I couldn't move, and no matter what I did, I could not break free. I stood there regretting my actions earlier. Had I just bowed and told him that I am his wife, things wouldn't have gotten to this point.
" What? Have you lost your will to fight already, my little prey?" he said, and this time he had a playful smirk on his face, but his eyes still radiated a lot of viciousness.
His comment reminded me of something, Ryan was an army general! After his father retired, he took over the Duke household army and has been going on missions as per his role as the general. His duty as general came before his title of being a Duke.
Now, it kinda made sense why I could not break free. This was the strength of an army general I see. His hands were firm, and the texture was a little gruff, probably from wielding a sword too much.
"I-" I started, but I got to be interrupted.
"Daddy?" I heard little Jay Jay's sleepy voice. We had woken him up! I completely forgot that we were in his room.
Ryan quickly let go of my hands and shifted to create some space between us.
" Yes, Jack?" he said. I noticed the change of tone he used when he spoke to Jack. It was soft and fatherly.
" You're back?" Jay Jay said
" Hmm." Ryan responded as he moved towards Jay Jay's bed.
" I did not want to wake you, sorry if I did." Ryan explained when he got closer to Jay Jay's bed.
I was left standing alone close to the window, and I did not move because I loved the father son moment I was witnessing. Ryan sat on the chair I was sitting in earlier and ruffled Jay Jay's hair.
" Stop it, dad, you're messing my hair." Jay Jay said
" It's already a mess." I heard Ryan say, though I was facing his back, I could tell from his voice that he was probably smiling, and it must have been a genuine smile.
As general and Duke, in my past life, Ryan was always to busy to be with his son and that created a rift in their relationship, the father and son duo were very curt and cold to each other. Initially, I wanted to help them fix the relationship, but I wasn't close to Ryan, and any moves I made were thought to be a ploy to get close to him, so I stopped. In the end, I decided to fill in the role and became a mother Jay Jay deserved, but I could tell that he missed his father.
In this life, it seemed like I got here before their relationship deteriorated, and for Jay Jay's sake, a part of me hoped that it wouldn't.
"Mommy?" Jay Jay's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. Ryan froze in place when Jay Jay called me mommy.
"Y-yes?" I said.
" Why are you standing there? Tutor said it's not safe to play by window." Jay Jay warned in his childish voice.
"Okay, your tutor is right. I will move away from the window." I said softly.
I moved away from the window and stood in the middle of the room, but I felt so awkward that I decided to leave the room when Ryan stopped me.
" Go back to sleep Jack." he said as he tucked Jay Jay in.
He then turned to me and said," Come to my office."
...
When we arrived in his office, Ryan slammed his table and said, "What right do you have for Jack to call you his mom? You just got appointed by my father and you dare make my son call you his mother?!"
He was seething.
" I-"
" Don't ever let me hear him call you that again. You are not his mother." he declared. I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I clenched it. I lowered my head and said,
" I am sorry, it won't happen again."
He did not even acknowledge me. He had his eyes closed as though trying to calm down, and I decided to leave the room to give him space when I heard him say,
" Go tell father that I don't need a wife. Cancel this nonsense and go home."