Chapter 5: She is Mine

Mia's POV

Ryder gripped my hand under the table, a silent assurance. There was no turning back now. I couldn't believe the passionate man I’d been with was my ex’s uncle. What was I supposed to do now?

I picked up a cup of tea from the table and finished it in one gulp, trying to ignore Ryan’s burning glare from across the table.

“So, Mia, what do you do?” Ryder’s mother, her tone dripping with mockery, asked. I turned to look at Ryder, who gave me a soft nod without even looking at me.

I cleared my throat. “I don’t work right now. But—”

“No work at all?” She gasped in shock, her eyes darting around the table to see everyone’s reactions.

My smile twisted into a frown, understanding the insinuation behind her reaction.

“Yeah, too bad,” I muttered under my breath. She chuckled, then broke into a series of laughs, making a tremendous pain spread in my chest.

“Wherever my wife works is not your concern, Adeline...” Ryder's voice was cold, leaving no room for further discussion.

Adeline tsked in contempt, raising her chin as she sipped from her cup of tea. My eyes landed on Ryder and I felt touched. He didn’t even open his eyes, yet he knew exactly what was happening.

I wondered if Ryder knew about my breakup with his nephew before we met. Did he know I had been with Ryan for three years and never met his parents? That realization brought a slight ache to my chest.

Ryan was still glaring daggers at me, but I continued to scan the room. I felt a strong, hostile presence and turned to see a beautiful girl with black pigtails and a scowl on her face. She didn’t seem pleased to see me.

I felt chills just looking into her eyes. Ryan had a little sister? No, she didn’t look like one. I leaned towards Ryder and whispered, “Who is the girl with black pigtails?”

“She’s my niece. She lost her parents at a young age,” he drawled. A stab of empathy hit my heart at this news. The little girl was left with a family who might not cherish her as much as her parents would have.

Ryder’s hand tightened around mine as if sensing my thoughts. His gaze assured me.

I turned to look at the girl again, her brows scrunched into a frown. She must have hated the pity in my eyes. I raised my hand and waved at her with a warm smile, only for her to stab her fork into her steak with brutal force.

Damn, such hostility. I focused on the steak on my plate. The beauty of the meat made me drool. The aroma hit my face, and I couldn’t help but groan in appreciation. When was the last time I had food this good?

I picked up my fork and knife, ready to dig in—

“Didn’t they teach you manners?” Ryan taunted. “I bet you’ve never had steak before and now you’ve lost your home training.” A smirk stained his lips, and I almost gagged at the sight of him.

My fork twisted at an odd angle under my grip, but then I noticed Ryder’s gaze. A vein popped violently in his head.

He picked up his cutlery and cut a huge chunk of meat from his plate, placing it on mine. Confused, I watched him plant his face into his hands, his elbows on the table. A smile etched at the corner of his lips, causing a flutter in my stomach.

“Feed me.” He commanded, and I tensed. His steely blue eyes scanned my whole body, daring me to defy him.

My face flushed as his hazy blue eyes met mine. “Do it.” He urged again. I picked up the steak and brought it to his lips.

“Uncle!” Ryan’s squeal made my hands freeze. Ryder bit the piece of meat from the fork. I was about to withdraw when he grabbed the back of my neck and crushed his lips against mine, pushing the spicy meat into my mouth. His tongue swirled around, ensuring the meat was fixed in my mouth.

I moaned as his teeth clamped down on my lower lip, ignoring everyone else in the room. My thighs clenched tightly until he withdrew, his eyes locking with mine. “Chew!”

Confused, I complied, savouring the taste. My eyes closed, my mouth a paradise of flavours.

“Uncle!” Ryan and the teenage girl echoed in harmony. My eyes snapped open to Ryder, who silenced them with a single glare. They clamped their mouths shut, lowering their heads in rage.

‘Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea,’ I hummed. Ryder turned to me, his warmth enveloping me.

“Keep eating. When you’re with me, eat however you like,” he instructed softly, making me feel safe and fuzzy inside.

I reluctantly nodded, reminding myself that this was all because of the contract. I had to bear his child, regardless of love.

“You can’t keep ignoring us and treating your blood this way. I am your brother and they are your family! Ryder!” Ryan’s father barked, anger in his gruff voice.

I focused on my food, knowing that as much as I liked violence, I didn’t want to interrupt a family meeting.

“She is my family now, not you,” Ryder uttered, his disdain palpable.

He didn’t even acknowledge his father, as if he wasn’t part of the family. They had the same eyes, but their hair colour was vastly different.

A crazy idea popped up. ‘What if I used this opportunity to make Ryan suffer?’

A dangerous thought swirled in my head. I took another slice of steak, closed my eyes to savour the taste, and let out a contented sigh. If this was what I would enjoy and more, I’d gladly give Ryder my child—even if he didn’t love me.

As I continued observing, it was clear that Ryder’s ink-black hair set him apart from Ryan’s brown-haired family. The only one who bore a resemblance to Ryder was the teenage girl. She—

A message notification popped up. Raising my phone, I found a text from Ryan. Filled with curiosity, I opened it. My eyes darkened. ‘Come outside, let’s talk,’ it read. I locked the phone and put it down, mumbling, “Jerkass.”

“Ryan said he wanted to talk to me. Can I leave?” I purred into Ryder’s ear, pressing against his arm.

Ryder, who had been giving Ryan’s father the silent treatment, opened his eyes and shot a glare at Ryan, who gasped in fright.

“Are you not getting married?” Ryder asked, hitting the nail on the head. The question stabbed a hole through my chest.

I almost forgot Ryan was marrying someone else now. I scoffed internally, pitying the young lady, yet feeling a mix of rage and heartbreak.

“Yes, I was going to announce that I’m getting married at the end of the month,” Ryan replied, his eyes darting to me for a reaction, but I lazily looked back at him.

“Then why do you need to speak with my wife?” Ryder’s voice was stormy with rage. “Haven’t you both broken up?”

“We have, I just wanted to say something to—”

“Wait, you mean this slut was once your girlfriend?” the teenage girl with pigtails gasped, ridiculing me.

I clenched my fist under the table, about to retort when Ryder beat me to it.

“Shut your mouth, Leah, or I will shut it for you.” He threatened, and she shivered under his gaze.

She lowered her head, mumbling a sorry.

Ryder stood up, still gripping my hand tightly as he walked to the door. I followed behind him like an entourage.

“We are not done with the family gathering, Ryder.” Ryan’s father boomed in anger, his resemblance to Ryder more noticeable now.

I noticed the strained vein popping in his neck. He’d been pushed to a corner.

“Focus on teaching your son the right way, or one day he might end up in jail,” Ryder advised. “No one touches what’s mine.” His tone darkened, making me feel both nervous and flattered.

And yet, I had this urge to find out more.