Chapter 77. Where Were You, Malik?

Ryder POV

I stood there, staring at the closed door, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. The doctor’s words echoed in my head, stirring up old ghosts I had buried deep. My chest felt tight, a mix of rage and something darker, more dangerous, twisting inside me.

Freya was mine now.

And no one, not even my own past, was going to take her away.

Nanny Grace lingered for a few moments, her eyes soft with worry as she gently checked Freya’s forehead and adjusted the blanket over her still form. She gave me one last concerned glance before murmuring, “I’ll go make her some herbal soup. She’ll need it when she wakes.”

I nodded once, not trusting my voice.

She slipped out quietly, the door clicking shut behind her.

I looked at Freya one last time. She lay so small and fragile on my bed, her face still swollen and red from crying and from being slapped. The doctor’s words still lingered in my head like poison. My chest cont