The silence of the guest house wrapped around Ryan like a suffocating fog as he sat motionless on the couch, staring blankly at the door Amanda had just closed behind her. Her words echoed in his mind, each one like a dagger piercing his heart. “I want a divorce.”

  He leaned forward, burying his face in his hands, trying to make sense of everything. How had it come to this? How had the woman he once loved so deeply become so distant, so cold? As he grappled with his heartbreak, his mind drifted back to a time when things were different—when Amanda had been different. Back to the days when she wasn’t just his wife, but the girl he had risked everything for.

  It was almost seven years ago, at university, when their paths had first crossed.

  The late autumn air was crisp as Ryan made his way across the campus, his breath forming clouds in the cold evening. He was on his way back to his dorm after an exhausting day of classes, his bag slung over one shoulder, when he heard raised voices from behind the student union building.

  “Come on, babe. We’re just trying to have a little fun,” a male voice sneered, followed by a high-pitched, terrified squeal.

  Ryan’s body tensed as he rounded the corner and saw the scene unfold. A group of four guys stood around a girl, blocking her path. They were laughing, their body language predatory as they leaned toward her, backing her up against the wall.

  She was small, her face pale with fear, but Ryan could see the defiance in her eyes as she struggled to push them away.

  “Leave me alone!” she shouted, her voice trembling, but her captors only laughed harder.

  Ryan didn’t hesitate. Dropping his bag, he charged toward them.

  “Hey!” he yelled, his voice cutting through the laughter. “Get the hell away from her!”

  The four guys turned toward him, their amusement faltering. One of them, a tall, broad-shouldered guy with a smirk plastered on his face, stepped forward.

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  “And who the hell are you?” he spat.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Ryan replied, his fists clenched. “You’re leaving. Now.”

  The smirk faded, replaced by a snarl. “You’re outnumbered, buddy. You don’t want to get hurt.”

  Ryan didn’t flinch. “Try me.”

  The guy lunged at Ryan, but he was ready. With quick reflexes, Ryan sidestepped and drove his fist into the guy’s gut. He crumpled to the ground with a groan. The others hesitated for a moment, then rushed at Ryan. A flurry of punches and kicks followed, but Ryan was relentless. One by one, he fought them off, his adrenaline surging as he defended the girl behind him.

  When the last of them was lying on the ground, groaning in pain, Ryan turned to the girl. She was staring at him, her eyes wide with shock and something else—something that looked almost like admiration.

  “You okay?” he asked, panting slightly as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

  She nodded, her voice shaky. “I… I think so. Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

  Ryan shrugged, trying to downplay what had just happened. “I wasn’t going to stand by and let them hurt you.”

  She stepped closer, her gaze never leaving his. Now that the immediate danger had passed, he had a chance to really look at her. She was beautiful—long blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders, deep blue eyes that were still brimming with emotion. There was something about her that struck him, something more than just her looks. There was strength beneath the fear, a fire in her that had been temporarily extinguished by the attack but was starting to rekindle.

  “I’m Amanda,” she said softly.

  “Ryan,” he replied, offering a small smile.

  From that moment on, their paths had been intertwined.

  In the weeks that followed, Ryan and Amanda grew inseparable. Their connection deepened with every passing day, and what had started as a friendship born of gratitude and admiration quickly blossomed into a whirlwind romance. They were always together, whether studying in the library, going for long walks across the sprawling university campus, or sneaking away to the city for late-night adventures.

  Ryan had never felt this way before. Amanda wasn’t just beautiful; she was smart, funny, and passionate about everything she did. Her drive matched his own, and when they were together, it felt like nothing could stand in their way. She had a way of making him feel like he was the center of her world, like everything she did was just for him.

  But there was something else, something darker lurking beneath the surface. Amanda came from a world Ryan didn’t understand, a world of wealth and power that felt distant and foreign to him. The Hargraves were notorious, not just for their business empire but for the way they controlled everything—and everyone—around them. Amanda’s father, Harold, was known for his ruthless business tactics, but to Amanda, he was simply her father, the man who provided for her and ensured her place in the upper echelons of society.

  Ryan tried not to let it bother him. He wasn’t from money—he grew up in a working-class neighborhood, the son of a single mother who had done everything in her power to give him a better life. He knew Amanda’s family wouldn’t approve of him, not as someone who could truly be her equal, but he didn’t care. What they had was real, and that was all that mattered.

  One evening, as they lay under the stars on the campus lawn, Amanda turned to him with a seriousness in her eyes that Ryan hadn’t seen before.

  “You know my family won’t accept this,” she said softly, her fingers tracing patterns on his chest.

  Ryan sighed, pulling her closer. “I don’t care about your family, Amanda. I care about you.”

  She bit her lip, her gaze distant for a moment. “It’s not that simple, Ryan. My father… he controls everything. My future, my career, my life. If he knew I was seeing someone like you…”

  “Someone like me?” Ryan asked, trying not to let the hurt seep into his voice.