Free Web NovelChapter 225: Chapter 225 Ryan’s Hidden Fury
Grayson walked to the bedside and bent down.
“You want to leave without even having dinner? I’m afraid I don’t have that much patience.”
He had originally intended to take things slowly with Rose.
Tonight, he had been certain he would have his chance.
But she had rejected him outright and even tried to leave.
That was truly disappointing.
Rose’s eyes turned icy.
Her teeth sank so deeply into her lower lip that she nearly bit through it, and the pain helped keep her mind clear.
Some strength gradually returned to her limbs.
When Grayson turned to tap ash into the ashtray, Rose seized the opportunity.
She refused to give up even the slightest chance to save herself.
Gathering every ounce of strength she had accumulated, she suddenly pushed herself up from the bed, lunged forward, and slammed into Grayson from behind.
Holding her breath, she ran toward the door.
She could rely on no one.
She would not give up on saving herself.
Fortunately, Grayson had not tied her hands or feet.
The moment her fingers touched the doorknob, someone grabbed her arm and yanked her backward.
A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind.
Grayson smiled. “So unwilling? Then let’s try a more adult approach.”
In his eyes, Rose was nothing more than prey trapped on a cutting board.
To him, her resistance was simply another form of entertainment.
Tears welled in Rose’s eyes.
Anger.
Hatred.
Rage.
And beneath it all was overwhelming panic.
But she refused to show fear.
As Grayson dragged her backward, they passed a golf bag resting nearby.
Seizing the opportunity, Rose grabbed one of the clubs and swung it behind her with all her strength.
Grayson had not expected her to fight back so fiercely.
Caught off guard, he took the full blow to his arm.
Pain shot through his bones.
The gentlemanly smile instantly disappeared.
His face darkened as he grabbed Rose by the throat and forced her onto the carpet.
“Madam Knight said you were obedient and easygoing. You’ve already been married once and discarded. Why are you pretending to be some pure and virtuous woman now? Rose, you were the one who made things difficult first.”
Whatever patience he had left completely vanished.
Grayson snatched the golf club away and used one hand to tear at her dress.
Rose could barely breathe beneath his grip.
She turned her head and spotted the phone that had fallen nearby.
She reached for it desperately.
With trembling fingers, she unlocked the screen.
The first thing she saw was her call log.
It was Ryan.
He had never answered her call.
Just as he hadn’t answered now.
She couldn’t rely on him either.
Her vision blurred from the lack of oxygen.
Yet she did not call Ryan again.
She refused to beg someone who would not answer.
She refused to seek refuge where none existed.
With immense effort, she dialed the emergency number instead.
Grayson noticed immediately.
Seeing the call, he sneered.
He snatched the phone away once more and threw it across the room.
Then he pointed toward the corner.
“See that? There’s a security camera there. If you don’t want tonight’s little performance to become public, you’d better behave.”
Tears streamed from Rose’s eyes, brought on by pain and suffocation.
She looked toward the camera.
With the last of her strength, she forced two words from her throat.
“Scum...”
The next second, Rose gathered every remaining ounce of strength.
She slammed her forehead directly into Grayson’s face.
Grayson cried out in pain.
His vision went black.
But the pain only fueled his anger.
Ignoring the throbbing in his head, he lunged at her again.
He pinned Rose down with all his weight and tore at her dress with even greater brutality.
“You bitch!”
The drug had already drained most of Rose’s strength.
The headbutt had cost her nearly everything she had left.
Now, she had nothing remaining.
A wave of despair suddenly overwhelmed her.
She could only watch as Grayson ripped open her dress.
Then—
Bang!
A deafening crash exploded at the door.
The entire room seemed to shake.
Rose froze.
Grayson stopped as well.
Both turned toward the door.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Something was striking the door repeatedly.
The force behind each blow seemed capable of breaking through the wall itself.
The violence of it shook the entire room.
Grayson’s face turned pale.
With every impact, his heart seemed to skip a beat.
It felt as though the blows were landing directly on his body.
Rose’s vision blurred.
Her hair was disheveled.
She turned weakly toward the door that seemed moments away from collapsing.
Finally—
Bang!
The door burst open.
A tall figure stood against the light.
Rose could not see him clearly.
Before she could react, Grayson was violently thrown to the floor.
The next second, a warm suit jacket was draped over Rose’s shoulders, covering her torn clothing and shielding her upper body.
The familiar scent calmed her.
Grayson never had the chance to fight back.
Ryan kicked him to the ground.
His face was cold and expressionless.
He grabbed Grayson by the collar and drove his fist down.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each punch landed with a sickening thud.
The force nearly knocked Grayson unconscious.
His nose shattered.
Blood covered his face.
Ryan showed no emotion.
Even after Grayson lost consciousness, he did not stop.
Rose slowly pulled the jacket tighter around herself.
She stared at the scene in shock.
She had never seen Ryan fight.
She had never seen this side of him.
He had always been cold and distant, a man whose emotions seemed permanently hidden beneath refinement and restraint.
She sat up and called softly, “Ryan.”
He did not hear her.
She called again. “Ryan, he’s going to die.”
The muscles in Ryan’s back stiffened.
His fist paused briefly.
Then it descended once more.
When James finally rushed in with the room key, this was the scene that greeted him.
The expensive lock—worth hundreds of thousands—had been completely destroyed.
Originally, the two men had split up.
James had gone to get the master key.
Ryan had gone upstairs first.
But Ryan had not waited.
He had grabbed a heavy brass decoration from the hallway and smashed the door open himself.
Grayson had already been beaten beyond recognition.
His face was covered in blood.
He was completely unconscious.
James glanced toward Rose.
Her hair was disheveled.
Her clothes were torn.
Her face was pale.
Bruises were already visible on her neck.
His heart sank.
But there was no time to waste.
He immediately grabbed Ryan’s arm.
“If you hit him again, he’ll die. There are guests and reporters everywhere tonight. We need to keep this quiet.”
Ryan released Grayson.
He slowly stood.
He looked down at the blood covering his knuckles.
He didn’t know whether it belonged to him or Grayson.
Then he turned toward Rose.
His dark eyes revealed no emotion.
“Seal off this floor.”
But before the words had fully left his mouth, commotion erupted outside.
Chaotic footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Excited voices approached.
“Hurry! I heard there’s a huge story here!”
James’s expression darkened.
“The media vultures are coming.”
If the reporters saw this scene, it would become a disaster.
Rose’s clothing was torn.
It was obvious what had nearly happened.
Grayson had been beaten nearly to death.
If photographs were taken, the scandal would be impossible to contain.
Rose looked around.
Suddenly, memories of the cruise ship from years ago flooded her mind.
The scene felt terrifyingly similar.
Like a nightmare repeating itself.
Her breathing became uneven.
Ryan walked past James and crouched in front of her.
He looked directly at Rose.
But he spoke to James.
“Grayson cannot be photographed.”
James understood immediately.
He walked over to Grayson, grabbed him by the shoulders, and dragged his unconscious body into the bathroom.
Then he shut the door and locked it behind him.
Rose looked up.
Ryan was still staring at her.
His voice was cold and steady.
“Rose, hold me.”
