Chapter 328
Bridgetown was this tiny, out-of-the-way village, about a six-hour drive from the Capital, almost like you're
heading into another city altogether. They hadn't even gotten around to setting up high-speed trains yet; all they
had were those old, clunky green trains that rattled along slower than a car.
Ryan found scomfort in the fact that Megan was pretty easygoing. As soon as they got in the car, she
started sharing stories about Clara, which piqued his interest. They chatted away until noon when Megan
admitted she was tired and needed a break, giving Ryan the chance to focus on the drive.
By the tthey rolled into Bridgetown, it was the crack of dawn-four in the morning. With no motels in sight,
Ryan had no choice but to lean back the car seat and try to catch ssleep. Growing up with the Bradford
family's luxury, he wasn't used to roughing it like this. He woke up sore all over, but by eight, he was up and
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtnudging Megan awake.
Megan had that classic good-girl look-petite and fair-skinned. Once they were out of the car, Ryan made a
beeline for the mountain path. The road was too narrow for cars, so they had to leave theirs behind. Megan
noticed his quick pace and hurried to keep up.
"Ryan, why are you rushing?"
Ryan didn't slow down; Clara was on his mind, making him anxious. "Clara gavethis task, and I've got to see
it through."
He was determined not to let Clara down, even if it meant pushing himself to the limit to find the old herbal
medicine expert for the insomnia remedy.
Megan wasn't looking too happy, and after a few steps, she twisted her ankle and fell, scraping her skin. Hearing
her fall, Ryan spun around, rushed over, and helped her up.
But he wasn't feeling particularly gallant. "Megan, you're hurt. Maybe it's best if you wait in the car. It's about an
hour's walk to the herbalist's place. | should be back in about three hours. There's food in the car, and you can
rest.”
Megan felt dismissed, her face paling. "But Clara mentioned the herbalist too. | wanted to get something for
cramps. Doesn't Clara need that too?"
Her thoughtfulness for Clara softened Ryan's resolve, and he decided to help her. "Alright, I'll help you. We
should make it in two hours."
Megan flashed him a smile. She worked at Moonlight and knew how to soften a man's heart with just the right
look, like the smile she'd perfected in front of the mirror. Even the most jaded would fall for it.
But Ryan didn't even glance her way. He just pulled her up and kept moving, practically dragging her along.
Megan's leg throbbed with pain, and her face went pale for a moment.
Trying to keep the conversation going, she asked, "Ryan, do you know about Clara's boyfriend?"
She was curious about him-was he good-looking? Ryan perked up at anything involving Clara. "Yeah, | know.
Clara really likes him, but he's pretty insecure and doesn't like meeting people. Once he's ready, Clara will
probably introduce him to me. After all, I'm her only brother."
He sounded almost boastful about being Clara's brother, like it was something to brag about. Megan's expression
soured further, especially seeing that pride on his face, and her hand clenched at her side. But when she heard
'insecure,' she relaxed a bit. It seemed Clara's boyfriend was just a regular guy.
After an hour of walking, Ryan was getting impatient, having to support her. Megan dug through her bag and
handed him a small piece of chocolate.