Out of Control: Into Your Everything-Chapter 128: Ignoring Me?

The man spoke in his usual cold, detached tone, as if none of this concerned him, but in Scarlett Shaw’s heart, everything felt brighter. Her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescent moons, clear and luminous.

Ryan Ford: "Get in the car first."

Scarlett, in a good mood, held back a smile and obediently sat in the passenger seat.

When Ryan folded his umbrella and got in, Scarlett caught sight of a big wet patch on his left shoulder, his suit soaked from earlier. It must have gotten wet because he had been shielding her from the rain.

Scarlett belatedly remembered the first thing Ryan had said when they met. As he fastened his seatbelt, she demanded, "Ryan Ford, who are you calling temperamental?"

Ryan glanced at her coolly, one hand on the steering wheel. "Who’s the one not replying to messages? You know better than I do."

Scarlett: "..."

"You could tell I wasn’t happy, but you still played dumb on WhatsApp." She complained, feeling indignant.

It left her in a bad mood for days.

"No matter how much we say on WhatsApp, it’s not the same as seeing each other. Better to settle things early and just come here to see you,"

Ryan said calmly as he merged into traffic.

Her own boyfriend still looked as cold and distant as ever, but now that he was beside her, apart from the happiness of finally seeing him again, Scarlett experienced, for the first time, a deep sense of peace.

It was unbelievable, yet felt perfectly natural.

Arriving at the hotel room, Ryan glanced around at the decor, clearly unsatisfied. "Couldn’t you have booked somewhere better?"

Scarlett said, "This is company standard. Given my position and Cloud Harbor City’s cost of living, four hundred bucks is actually pretty good."

Ryan: "Didn’t you think to use the red packet I sent you?"

Scarlett just looked at him, silent.

That clean and pretty face wore an expression Ryan knew too well—the look she got when she was scheming something small.

He narrowed his eyes. "Scarlett Shaw, are you thinking that if we broke up one day, I’d try to get my money back, so you didn’t dare spend it?"

Scarlett: "..."

A boyfriend this clever is truly a double-edged sword.

Ryan’s lips curved just faintly, not a real smile, as he leaned in and gently pinched her soft cheek. "Seems like all your opinions of your boyfriend are negative."

Scarlett’s conscience pricked her. She coaxed sweetly, "That only proves I love you for real. I like you, even with all your annoying habits."

The fingers pinching her cheek paused slightly.

The two were standing right next to the bed. When Ryan sat down, he pulled her onto his lap, his palm cupping the back of her neck, kissing her in earnest for a while.

Half a month apart, and they were new lovers all over again.

The more they kissed, the less innocent it became.

Hands wandered where they shouldn’t; lips found bare skin where they shouldn’t.

Clutching Ryan’s shoulders, Scarlett trembled as she whispered, "Ryan..."

When it came to knowing each other’s personalities, maybe not so much—but when it came to each other’s bodies, Scarlett and Ryan were too familiar. Scarlett was the one who’d set the "take it slow" boundary, yet Ryan had this way about him—making her almost want to surrender, even as he remained unmoved.

Scarlett’s voice trembled, and so did her body.

Until she slumped, soft and weak, in his arms.

Ryan, by contrast—with only his shirt wrinkled from her grip, stayed neat and composed, save for a subtle look of desire in his eyes, still calm and clear-headed overall.

"Want to keep going?" Ryan looked at her and asked.

Scarlett bit her lip. "No."

Ryan pressed down lightly at the base of her skull, forcing her gaze down. She heard his cool, deep voice by her ear. "I take care of you, and then you just ignore me?"

Scarlett: "..."

...

Scarlett came out of the bathroom after washing her hands. Ryan had just finished a work call. Hanging up, he told her, "You can stop worrying about all those pointless fears."

Scarlett was stunned for a second before realizing Ryan was talking about the money.

She responded, then hesitated and asked, "How long will you be in Cloud Harbor?"

"I’ll head back to Capitoline the day after tomorrow."

As Ryan spoke, he caught the flicker of emotion in Scarlett’s eyes. Stepping closer, he got straight to the point: "You got other plans?"

She did, actually.

On her way to Cloud Harbor, Scarlett kept thinking the city’s name sounded familiar. She’d looked again at the info Aaron Carson sent about Anna Ford. Sure enough, Cloud Harbor had been Anna’s home before she went abroad.

The file even had Anna’s address in Cloud Harbor. Scarlett had been planning to check it out herself if she had time.

Ryan dropping by like this was unexpected, but a pleasant surprise.

When Scarlett didn’t answer right away, Ryan didn’t press. He just said, "If you have other plans, I’ll leave tomorrow morning."

The moment he said he’d leave, a fresh wave of reluctance swept through Scarlett.

She took his hand, pondering for a moment, and said, "Do you remember I told you I wanted to find my mother?"

Ryan’s gaze deepened without him realizing. "You got news?"

"Yeah."

Scarlett told him, simply and honestly, about asking Aaron Carson to investigate.

But she left out the part about working with Ryan Ford—for now.

Ryan listened, quiet, just watching her. Then he asked, "How do you feel about your mother now?"

Scarlett froze for a moment.

She hadn’t expected Ryan to ask that.

After a long silence, Scarlett lowered her eyes and said softly:

"Right now, I hate her."

"When things were hardest at home, she abandoned Dad, and she abandoned me. But now, she’s living a life thousands of times better than I am—she even has a new family, and I have nothing."

"Ryan, it just doesn’t feel fair. I don’t want her to be happy. I want her to pay for what she did."

By the end, her voice faded, but when she looked up at him, the hate in her almond eyes was finally clear, along with all her inner struggle.

Scarlett grew up being told to treat others with kindness, not to be afraid of giving, that as long as her conscience was clear, she’d be fine.

Both Benjamin Shaw and Serena Ford had told her that.

But Serena, the very person who taught her those things, now made them all feel like a joke.

"Ryan..."

Scarlett grasped his hand tightly, her own hand tense and anxious. Carefully, uncertainly, she asked: 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Is it too cruel of me to think this way? After all, she’s still my mother—she did give birth to me, she did raise me. Maybe, when disaster strikes, it’s only human to look after yourself first. Am I being too petty, too unforgiving?"

"No."

Almost without hesitation, Ryan leaned down and wrapped her gently in his arms. "Scarlett, you’re not wrong. Whatever you want to do, just do it."

His voice was calm and logical as always.

But beneath that calm, it was as if a kind of unwavering strength was there, giving Scarlett the courage to stick with her decision.

"And you’re not alone right now, Scarlett—you have me."

Ryan said softly.

"Whenever you need me, don’t hide it. Let me know, whenever."

Tears welled up and slowly gathered in Scarlett’s eyes.

She lowered her head, resting her chin on his shoulder, and whispered in his ear, "Thank you."

"You’re my girlfriend. No need to thank me." Ryan let her go, lowering his head to kiss the tip of her nose. "Besides, I told you, I’ll be a good boyfriend. I keep my promises."