Their Punching Bag Became The Storm novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29 His Charm

Ryan’s face was striking, almost too perfect. His skin was flawless, and his long lashes cast soft shadows beneath his eyes. Whitney could barely breathe as she looked at him.

She stood frozen by the stove, watching him sleep. He looked like something out of a dream.

No one else compared to him. From every angle, in every moment, he held her attention completely. He was always teasing her, always pulling her focus, and she could never look away.

After staring at him for a few seconds, Whitney slowly walked over to wake him up. But as she got closer, Ryan opened his eyes.

His face was elegant and handsome, still heavy with sleep. His eyes, usually sharp and distant, had softened in the haze of waking up, with a sleepy mist lingering in his gaze. That warmth was a rare change from his usual cold, untouchable self. He seemed relaxed and lazy now, but still impossible to look away from.

When his eyes finally focused on Whitney’s face, he gave a faint smile with his pale lips. “Wild Beauty? Are you done with your work?”

“Didn’t I tell you to eat first?” She sat down next to him, eyeing the untouched dishes on the table. “Don’t you like it?”

After all, he was the heir to one of Roynfort’s top families. It was normal for him to be picky. But if even Whitney’s cooking did not make the cut for Ryan, then his standards had to be insane.

“No, I wanted to wait so we could eat together,” he said as he stood up. He took out two clean plates, spooned some food onto one, and set it in front of Whitney. The food

୮ was still hot, steam rising from the plate.

Watching Ryan stand by the pot and serve food, Whitney felt he didn’t seem so unreachable anymore.

She bit her lip, glanced away, and stared into her bowl. “Why wait for me? The food will get cold, and that’s bad for your stomach.”

Ryan sat next to her with his plate, looking strangely well–behaved. He smiled, “I wanted to wait for you.”

Whitney said, “If that’s what you want.”

Something stirred inside her. It had been forever since she felt like someone was waiting for her. Back with the Anderson family, no one ever did.

The two of them ate in silence.

Chapter 29 His Char

Meanwhile, the live stream was still going, and viewers were losing it in the chat. Everyone agreed the vibe was incredible. It couldn’t even be put into words.

Some even joked that Ryan had finally grown up. He actually knew how to wait for someone to eat with him.·

After all, as someone at the very top of Roynfort and a living legend in the

entertainment world, Ryan never cared about anyone else’s feelings. He only looked out for himself.

Whitney was the first person he had ever gone out of his way for.

Right as the viewers were losing it in the chat, Darian killed the vibe. He called the drone back and announced that the live stream was officially over.

No matter how much everyone begged and wailed in the chat, he stayed stone–faced and shut it all down without hesitation.

****

Early the next morning, Whitney was jolted awake by a loud commotion.

She opened her eyes, annoyed, and pressed her fingers to her sore brow. The sky was barely starting to lighten. She frowned and glanced toward the noise.

But then, she spotted Ryan lying right next to her, sprawled out in the hay. Whitney froze for a second, then remembered. Last night, Ryan had stubbornly refused to go back to the VIP room the production team had set up for him.

He kept saying that since they were teammates, they should stick together no matter what. If she was crashing in this rundown shed, then he was too.

Darian couldn’t convince him, so he asked Whitney to talk to him.

Whitney thought to herself, ‘There is no way a spoiled prince like Ryan, especially one as fragile as he is, could survive in a place like this.‘ So she said, “Leave him be.”

She figured Ryan would hang out in the shed for a while, then sneak out in the middle of the night when it got to be too much for him.

But to her shock, he actually spent the whole night here.

Maybe it was the way Whitney was staring at him so intently, or maybe it was the growing ruckus nearby. Ryan’s perfectly sculpted brows furrowed as he blinked awake.

Those aristocratic eyes were still clouded with sleep, their corners tinged with a faint flush. He looked utterly bewitching.

“Wild Beauty,” he purred and fixed Whitney with those sleepy eyes. His voice was rough from waking up, and the way he drawled her name wrapped it in a lazy caress, like he was savoring every syllable.

Whitney’s ears tingled unexpectedly. A strange warmth spread through her, and she

Chapter 29 His Cham

quickly looked away.

Then his voice came again, low and teasing. “Were you watching me sleep? So what do you think? Is my face good enough to get you to fall for me yet?”

Whitney was left speechless by his words.

When Whitney stayed silent, Ryan sat up and leaned in without hesitation. He closed the distance until his face was only inches from hers, teasing and bold.

His flawless face was practically glowing and completely bare of makeup. It suddenly filled Whitney’s entire world. That signature cool cedarwood scent drifted over and wrapped around her.

In a heartbeat, there was barely any space left between them. Whitney could feel the heat of Ryan’s breath ghosting across her skin.

Without a word, she slapped her palm right across his gorgeous, cold face and shoved him back. Then she got up and walked straight toward the commotion.

2

The commotion woke Nora up too. She rubbed her eyes, still groggy, and sleepily tottered out of her spot, barely staying on her feet.

As soon as she spotted Whitney, her cute, round eyes went wide, and every trace of sleep vanished.

She practically bounced over to Whitney, her face full of excitement and joy. “Hey, Whitney!”

Whitney stopped and waited for her.

As soon as Nora caught up, she looped her arm through Whitney’s. At only five feet three, the small girl sweetly tucked herself against Whitney’s side, and the height difference made the whole scene even cuter.

Last night, Whitney had caught Nora eyeing their food with longing, so she invited Nora over to enjoy her cooking.

Sharing the ingredients and that one meal was enough to totally win Nora over. She was completely smitten.

She announced that she was now Whitney’s sidekick, through and through. She decided to cling to Whitney for dear life.

Nora knew that Whitney might look icy, classy, and even a bit rebellious on the outside, but underneath it all, she was actually gentle.

Sure enough, when Nora linked arms with Whitney, she could feel Whitney tense up for a moment. She was clearly not used to it, but Whitney did not shake her off or look bothered at all.

Nora flashed a sweet, cheeky grin, her eyes sparkling with a touch of mischief and

Chapter 29 His Chem

pride. ‘Being bold really pays off. Whitney is mine now.

“Whitney, what’s going on over there? Why the noise early in the morning?” She snuggled up to Whitney’s shoulder, blinking her big eyes in confusion as she looked over at the mess happening nearby.

The production crew was huddled together, making a racket. The noise kept escalating, getting louder by the second.

Whitney narrowed her eyes. “Looks like something’s up.”

A