Deception in Love: A Game of Hidden Missions novel Chapter 3

I pushed to open the door to the private room, immediately greeted by a thick cloud of smoke.

For a moment, it almost looked like the entire room was practicing some kind of occult ritual.

As soon as they saw me, someone shouted, "Emma is here!" followed by laughter laced with hidden meanings.

These were Ryan’s fair-weather friends, the kind who only gathered to flatter him. Before, they’d throw a few compliments my way when they saw me, but now that they knew Ryan had grown cold towards me, all they did was mock.

“Emma is so generous, not even mad with all these women around Ryan,” one of them joked.

How could I not be mad? But showing anger would only give Ryan the satisfaction of seeing me humiliated.

In the dim light, I couldn’t make out the expression on Ryan’s face, but I could hear the cold laugh that escaped his lips.

He had summoned me to pick him up, but the party showed no signs of winding down; the noise and revelry continued unabated.

With no seat available, I could only stand to the side, enduring the mocking and taunting gazes cast my way.

Had Ryan called me here just to embarrass me? I wasn’t about to tolerate this unwarranted humiliation.

I reminded him, “When are you leaving? I don’t want to wait too long.”

The room was loud, but Ryan glanced at me. He must have heard me, yet he turned away, engrossed in conversation with others, ignoring me completely.

His attitude made it clear—he would pretend not to hear me even if I spoke directly into his ear.

Fed up, I grabbed the microphone meant for karaoke and spoke loudly enough for the whole room to hear, “If you’re not leaving now, I’m going!”

My sudden move startled everyone, plunging the room into brief silence. Then, someone finally spoke up, “Why so impatient? It’s still early. Waiting a bit won’t kill you.”

That opened the floodgates, and soon everyone was taking jabs at me.

“What’s wrong with your tone? No wonder Ryan doesn’t care for you anymore!” “Don’t be so uptight! We’ve barely started having fun!”

Ryan let their insults wash over me before he finally spoke, “What’s the rush to go back when you’re so boring?”

His words were laced with hidden meaning, drawing laughter from the group. I bit my lip, refusing to meet their eyes, focusing on the floor instead.

The woman to Ryan’s left, all charm and softness, leaned into his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Am I not more fun, Mr. Ryan Caldwell ?” she cooed.

Ryan allowed the woman’s hands to wander freely, but his eyes were locked on me, relishing my discomfort.

I tried to act indifferent, but I couldn’t help glancing at the woman in his arms. Why, after everything I’d done, was this the outcome?

After Ryan’s outburst, everyone in the room held their breath, too afraid to make a sound.

For a moment, I was fooled into thinking we had returned to the past—that Ryan was still the considerate, attentive man he once was.

Ryan seemed to lose interest and led me out of the room, my mind still wandering. If he hated me so much, why did he defend me?

“Why are you staring at me? Have I mesmerized you?” he teased, noticing my distracted gaze. His mood seemed to stabilize a bit.

“Ryan, since you’re tired of me, I’ll leave tomorrow,” I replied, thinking that he had only defended me because that drunk man had challenged his ego and dignity.

Hearing this, Ryan frowned again, gripping my hand even tighter.

“Impossible!” he snapped, his voice firm. He didn’t even bother to explain further.

I was confused. I thought my suggestion was beneficial for both of us, so why wouldn’t he agree?

After a few more steps, Ryan seemed to realize something and suddenly turned to face me, stepping closer.

“You’ve stayed by my side all this time just for the mission, haven’t you? You are never really in love with me, right?”

“Now you’re even willing to abandon that mission. Are you hiding something from me?” He kept posing questions to me.