Chapter 4 Be A Father For The First Time

Ryder's words caused Zoey to snap back to her senses. Her face instantly darkened, a scowl forming on her brow.

Ryder distinctly noticed the abrupt change in Zoey's face, her expression ranging from astonishment to blankness, and then twisting into immense hatred.

Five years ago, the two of them had been set up and engaged in sexual activity. In order not to tarnish their good reputation, the Swain family let Ryder marry into the family. And Zoey was the type of woman who valued virtue more than her life, so she accepted it and let the events unfold.

She didn't expect that in less than a month of their marriage, Ryder would suddenly disappear and Rylee would inform her that he had taken five hundred thousand in finances from Ruben.

And, one thing after another, she found out she was pregnant.

Later, during the last days of her pregnancy, the Swain family took advantage of the time she was delivering her baby and forcibly took over the Sanhoy Group, which was founded by Zoey, on the excuse that she had shamed the family.

Recalling those dark days and the countless tears she had silently shed by herself almost every night, Zoey could only feel a scorching hatred for the man who had abandoned her without uttering so much as a word.

"If you had died, perhaps I would have lived with it. But now you're appearing in front of me five years after you disappeared. Your presence is reminding me of the horrible trauma I went through. Do you take pleasure in that?" Zoey roared at him, her voice heartbreakingly searing the air as it betrayed the painful emotions she had repressed inside her heart for years.

The sight of his beloved trembling and wailing in anguish was like a stab in Ryder's heart.

"Zoey, I'm sorry!" Ryder exclaimed sincerely, approaching her with miserable eyes. But he didn't know what else to say other than an apology.

"Why did you leave five years ago? Why did you leave without saying a word?" Biting her lip, Zoey stared at Ryder, her gaze burning with questions.

"I joined the army five years ago because I wanted to make myself worthy of you! Recently I've gotten out of the service," Ryder replied firmly, fixating his eyes on her pretty face determinedly. Before he had come back, he had sworn that he would never let the woman in front of him be hurt again.

Rylee suddenly sneered, and her eyes narrowed at Ryder in a glare. "What a sweet lie. But back then, you sought out Ruben and told him that, as long as he gave you $500, 000, you would never see Zoey again."

Ryder denied immediately, "No, I didn't!"

His eyes flashed frighteningly in vexation. Rylee was framing him.

Rylee snarled, "No? Then let me ask you directly. Did Ruben give you $500, 000 five years ago?"

"I did borrow $500, 000 from him, but it turned out I didn't need it. So I returned all the money to him the following day," he explained.

"Bullshit! After you took the money, you disappeared for good until today. When did you ever return the money?" Ruben countered his claim instantly.

The couple echoed their disapproval fervently, refusing to give Ryder a chance to explain. They were determined to slander Ryder by insisting he took the money and left selfishly.

Zoey raised her hand and struck Ryder across the face.

Then she pointed her finger at the door and shrieked, "Get out! Now!"

The little girl, who had been in Ryder's arms, burst into tears.

"Mommy, don't chase Daddy away. All the other kids have dads, but I don't. I want a Dad, too. Mommy, please don't drive Daddy away!"

The little girl sobbed relentlessly. Tears dribbled down her face, and she tightly wrapped her small arms around Ryder's neck, refusing to let go as if she feared she would never see her father again.

Zoey froze for a moment, flustered. The sound of her daughter crying erased all her thoughts of blaming Ryder. She quickly embraced her daughter in her arms and comforted her, "Okay, I won't drive Daddy away. Don't cry, sweetie."

As she spoke, tears also overflowed her eyes. No matter how much resentment she held for this man in her heart, he was still her daughter's father. She was willing to do and bear anything for the sake of her daughter.

"Daddy, Mommy has promised me she won't drive you away anymore. Then you promise me you will never leave us again, okay?" Her eyes were still wet with tears as Sloane looked at Ryder expectantly.

The conversation between the mother and the daughter was not loud, but their voices were like a clap of thunder that shook Ryder to the core and caused him to tremble uncontrollably.

When Ryder first laid eyes on Sloane at the airport, he realized that her features reminded him of his own. Moreover, Sloane was only about four years old. Everything about her was practically screaming at him that she was his biological daughter!

Was Sloane a result of what happened that night five years ago?

There were about nine months of pregnancy, and today was Sloane's four-year-old birthday. The total time was about five years, which was the exact amount of time he had been away.

As he pieced this together, Ryder felt more shocked. He strode forward, looked at the beautiful woman with tearful eyes, and asked in a trembling voice, "Is... is she our daughter?"

Zoey didn't answer for a while, a conflicted look on her face. Finally, she nodded hesitantly. After all, he was the father of her child and had the right to know the truth.

Although Ryder had already had an inkling, Zoey's confirmation jolted him.

Tears streamed down his face. An overwhelming mix of sorrow and guilt filled his chest.

Ryder held his daughter in his arms and whispered in her ear, "I promise you that I will never leave you or your mom ever again for the rest of my life."

Although his voice was very soft, it was firm and powerful. A man did not make promises haphazardly. Once he did, he was bound to keep it for a lifetime.

"Get your hands off my granddaughter!"

Shattering the affectionate moment, Rylee stepped forward quickly and yanked Sloane away from Ryder's grasp.

Afraid of accidentally hurting the little girl, Ryder gave in and released her.

Fury rose inside him, but when Ryder looked at his daughter, he thought of Zoey going through the hardships of pregnancy and giving birth, as well as the gossip and humiliation she probably had to endure alone all these years. His anger subsided with crushing guilt, and he went quiet.

"Zoey, I know you are softhearted and easily convinced. But this time, your father and I will not let you get yourself hurt again." With a furious look on her face, Rylee pointed at the expensive set of glittering jewelry on the table and said, "These are the gifts from Platt. We have taken the liberty of accepting them for you. Get the divorce procedure over with this loser now, and then prepare to marry Platt."

Before Zoey and Ryder had even agreed to divorce, Rylee had already started to plan to have Zoey remarry.

Ryder scowled. If it weren't for his wife and daughter, Ryder would have slapped Rylee.

Sloane cried again. "Grandma, please don't drive Daddy away. I want Daddy. Don't drive him away."

Although the girl was still a kid, she understood what Rylee was trying to do. Her eyes were full of tears as she bawled again, and Ryder felt like his heart was breaking at the sound of her cries.

With an impatient glare at the crying girl, Rylee scolded, "Shut up, Sloane Swain! Your father died a long time ago. He is not your father. If you keep crying, I will lock you up in a dark room."

Sloane clamped her mouth shut, her body trembling. She was still crying, but she tried her best to stifle her sobs. Her big, pitiful eyes peered at Zoey and then at Ryder.

Ryder noticed how frightened his daughter had become and realized that Rylee must have locked Sloane up before.

Outrage rose in his chest, and his mouth pressed into a thin line. At this moment, the temperature in the room seemed to have dropped several degrees.