in weeks.”

She looked unconvinced. “What if something spills over? What if a reporter follows you home? What if

someone recognises them and drags them into this mess?”

“Then I’ll handle it,” he said simply. “They’re guests in my house. They’re under my protection. And so are

you.”

She stared at him, chewing her bottom lip.

“You don’t have to protect everyone,” she said softly.

“I know,” he replied. “But I want to protect the ones who matter to you.”

Her eyes softened. “You’re going to spoil me.”

“That’s the plan,” he said.

A fleeting thought crossed his mind, sharp and unwelcome.

Why couldn’t my parents be like that?

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Chapter 129 What He Promised to Guard 2

He didn’t dwell on it. He had learned the cost of lingering too long on questions that had no answers.

He reached for Eve’s hand again.

“There’s something else,” he said.

Her shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly. “That tone is never good.”

“It’s not bad,” he said quickly. “Just… complicated.”

“Complicated how?” she asked.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then chose honesty.

“We’re going to your father’s dinner party.”

Her smile faded.’

Claim

The room seemed to quiet around them, the hum of the fridge suddenly too loud, the clock ticking in the next room suddenly intrusive.

Eve didn’t hide her discomfort this time. She looked down at their joined hands, then back up at him. “I’m

not thrilled about it.”

“I just wish for a bit more time,” she admitted.

“I know,” Ryan said gently.

“He sent the invitation to both of us,” Ryan continued. “By name. ‘Mr and Mrs Ashbrook.””

Her jaw tightened. “He knows how I feel about public appearances with him.”

“He’s not hiding anymore, Eve,” Ryan said. “He’s hosting. He’s showing his connections. He’s showing his reach. Politicians, investors, a few media people… and he invited us.”

Eve drew a slow breath, forcing herself to think past the instinct to run.

“We have to stick to our plan,” she said, voice steadier than she felt. “We get close to his fiancée. Hopefully she can get him talking, get him to spill some of the Ashbrook secrets, so we can understand

the gravity of what we’re dealing with.”

Ryan nodded, a faint smile tugging at his mouth. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re doing your best to

avoid your father.”

Her brow furrowed. “I am avoiding him.”

“Privately, you’re allowed to,” he said. “But publicly? Just once… we need to choose the battlefield. We need to test our plan. Hopefully it works.”

Eve leaned back, processing, her throat tight.

“I have always dreaded going to war with my own father,” she whispered. “Knowing all that he’s been through. But what he has become… it’s left me no choice.”

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hapte 129 What He Promised to Guard 2

Ryan’s grip tightened around her hand, warm, anchoring.

“He should have been the bigger person and chosen better,” Ryan said quietly. “But he chose this. You

shouldn’t feel guilty for anything, Eve,” Ryan said

Her eyes shimmered. “You sound like Kael from one of those novels I used to read.”

He gave a faint smile. “That’s the worst insult you’ve thrown at me today.”

She huffed a watery laugh despite herself.

He shifted his chair closer, his knees brushing hers under the table.

“You don’t have to worry,” he added quietly. “I’ll protect you.”

“How?” she asked. “By glaring at him from across the table?”

“If necessary,” he said. “But also with actual strategy.”

She arched a brow. “Let’s hear it.”

“First,” he said, ticking off on his fingers, “we arrive together. We leave together. I won’t leave your side, not even for five minutes. If someone wants to talk to me, they talk to both of us. No separate corners. No

isolated conversations.”

“And if he corners you?” she asked. “Or your parents?”

“Then I’ll drag you into the conversation,” he said. “You’re my shield now.”

She snorted. “That’s not reassuring.”

“I’m serious,” he said. “I won’t let them talk about you like you’re not in the room. Not again. If they bring you up, you’ll be there to answer. And I’ll be there to back you.”

She looked unconvinced. “He’s still my father, Ryan. He knows how to make me feel like a child with one

sentence.”

“Then I’ll remind you you’re not,” he said. “Every time he looks at you like that, I’ll squeeze your hand. Every time he says something out of line, I’ll cut in. We’ll have a code.”

“A code?” she echoed.

“If I say, ‘We’re leaving in five minutes,” he said, “it means we’re leaving now.”

She blinked. “And I just… stand up?”

“You stand up,” he confirmed. “And you walk out with me. No explanations. No apologies.”

“Won’t that cause a scene?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. “That’s the point.”

She stared at him. “You’re frightening when you’re calm.”

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& Chapter 129 What He Promised to Guard 2

“I’ve been told,” he replied.

She toyed with her napkin. “What if he provokes you? On purpose. What if he says something about the

baby?”

Ryan’s eyes darkened immediately. “Then I’ll remind him that any insult aimed at my child is an insult

aimed at me. And I’ll respond accordingly.”

“Accordingly how?” she pressed.

“Verbally,” he said after a beat. “Mostly.”

“Mostly?” she repeated, narrowing her eyes.

He gave her an innocent look. “Relax. I promised you I wouldn’t punch your father.”

“You promised my mother that,” she corrected.

“Same difference,” he muttered.

She shook her head. “Ryan…”

He softened instantly.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “Look at me.”

She lifted her gaze.

“I’m not dragging you into this blindly,” he said. “If you truly, honestly, from the deepest part of you, don’t want to go… we won’t. I mean that. I’ll deal with the fallout.”

She stared at him, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. “You would?”

“Yes,” he said simply. “But I also know you. And I know there’s a part of you that is tired of being afraid of him. Tired of tiptoeing around his power.”

Her throat tightened. “There is.”

“This isn’t about appeasing him,” Ryan continued. “It’s about reclaiming your space. Walking into a room he

thinks he owns and reminding him that you’re not his property. You never were.”

She swallowed hard. “You make it sound easy.”

“It won’t be easy,” he said. “You might shake. You might cry. You might want to throw something at him. All

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