Chapter 211


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than Ian had enveloped ra in a protective embrace. His


    large hand gripped her shoulder tightly. His face was a thundercloud, and his eyes were a stormy


    re fixed on Brodie. Each word he spat out wasced with frost. “No way! She’s my woman.”


    Every cell in his body was bristling with rage.


    Brodie’s little act couldn’t fool him. Brodie was pretending to need a fake girlfriend, but actually


    attempting to snatch his girl. He had just managed to send Anders and Ryker packing, No way was


    he going to let another man anywhere near ra. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Brodie had saved


    ra, Ian would have happily decked him one.


    Brodie nced at Ian, then, with impable tact, turned to ra. “I apologize if I’ve caused Ms.


    ra any difort. Forget I said anything. Let’s call it off. I don’t need anypensation. Please,


    go on your way.”


    He nodded politely, ready to lie down for a rest.


    Just then, ra’s voice, soft and clear, cut through the tension. “I agree to your terms.”


    At the sound of her voice, Ian’s arm tightened around her shoulders. He pulled her closer. His dark


    eyes churned with emotion. “ra, you can’t trust him; this is all his scheming.”


    ra stepped back, breaking free from Ian’s hold. Her expression was calm. “I’m capable of making


    my own judgments, Mr. Hayes. We’ve settled our debts, remember? There’s nothing between us


    anymore.”


    Her words pped him across the face. Those heartless words he said to ra before became a


    knife targeting his own heart.


    He clenched his fists. His voice dropped an octave. “ra, is this really how you want to treat me?


    You’d rather trust a stranger than believe in me?”


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ra’s smile was faint. “Didn’t you do the same? Trusting Heidi over and over, pushing me to the


    brink?”


    Ian was left speechless. He stared at ra’s defiant face for a long moment, then said coldly, “You’ll


    see that you’re making a mistake!” He stormed out of the hospital room.


    Chase hurried after him. “Come on. Don’t go! I bet you could win her back. I don’t want to end up


    babysitting that prickly little hedgehog.”


    Ian shot him a re. “Did I say I was giving up?”


    “Then why aren’t you stopping ra? Brodie may look all prim and proper, but there’s something off


    about him. He’s got this sneaky vibe. I bet he knew ra from before.”


    Ian stopped dead in his tracks. His icy gaze turned to Chase. “What makes you say that?”


    “Doesn’t ra like strawberry cake but not the strawberries in it?”


    “How do you know?”


    Chase gave a rogue’s grin. “How would I know? But Brodie does, and he yed it cool enough that


    ra didn’t see through him. Still think he’s that simple?”


    Ian felt the gravity of the situation. It was a detail he had only found out about ra over time. How


    did Brodie, upon first meeting, seem to understand her so well? There were no coincidences here.


    He immediately sent Dawson to dig up dirt on Brodie.


    Meanwhile, Heidi, in her quest to sabotage ra, had tripped someone at the party and got her


    ankle stepped on. She tried calling her brother Edwin for a ride, but the line went unanswered.


    She had this nagging feeling that Edwin was keeping something from her. Lately, he’d been distant,


    barely speaking to her, either not picking up her calls or hanging up after a few words.