Chapter 185

The phone kept ringing, but all Theodore got was the busy tone. He frowned, clearly annoyed. What the hell was Ryan doing? Ignoring even his calls? He'd been caught up juggling the drama online lately and hadn't had time to check in, but Ryan hadn't updated him either. Now that he thought about it, they'd gone quite a while without touching base. He'd assured Victoria that Ryan could be counted on when it came to serious stuff, and he meant every word of that. It wasn't that he doubted Ryan would screw things up, but something just felt... off. Uneasy, Theodore grabbed his keys and hit the road, heading straight to Ryan's house. With Ryan's older siblings handling the family business, his parents enjoyed their retirement—staying home most of the time, occasionally going on vacations when the mood struck. When Theodore arrived, both of Ryan's parents were home. They were a bit surprised to see him show up unannounced. "Theodore? You're here to see Ryan?" Mrs. Stuart asked first. It was