Ryan expected a luxurious interior but to his surprise, just as he entered the villa, he was welcomed with a cozy but elegant living room. The whole base floor was open to view right from the entrance, with kitchen and living area connected. If he didn’t see the outside of the house with fancy cars parked next to a garage he would think he visited a slightly more wealthy, middle-class family.

He immediately felt more like at home and the awkwardness he expected to feel didn’t come.

Rose was still upset, her cheeks puffed but she didn’t forget the years of her habits. As much as she wanted to rush towards her room, she still stopped in the lobby. “Take off your shoes and follow me,” Rose ordered.

“Mhmm,” Ryan nodded casually, seeing creamy carpet covering the whole living area. He found it strange but when he stepped on it, Ryan understood why. It was so soft to the touch that he could feel it even through his socks.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t enjoy it for long as Rose finally removed her white sneakers and grabbed his hand. She pulled him towards the curved stairs that led to the first floor without saying anything.

Halfway there, Ryan spotted some movement to his right and realized it was Rose’s dad, watching TV in the living room. It would be fine if he didn’t spot him but once he did, Ryan felt some responsibility.

Ryan stopped Rose in place and whispered, “Wait a second. I will greet your dad.” Knowing her dad was dangerous, his best chances of survival laid in befriending him.

She wanted to leave quickly but giving it some thought, his idea wasn’t that bad. “Okay, but be quick,” Rose whispered back, deciding to wait for him next to the stairs.

Although the space on the base floor was connected, it was still quite large so her father couldn’t hear them.

Ryan approached, slowly closing in to the sofa Rose’s father sat at only to freeze, realizing what he was watching.

It was a basketball match!

What’s more, it even featured one of his favorite teams, Red Bulls, which made him panic.

“Impossible… There is no way I would forget there was a Red Bulls’ match today…” Ryan muttered as he ran next to the sofa to see the TV better.

Rose’s father heard him coming and turned to look at him with his eyebrow raised. “Boy, you like basketball?” He asked curiously, skipping any formalities.

“You kidding me?” Ryan asked with a smile before calling excitedly, “I love basketball! I have been Red Bulls’ fan since I was a kid! If I could, I would go on every match they played!”

His gaze went back to the screen and Ryan continued to talk as if the two were buddies, “How come there is a match today?”

Rose’s dad didn’t actually mind that and explained while taking a sip of his wine, “Don’t worry, it’s a recording. I missed one match a few weeks ago and decided to watch it today as I was free.”

“Ah, that explains it.” Ryan let out a sigh of relief. “For a second I thought they moved the game from Wednesday to today but realized it would be weird as there were barely any matches on Mondays.”

Seeing the man continued to watch, he bowed and said apologetically, “Anyway, I’m sorry for disturbing. I just wanted to offer my greetings. Please enjoy the game.” Even though he acted calmly, Ryan was really anxious internally, realizing he talked too casually with him.

Rose’s dad didn’t reply anything, making him feel awkward so Ryan decided to leave first. His heartbeat was already calming down, thinking that her dad wasn’t that bad only to hammer once again when a strong hand caught his hand. A shiver run down his spine when a bone-chilling voice reached him from behind.

“My daughter seems to like you. If you hurt her, I will kill you.”

Rose saw this act from the distance and cried out, “Dad! What are you doing?!” She immediately ran up to them but Ryan was already released.

She pulled Ryan away defensively and asked him while checking on his wrist, “What happened?”

He couldn’t help but turn a little pale as not every day people threatened to kill him while having a genuine ability to do so.

“Nothing, really,” Ryan lied, forcing a smile. “Your dad just told me to take good care of you. Don’t worry.”

Rose naturally didn’t believe him and questioned her father, “Dad! What did you tell him?”

“Exactly what your boyfriend said,” her father replied and stood up, turning the TV off. “I will help your mom with dinner. You two can wait in your room.” He patted Ryan on the back with a friendly smile and walked away.

Rose figured that Ryan wouldn’t be able to say anything in front of her father so she grabbed his hand and led him upstairs to her room. She sat him up on her bed and glared at him with questioning gaze.

“It’s nothing, really. I’m fine,” Ryan assured her once again, deciding to keep this between the men and suggested seriously, “It’s best if we forget about it.”

She wanted to ask more, opening her mouth to speak but he covered her lips with his finger and shook his head, forcing her to give up on the questioning.

The least she could do was check if he was alright so she crouched down and grabbed his hand that already reddened around his wrist. She was shocked to discover that it was even colder than before.

She squeezed it tightly, feeling helpless. Rose regretted she pulled him into her messy situation. “I’m sorry,” she apologized quietly, before looking with determination into his eyes. “No matter what it is, I will help you with your case. I promise. That’s the least I can do to thank you.”

“Well, you said it. Don’t regret it later,” Ryan said with a guilty smile but she shook her head, “I won’t, don’t worry. I never break my promises.”

She finally stood up, feeling better after her oath and ordered, “Come. You need to take a bath to warm up else you will get sick. You were outside the whole time wearing only a shirt.”

Sniffing his shirt, Rose added, “You also stink. You need to be fresh for the dinner with my parents.”

He didn’t argue with her as he really needed one.

———

Downstairs, in the kitchen, Rose’s parents were preparing dinner together, treating it more like bonding ritual rather than the chore. Normally Rose would be joining them but today was special with Ryan appearing out of nowhere.

“What do you think about him?” Rose’s mother asked curiously, having sceptical tone to her voice.

“Not sure yet. We will see if he rat me out to Rose or not. She can’t hide her feelings well,” Rose’s father commented honestly, finished tying his hair. “He likes basketball so he got extra points for me.”

“Tch, of course. You and your basketball,” Rose’s mother snickered, rolling her eyes at her husband before asking more seriously. “What about Miller Family? They were pretty upset when I cancelled our dinner today.”

“I will handle them,” Rose father replied firmly. “Don’t focus about them. Figure out what to do with the boy first. You know our situation.”

Chop.

Rose’s mother smiled as she cut a carrot in half.

“I already have a plan. Don’t worry.”