Chapter 2 She's Escaped!

Ryan studied the little girl. She was a carbon copy of Paige, his ex-girlfriend. He had never had any desire to meet his niece, knowing she was a living reminder of that betrayal. But now, seeing her in person—meeting those wide eyes filled with bewilderment, fear, and despair—something shifted inside him.

The memory of the day his own mother died flashed through his mind. As strange as it felt, he saw himself in Hope. Both of them had been left entirely unprotected as children.

Driven by a sudden impulse—perhaps some deep familial instinct—he reached a hand out to her. But to the little girl, her uncle was a complete stranger. She had seen the initial coldness in his gaze just minutes ago. Trembling, she shrank back, clinging to her grandmother and burying her face against the older woman's side.

"Please hurry, Ava," she pleaded silently. She desperately wanted to run, terrified by this stranger's presence. "I want to go with you, Ava. Take me to your mom." The silent begs looped in her mind as her tears continued to fall.

Not wanting to distress the girl further, Ryan withdrew. He retreated to a row of empty chairs near the middle of the hall. He had no desire to mingle or accept condolences; he had never been good at stomaching pity.

A short while later, while quietly firing off business directives to his assistant, a movement caught his eye. He looked up to see Hope sitting with a woman and another little girl.

The woman was young and striking, with long, light brown hair cascading over her shoulders. She was leaning in close to his niece and the other girl. He couldn't hear the words, but he could see her speaking softly to Hope.

There was something undeniably familiar about her face, though he couldn't quite place it.

He watched his niece cling to the woman, then turn to hug the other little girl.

Who were they? He wondered, struck by the obvious bond between the three of them.

He was so absorbed in the scene that he didn't notice his grandmother approaching until she took the seat beside him. Across the room, the woman and the little girl settled into chairs flanking Hope, offering quiet comfort.

"Now that your brother is gone, I expect you'll finally take charge of the family business," Rose murmured.

Ryan rolled his eyes, letting out a heavy exhale. "This isn't the time or the place."

"I suppose you're right, dear," his grandmother sniffed. "Now that I'll be taking care of Hope, I'm going to transfer her to a new school."

She cast a look of pure disdain toward the woman comforting her granddaughter.

Ryan turned, leveling a hard look at the old woman. She just couldn't stop controlling people's lives.

"Why?" Ryan asked.

"I don't approve of Hope's friendship with the daughter of that... woman. She's a single mother, and heaven knows what kind of lifestyle she leads. That child is a terrible influence. Besides..." Rose gestured sharply toward her. "She works for our competitor. She holds a high-level position at B&G Motors."

Interesting, Ryan mused. The pieces instantly clicked into place. This was Vanessa Johnson. He knew the name well.

He studied her again. Vanessa was standing now. She was tall and slender, dressed in an understated black designer dress that was perfectly tailored to her elegant figure. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, and the look she gave Hope was entirely tender.

She reminded him of someone. He racked his brain. Unable to place it, Ryan shook his head and headed for the terrace. He needed some air.

Meanwhile, Rose took the opportunity to approach Vanessa. She scowled, tapping her cane sharply against the marble floor to demand attention.

Vanessa met the old woman's glare evenly, completely unintimidated.

"I demand that you leave this house. You and your daughter are not welcome here," Rose snapped.

Vanessa's hands curled into fists.

"Listen, ma'am, this is hardly the time for a fight. Your granddaughter needs my daughter's company right now. Just look at her."

She gestured toward the girls, where Ava was currently wrapping her arms around a trembling Hope.

Vanessa's stomach churned with disgust. It was sickeningly ironic. Little Hope had just lost her parents and was seeking refuge with her friend, while her own great-grandmother cared only about throwing her weight around. The old woman was entirely blind to the inconsolable child crying just feet away.

Rose sneered, her nose wrinkling in distaste.

"This is a respectable family, not a place for your kind." Stepping forward, she grabbed little Ava by the arm. "Let go of my great-granddaughter!" she hissed.

