âAnna? What are you doing here?â
Ryan was surprised when he opened the door, startling Anna who was standing behind it. She clasped her hands over her chest, her eyes darting around like a frightened deer.
âRyâ¦Ryanâ¦hi.â
Her voice was soft, just as Ryan remembered Anna to beâalways so polite.
Anna sneaked glances at Ryan, her gaze lingering on his profile, almost mesmerized.
Yes, this was the Ryan she had missed so much. He hadnât changed at all during the days he was gone.
In fact, Annaâs feelings for Ryan had always been one-sided. Ryan only remembered her as a younger classmate he had seen a few times,they didnât really have any interactions beyond that. But Annaâs emotions were clearly intense.
âDo you remember me, Ryan? Senior Ryan?â
âUh, of course, I remember. Youâre Anna from the library, right? I helped you with your homework before.â
Ryan was puzzled by her question. Hadnât he just called her by name?
Even though she knew he remembered her, Anna felt a warmth spread through her heart when Ryan said her name. It made all her previous suffering seem worthwhile.
âUh, anyway, come in.â
Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, wondering why Anna was here.
From what Hannah had said, it was almost certain that Anna was brought here by her.
But that woman definitely wasnât just helping him out by bringing someone he knew over. What was she really up to?
And did Alice know about this, or was Hannah acting on her own?
Regardless, Anna was here now, and he couldnât just leave her standing at the door.
Even though it was Aliceâs house, Ryan felt obliged to be a good host since he was staying here. He quickly ushered Anna to the sofa and poured her a glass of orange juice.
âSo⦠Anna, how did you find this place?â
Ryan set the orange juice in front of her. Anna stared at the glass for a moment before downing it in one go.
It was a generous pour, meant to be sipped slowly, but Anna kept swallowing even as the juice spilled over her lips and down her neck.
It was from Ryan, and even if it meant showing off a bit, she wanted to finish it.
Ryan watched, a bit taken aback, thinking, âYou donât have to rush, Anna. You look like you were dying of thirst.â
âI saw you on the street earlier and followed you here.â
Anna spoke timidly, her voice soft. She wasnât good at interacting with others and appeared very shy and reserved.
Especially sitting next to Ryan, it all felt surreal to her, like floating on clouds.
She had actually done it.
âBy the way, Senior Ryan, why are you here?â
Seeing Ryan fall silent, Anna initiated the conversation.
Her eyes scanned the villaâs lavish decor and the distant bodyguards, pondering how she might get Ryan out of here.
To her, this place seemed like a gilded cage. Ryan shouldnât be trapped here,he needed to be back where he belonged.
In her life.
âMy situation is a bit complicated.â
Ryan touched his nose, unsure of where to start. He was technically brought here against his will, but obviously, he couldnât share that with Anna.
He still didnât know why Anna had come looking for him, but telling her might just cause her to do something reckless, and he would regret it later.
Seeing Ryanâs troubled expression, Annaâs heart sank, confirming her suspicions.
Ryan had been forced here, and these bodyguards were here to keep an eye on him. That was the real reason he had disappeared.
âAnna, why did you come looking for me? Did Hannah force you to come?â
Ryan couldnât think of any other reason. Hannah clearly had a grudge against him, so bringing Anna here might be a way to intimidate him.
Was this to show that she could easily find people connected to Ryan and warn him not to do anything unnecessary?
He wasnât planning on causing any trouble,on the contrary, the more he could help Alice, the better it would be for him.
âNo, itâs not about anyone else.â
âItâs just me, I wanted⦠to find you, Senior Ryan. Thatâs all.â
Ryanâs words revealed his concern, which warmed Annaâs heart.
But she shook her head vigorously. She didnât want Ryan to think she was here out of obligation, she wanted him to understand how important he was to her.
âYou wanted to find me.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Ryan paused, not quite grasping her meaning at first, then something clicked, and he nodded, visibly relieved.
Ryan had always thought he had vanished without a trace, unnoticed by the outside world. He had been here for so long without any news from outside, he almost believed everyone had forgotten about him.
But now, with Anna standing right in front of him, it was clear he hadnât been completely forgotten, and that touched him deeply.
He hadnât expected his friends to look for him, but here was Anna, someone heâd only met a few times, who had been thinking about him all this while. Anna really was a thoughtful and kind-hearted girl.
Suddenly, something else crossed Ryanâs mind, sparking his curiosity.
âDo you know about the fire at the orphanage? What happened with that?â
Ryan had died trying to save the orphanage from a fire, and he thought that might have made the news, maybe even earned him a Carnegie Hero Fund Medal.
But at his question, Anna frowned slightly, looking seriously at Ryan.
âUh, maybe I was being presumptuous. Itâs normal if you donât know about the orphanage.â
Ryan waved his hand dismissively, chuckling at himself. He realized he might be overestimating his own importance.
Annaâs presence didnât necessarily mean she knew a lot about him. She probably had no idea what Ryan was talking about when he mentioned the orphanage.
But before Ryan could finish his thought, Anna interrupted him, her voice filled with excitement as she set her glass down on the table with such force it nearly shattered, startling Ryan.
âWhatâs going on? Why such a big reaction?â
âNo, I do know. I know about it all.â
âThe orphanage is at 37 Riverside Avenue, a three-story duplex that houses seventy-one children. You came from there.â
âYou really miss that place, you always go back once a month to volunteer.â
Anna rattled off a string of information, countering Ryanâs assumption, and leaving him utterly stunned.
She was right, even more detailed than Ryan himself knew. He went there every month, but he didnât even know how many children were there now.
How could Anna know so much about him? Ryan felt goosebumps rise on his skin as he grew increasingly puzzled.
But looking into Annaâs clear eyes, the flicker of suspicion in Ryanâs heart melted away.
Here was his sweet junior, knowing all these things didnât mean she was plotting anything against him.
He was just an ordinary person after all,who would go out of their way to gather information about him?
Maybe Anna just happened to know these things and had a good memory.
âMy frown wasnât because I have any aversion to you, but what you mentioned about the orphanage, as far as I know, there hasnât been a fire.â
âNo fire?â
Anna spoke earnestly, and after seeing Ryanâs startled reaction, she quickly switched back to her soft, soothing voice.
âBut, the fire at the orphanage on March 17th, wasnât it reported outside?â
Ryan, unable to suppress his inner turmoil any longer, leaned forward, grabbing Annaâs hands in his excitement.
Annaâs cheeks flushed with a hint of red as she noted Ryanâs agitated demeanor, then nodded seriously.
It seemed the orphanage was really important to Ryan. Anna silently filed this information away, knowing it might be useful later.
Worried that Ryan might not believe her, Anna pulled out her phone to show him the Daily Bugle from March 17th.
An event like a fire at an orphanage would definitely make the news if it had happened.
But there was no mention of any fire in the newspaper. Instead, a conspicuous article about city leaders visiting the orphanage children stood out.
That day, the orphanage was safe and sound, with no fire at all.
Ryan was overwhelmed with shock. He couldnât have misremembered,after all, he had died trying to put out that fire.
But now, faced with this reality, could it be that the timeline had changed?