The CEO's Rose

Chapter 147: Haunted

Ryan’s POV

’You are making a mistake,’

Ryan had not had many interactions with Vivian’s friend. It should have been as easy as anything to forget all about their last meeting. But the woman’s words were haunting him.

’You are making a mistake,’

That was what he heard first thing in the morning, despite being alone in his room.

’You are making a mistake,’ The words echoed as he laughed with his business partners.

’You are making a mistake,’ He’d hear her saying while all alone in his car.

’You are making a mistake,’ He’d hear while on the phone with his grandfather. Lying through his teeth about how great he and Gwendolyn were doing, how they were working things out.

’You are making a mistake,’

He’d hear each time he walked past the box in his walk-in closet that held all of Vivian’s things.

’You are making a mistake’, ’You are making a mistake,’

’You are making a mistake,’...

The memory of her saying those words to him just would not fade no matter what Ryan did.

No amount of alcohol could push them away and no matter how much he tried to ignore them, he could still hear them playing in a loop at the back of his head. Things had even gotten to the point where Ryan even had nightmares that chased him around while chanting those same words at him, not stopping until the moment he woke up. freewebnøvel.com

He could not carry on like that.

There was only one thing for it, he had to face things head on. But once again when it came to things Vivian Rose related. Ryan was acting like the world’s biggest coward.

When it came to preferred methods of exercise, boxing had always been Ryan’s number one sport. But after all of the punching bags that he had destroyed, and the state of his knuckles.

He was really worried that he might actually cause damage that would result in him needing surgery to fix things.

So Ryan was trying out a different method of keeping his body busy...swimming.

Not only was he trying a different workout, he was doing it away from the penthouse. Having opted instead to go to a property that Vivian had never been to before.

It was one of the places that he used to throw a lot of parties in, in the past.

Now it was just Ryan on his own, swimming laps in his giant pool. Reaching one end of the pool yet again. Ryan got to his feet and straightened, taking a breath and wiping the water away from his face.

Finding that he was still hearing Amy’s words loud and clear in his head. He submerged himself in the water again and began swimming to the other end. Trying to drown out the sound of Amy’s voice. The billionaire swam for over an hour before he finally gave up and got out of the pool. Sitting on the edge with his legs in the water, Ryan finally gave in and listened to the voice that was currently living rent free in his head.

***

’You are making a mistake,’ She might have used diplomatic wording, but Ryan had gotten the message loud and clear.

’You are being an idiot,’ That was what she had really been saying.

But Ryan would rather be a fool than a man who had his heart broken twice by the same woman.

Vivian Rose was a missed opportunity. It was better for him to accept that and keep moving forward, rather than trying to chase something from his past.

Sure, he now knew that Vivian had broken his heart because she had thought that Ryan had hurt her first. But that did not take away the pain that he had felt when she had ended things...pain that he was still feeling.

How could she have believed Gwendolyn Stuart the fourth over Ryan? Why had she not said anything to him about finding that woman in his penthouse?

Those were the thoughts that were keeping Ryan from reaching out to Vivian Rose. Even if it were not just his own thoughts holding him back.

There were other factors to consider, his grandfather being the most important of all.

The old man still thought that there was something between Ryan and Gwendolyn Stuart the fourth.

Ryan could not bear disappointing him by telling him that things were long over between himself and the heiress. That he would not go back to that woman even if it meant losing every penny he had, and having to bark like a dog for the rest of his life instead of talking like a normal human being.

’You still have to tell him at some point,’ The reasonable voice in his head pointed out and Ryan hated that he could not even argue with it. The voice was absolutely right.

The lie that he was telling himself about staying away from Vivian for his grandfather’s sake, could only hold out for so long. Then of course there was the unwelcome news of Bryce trying to slither his way back into Vivian’s life.

Just remembering the brief time that he had been in the man’s presence made Ryan want to get into his car, hunt down that weasel and cave in the man’s smug face with a single punch. But Ryan could not let himself do that.

As much as the thought of that awful man being near Vivian made him see red...it was not his place to interfere. He had to let her go.

If he went after Vivian Rose again, he would be putting so much on the line,...the risk was just too great.

But when he ignored what the logical side of his brain was saying, and went with his heart, there was also the possibility of things going well.

If he did take that chance and it actually worked out this time, it would be the greatest victory in Ryan’s life. But the question was, did he dare?