Vanessa's eyes flared as her blood boiled. She lunged forward, seizing the old woman's wrist and forcefully prying her away from Ava.

"Don't you ever touch my daughter," she warned, her voice dropping to a dangerous register. "Old woman or not, I will not hesitate to kick your ass."

Ryan had just stepped back into the hall. Catching sight of the altercation and hearing the girls' frightened sobs, he strode over immediately.

"What is going on here?" he demanded, his deep voice cutting through the tension.

Vanessa spun around, her chest heaving. She lifted her chin, her gaze locking with the cold-eyed man who had just spoken. Her skin prickled under the sheer intensity of his stare.

Ryan saw his own reflection in her striking green eyes. The sheer fire in her gaze shook him, though he couldn't explain why.

"This insolent woman—she struck me, Ryan!" Rose cried out in a feigned sob, dramatically clutching her arm.

The shrill sound of his grandmother's voice snapped Ryan out of his daze. He glanced down to see the old woman rubbing her wrist.

"That's a lie. You grabbed my daughter first," Vanessa shot back. "And I don't let anyone—"

"Enough," Ryan cut in smoothly. "This is a funeral. I expect some decorum. Besides, your shouting is upsetting the children."

He leveled a hard look at her. Vanessa glared at him, her brow furrowing. She had no idea where this man fit into the Knight family tree, but she immediately decided he was just as bad—if not worse—than Roger and Rose.

"I expect the exact same decorum, Mr.—"

"Knight. I'm Ryan Knight," he said.

Of course, another Knight.

"We only came to support Hope. We care about her deeply," she stated firmly, holding both Ryan's and Rose's gazes.

"Well, my great-granddaughter doesn't need your friendship," Rose snapped. She raised a hand, signaling for the estate guards to come and throw Vanessa out.

"Grandmother," Ryan intervened, catching the old woman's gesture. "That won't be necessary. I'll personally escort the lady and her daughter out."

Rose offered a smug smile. She assumed his years away from the family had finally taught him some loyalty.

"Thank you, dear."

Ryan reached out and gripped Vanessa's arm. She instantly glared daggers at him.

"Don't touch me," she seethed, her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths.

"It's better if you just leave by yourself," he advised in a low voice.

"Don't threaten me, Mr. Knight. We haven't done anything wrong." She jerked her arm out of his grasp, meeting his stare head-on. "I shudder to think how miserable little Hope is going to be under the care of such callous relatives."

"Ma'am, if you don't lower your voice, I will have security drag you out."

"Do you honestly think I want to stay here a second longer?" She planted her hands on her hips, her chin tipped in defiance. "Even I can see how badly you're neglecting that little girl. She needs my daughter right now. Kicking us out is only going to traumatize her further!"

She glanced back at the two girls, who were now sobbing uncontrollably. "Girls, it's okay. Shh, don't cry," she soothed, her tone instantly softening. She knelt in front of Hope. "Don't be scared, sweetheart. You can always count on us."

She pressed a gentle kiss to the child's forehead.

"I said don't touch her!" Rose screeched. She shoved her way between them, forcibly ripping Hope away from Vanessa. The old woman jabbed her cane toward Vanessa's chest, her eyes bulging with rage.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Ryan seized Vanessa's arm again. Gathering little Ava, he practically marched the two of them out of the hall.

Vanessa fought him the entire way, cursing under her breath as she tried to wrench her arm free.

"You're just as much of a hypocrite as that old witch, Mr. Knight!" she snapped as they reached the exterior doors. "I don't give a damn how you treat me, but did you even look at your niece? Did you see how desperately she was crying? You people don't care about her at all!"

Ryan stared down at her, taking in the blazing fury in her eyes. It hit him then—this woman more about his niece's well-being than he or his grandmother ever did.

If the girl didn't look exactly like Paige, maybe he could...

"Let go of me!" Vanessa demanded, ripping her arm from his loosened grip. He had zoned out for a fraction of a second, and she used the opportunity to step back, glaring at him with absolute venom. "Don't you ever touch me again."

