Chapter 356 Can You Trust
Me
“Sir! You’re not allowed in there! Please, stop! Sir, I’m telling you, you can’t-”
The door slammed open without warning.
Ryland charged into the room, his steps heavy with rage, his eyes alight with fury.
Claude’s gaze shifted from his desk, landing on Ryland. Instantly, his hardened expression softened, almost imperceptibly.
The secretary trailed behind Ryland, her voice wavering with guilt as she spoke. “Mr.
Perez, I tried my best to stop him, but he refused to listen. He just barged straight in.”
Claude raised a hand in a quiet gesture, dismissing her without a word.
Seeing this, the secretary hesitated for a moment before stepping out, closing the door
behind her with care.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Claude stood from his chair. He crossed the space between them at an unhurried pace, his voice unusually soft. “Have you had anything
to eat yet?”
“Fuck you!” Ryland roared, his anger seething as his words sliced through the air.
Claude reached out, attempting to calm him with a touch, but Ryland wrenched himself back, glaring with unfiltered hatred.
“Ryland, no matter how upset you are, there’s no need for language like that. It’s crass and unbecoming,” Claude said with an unshaken tone.
“I couldn’t care less about what’s ‘unbecoming,’ Claude!” Ryland’s voice cracked with anger. “Just tell me the truth! Did you drug Renee? Have you completely lost your damn mind?!”
Claude’s face went pale in an instant. His eyes betrayed a fleeting flash of panic, though he quickly pulled himself together, his voice firm but measured. “Ryland, this isn’t what you think it is. I swear it’s not.”
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Chapter 356 Can You Trust Me
Ryland’s eyes, bloodshot and intense, burned with unrelenting fury, “Not what I think? Then explain it to me! Right now, Claude! Tell me exactly what you did to her and why! Don’t you dare dodge the question, and don’t even think about lying to me to cover it
up!”
Claude’s voice was steady, his words unyielding. “Because I wanted to be with you,
Forever.”
Ryland scoffed immediately, his tone sharp and mocking. “Don’t feed me that bullshit!”
Claude let out a hollow laugh, one that carried bitterness and frustration in equal
measure. “I’ve told you before, but you never believe me, Ryland. Trust has always been the problem between us. That’s why it took so long for us to finally get to where we were. You didn’t think I’d ever come out to my family for you. And yet, I did. I proved you wrong, didn’t I?”
Ryland’s response was swift, his voice cutting like a blade. “Seriously? This is ridiculous, Claude. You did this so we could be together? Well, too bad! Because I’m done with you!”
“That’s on you, not me,” Claude said, his voice carrying a faint edge of bitterness. “You’re the one who wants to end things now.”
Ryland’s fury erupted like a storm, his voice rising. “You hurt Renee! Do you even understand what you’ve done? She isn’t just some friend to me, Claude! She’s family! How could you do this, knowing how much she means to me?!”
Claude’s tone didn’t waver. “I thought about that.”
Ryland’s anger hit a breaking point. “You thought about it?! And you still went through with it? Claude, you’re unbelievable!”
For the first time, Claude lowered his head, his expression unreadable as silence stretched between them.
But Ryland wasn’t done. He stepped closer, his voice trembling with rage. “Answer me, Claude! Did you drug Renee? Why did you do it? What were you hoping to gain?!”
Claude stayed silent, his lips pressed tightly together.
Ryland’s frustration boiled over, and he pointed an accusing finger at Claude. “Fine! If you won’t answer me, then don’t! We’re finished! From this moment on, we’re strangers! Don’t come near me again!”
“Ryland, calm down,” Claude said, his voice still calm, though a thread of desperation
seeped through.
“Calm down?!” Ryland’s voice cracked as his emotions overtook him. “How the hell do you expect me to calm down? Do you even understand what you’ve done?! Renee has been through so much because of you, and she’s so afraid of hurting me that she won’t even tell me everything! And you-you stand there telling me that you did it for us and that I should calm down?!”
He glared at Claude with pure disdain, his voice trembling with fury. “Forget it. There’s nothing left to say. Claude, we’re done. You-”
Before he could finish his sentence, a strong hand pulled him forward, his face colliding with Claude’s chest. He could feel the solid warmth of the other man’s body against him.
“Let me go! Claude, I swear, let me go!” Ryland shouted, his voice muffled as he struggled against the firm grip.
But Claude only held him tighter, his arms locking around him as though letting go
wasn’t an option.
“I’m not letting go, Ryland,” Claude said, his voice soft but unwavering. “You said you trusted me. Just this once, trust me without asking why. Please.”
