Shall Under Your Charm

Chapter 76

Ryan caught Farah before the girl could run outside the room and quickly slammed the door shut. In desperation, Farah tried to kick Ryan. Ryan shrewdly dodged it, but over the past few weeks, Farah had spent a lot of time with Gege learning to defend herself, and it felt really good to see Ryan overwhelmed by holding her back.

"I demand to be reunited with my Tantu!" farah shouted, trying to rebel from Ryan's grip, farah's wrists swerving around Ryan's palms thinking that the facial expression Gege suggested he would show if he fought again with Ryan would no longer be effective with the hair covering his face.

"Later, Farah. Oh, you don't try to escape again, or you'll get to your appointment in small pieces. How many-aww you think!" Ryan loosened the grip of his hand while grimacing in pain, as Farah bit her upper arm, and after successfully releasing Farah's bite, Ryan saw Farah's jaw eyeing her finger. "You want to talk" asked Ryan, "or bite?"

After releasing her bite, Farah was shocked when Ryan's large hand caught her jaw and forced her face to look up at the man. "Enough, little Tigers. Tell me how far this conspiracy has gone?"

"What conspiracy?" shouted Farah. "From the beginning I told you the truth. At least, some of them. I was dragged from the airport toilet by a monster hired by Gege! I told you already! I even told you" - Farah's voice began to tremble.

"Indeed you said it," replied Ryan. "You came to America on purpose. To marry the heir to Crandall?"

"I knew absolutely nothing about the plan, and if I did, you could be sure they would have to tie me up like an animal to get me to the airport. All I know is my aunt misses her best friend and she's dying to go to Manhattan." Farah gave up, unable to resist the sharp glare from Ryan's tanned eyes. "But there's no point in talking to you!"

"There's so much use in talking to me - if you're telling the truth. At the club, that guy is your brother. That's why all this time you've been covering your beautiful lips to protect your sister? That's grand. Do you know what I might do to you if I'm sure you're Andreas' girlfriend? And Keith...." The grip of Ryan's hand on Farah's jaw felt stronger. "Did Keith arrange for you to be taken to the Dark Devil headquarters?"

"I don't know. No, I don't think so" said Farah, "because, if it were, Gege would know. Gege took me to the base. And I'm pretty sure Gege doesn't know anything."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I don't know." Farah was trembling, her mind was in a state of turmoil, like a dried leaf being blown away by a strong wind. "Ryan please..sick." Ryan's grip immediately loosened. "I'm so tired. You know everything now. Everything. At least about me, and for the rest of the matter, and about Keith knowing my mother. I myself cannot trust him. I want to meet my aunt! I want to be with my aunt! I can no longer think. Take me to my aunt."

"Not yet, dear Farah. There's something else we need to do first." From over his shoulder, Ryan turned to Zayn. "Prepare a special permit for us, Zayn. Poor Miss Baldwin will be part of the Crandall family."

●●●

Farah Fransiska Baldwin who managed to survive in the captivity of the mafia headquarters and survived the deadly malaria. He has seen the man who determined his destiny transform from a mobster into an heir to a conglomerate family, with a terrifying speed of turning from protector to torturer and back again. Now, at two o'clock in the morning, and with very puzzling motives, the same man announced in an arrogant style that he intended to make Farah his wife. There were too many surprises to accept. The rest of his strength seemed to radiate into his arms, every degree of his anger gathering in his fist, as he flung his fist at Ryan's chin, The force of that fist made his muscles pulled, from the wrist to the shoulder, and his finger crumpled, but there was no doubt who felt the most pain. Two inches taller, he might be able to break Ryan's nose. In fact, the fire in the fireplace shuddered to see it.

At least a minute passed before Ryan could speak. Then, weakly at first, Ryan started laughing though while grimacing in pain, as it seemed like Ryan could not stop laughing, the man dropped himself onto the chair.

"No, honey," Ryan finally spoke, "this whole thing is upside down. You attack a man if he acts insolent to you. But, if a man asks you to marry him, you should be blushing and hiding your face behind your palm, saying, 'Master, I'm so flattered"

"I don't want to marry you" said Farah, her eyes glistening with anger.

"I know," Ryan said, gasping for air. "Even if I'm the last man in America. Even if I pay you."

"Even if my life depends on you!" cetus Farah's..

"Be reasonable." Ryan's eyes softened with laughter. Ryan touched his aching jaw. "I don't know how dangerous you are." Ryan turned around, smiling at Zayn, who was sitting on the chair as if someone had nailed the man there. "There's no need to feel like you have to protect me, Zayn. I'll try not to provoke him using force for the second kalinys."

Zayn looked at Ryan who was trying to control his anger as well as a strong urge to laugh. "In my opinion it's a blow that you deserve. I can't bear to leave this room and let you force this poor girl to marry you just for reasons of decency."

"If there's one word that doesn't fit all of this" Ryan said sincerely, "it's a word of propriety. You wouldn't use a word of decency on me if you were the one responsible for a twenty-two-year-old girl traveling on an island with the mafia. Please, go, Zayn. We don't need an escort."

Farah sees that there is something in Ryan's tone of voice that must have convinced Zayn, as the man stands though reluctantly. Stopping in front of Farah, Zayn looked at Farah's eyes and touched her cheeks gently.

"If you yell at me, I will definitely come" Zayn said, stepping outside the room and closing the door slowly.

In the silence after. Farah found herself alone saying, "He's too good to be your foster father."

"I think you're right" Ryan casually said. "You know or maybe not?- that after you spent months at the Dark Devil headquarters, marriage was the only way to prevent your reputation from being destroyed unsaved."

"I don't care about a ruined reputation. I grew up in a small town, the locals behaved like we weren't around, I sketched, practiced piano, and learned to embroider. Aunt Okta made a list in our diary, and I will tell you...... That my life is boring and I don't care about reputation, after all I have to keep the reputation of who if my life is monotonous like that huh?".

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