"Look, I was actually saving you from my grandmother's wrath, but think what you want," he retorted. "There's a cab pulling up. Take it and leave."

Vanessa let out a harsh laugh.

"Arrogant jerk. I have my own car. I don't need anything from you, least of all your protection. I can handle myself just fine. Understood?"

To emphasize her point, she jabbed two fingers hard against his chest. Ryan looked down at her hand, then back up to her eyes. She was stunningly beautiful and had a lot of spirit. In a swift motion, he caught her hand, his fingers wrapping around her soft skin.

A strange jolt went through him. He felt as though he had known this exact warmth before. But that was impossible. He had never met a woman as fiery as Vanessa, even if her name had been circling in the back of his mind.

Vanessa felt a strange, electric tingle shoot up her arm. She immediately snatched her hand back.

"Don't come back here. Or I assure you, my grandmother will set the dogs on you."

Vanessa scoffed.

"I'm not afraid of her," she declared. Grabbing Ava's hand, she turned on her heel and marched toward where her Lexus was parked.

Ryan stood on the steps, watching the confident sway of her hips as she walked away. A faint, unbidden smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he thought about how fearlessly she had stood up to his overbearing grandmother.

***

Two days after the funeral, Ryan and his grandmother sat in the mansion's main study for the reading of Roger's will.

The family lawyer began listing the distribution of assets.

"Upon my death, it is my wish that my brother, Ryan, take full control of the family business," the lawyer read from one of the clauses.

"Out of the question," Ryan snapped, running a hand through his hair in annoyance.

"Let's just continue," Rose instructed the lawyer. The lawyer cleared his throat.

"At my wife Paige's request, we have decided that, should we both pass away, legal guardianship of our daughter, Hope, will be granted to my brother, Ryan."

Ryan shot to his feet.

"Are you out of your minds?!" he exploded. "I don't have time to raise a child! I run a massive corporation. I'm a busy man!" He paced the floor, his jaw clenched tight. He couldn't fathom why Paige—of all people—would leave her daughter to him.

"Calm down, dear," his grandmother soothed. "You can simply hire a nanny to handle the day-to-day, or I could take her off your hands."

Ryan let out a harsh breath, fixing his grandmother with a deadpan stare.

"It would be infinitely simpler just to send the girl to a boarding school in Europe."

***

A boarding school?

Europe?

Out in the hallway, Hope stood frozen, her ear pressed flat against the heavy oak door. She trembled violently at her uncle's words, hugging her favorite stuffed doll tightly to her chest.

"No, I don't want to go away. I don't want to leave Ava," she whimpered. "Why did Mommy and Daddy have to die?"

She clamped a small hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs. Backing away from the study, she turned and sprinted up the stairs to her bedroom. She had to run away. She had to go live with Ava and her mom.

Moving quickly, the little girl stuffed a few changes of clothes into her school backpack. She smashed her ceramic piggy bank on the floor and scooped up all her saved allowance. Creeping down the back stairs, she made sure none of the estate staff saw her as she slipped out through the sprawling gardens. Once past the gates, she ran down the street, tears streaming down her face, completely unsure of where to actually go.

"Don't be scared, Hope," she told herself, wiping her eyes. "Think about what Ava would do."

Then, it hit her. She remembered the name of the company where Ava's mom worked. Spotting a yellow cab at the corner, she waved it down. When the driver rolled down the window and asked if a kid her age had money to pay the fare, she silently held up her wad of crumpled bills.

Satisfied, he unlocked the door and drove her straight to B&G Motors.

Back at the Knight Mansion, the argument in the study raged on.

"You have to be reasonable, Ryan. I'm an old woman. I can't manage the family business and raise a little girl at the same time," Rose argued.

"Then find someone else to do it, because I'm not taking her," Ryan shot back. "I have my own company and my own life. I don't need this kind of complication."

"Mrs. Knight!" a frantic maid cried out, bursting through the study doors without knocking.

Rose scowled. "What? Why are you barging in here?"

The maid gasped for breath, her face pale. "It's little Hope, ma'am. She's gone. She's run away!"