His eyes soften, and for a moment, there's a flicker of something that almost feels like regret. "I just want to help you," he says quietly, as if the words are meant to soothe her. But something in his tone sends a shiver down her spine.
"You've always had so much potential, Debbie. And now, with Felix and Pasco…
they're both distractions. They don't understand you the way I do."
Debbie's heart thuds painfully in her chest. No, she thinks, shaking her head slightly. I'm not going to fall for this again.
She crosses her arms, standing her ground. "Don't think you can manipulate
me like you did before. I'm not the same person I was when you left, Ryan."
His smile falters for the briefest of moments, but it's quickly replaced with a more calculated expression. "I never meant to manipulate you. I only ever wanted what was best for you, Debbie. But now…" His gaze hardens, and there's something dangerous in his eyes. "Now, it's clear they don't deserve you. They're too caught up in their own games. But I… I see you. I always have."
A chill sweeps through Debbie as she stares at him, realizing with a sinking feeling that Ryan's reappearance isn't a coincidence. He's not here for the right reasons. There's something in his voice, something in the way he speaks, that makes her skin crawl.
"I don't need saving, Ryan," she says firmly, stepping back once again. "I don't
need you or anyone else to decide what's best for me. I'll make my own choices. And I'm not going to fall for whatever it is you're trying to pull this
time."
For a moment, Ryan remains silent, studying her. His eyes narrow, and his lips curl into a thin smile, one that doesn't reach his eyes. "You're stronger than you were. I'll give you that. But you'll see, Debbie. You'll see what I mean. You can't run from what's inside you forever."
The words hang in the air like a threat, but Debbie refuses to show any fear.She meets his gaze head-on, her chest rising with the steady rhythm of her
defiance.
"I've already faced what's inside me, Ryan," she says, her voice clear and resolute. "And I'm not afraid of it anymore. Not of you. Not of anyone."
Ryan's smile falters again, this time more noticeably. "We'll see how long that confidence lasts," he mutters under his breath, but his words are laced with something that feels more like an empty promise than a genuine threat.
Debbie doesn't wait for him to say more. Without another glance, she turns and walks away, her steps firm and deliberate. She feels a new strength
growing within her, a renewed sense of purpose. Ryan's reappearance doesn't change the path she's chosen. It only reminds her that she has to be careful who she trusts, even those from her past.
Behind her, Ryan's figure lingers in the shadows for a moment longer before he fades into the distance, watching her retreat. But this time, Debbie knows one thing for certain: she's not that same vulnerable girl anymore. She's stronger,wiser, and ready to face whatever comes next, with or without him.
And when Felix and Pasco return to find her, she'll be ready to make her own choices—choices that belong to no one but her.