Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 305: Taking Responsibility

As Genevieve opened the door and walked into the room, Mack, who was handing something to Ryan, straightened, and they both looked at her.

Ryan’s face was blank as he adjusted his pillow and turned to Mack. ”Remember everything I told you.”

Mack looked at him sadly as he gave him a nod. ”I will, sir.”

”You can leave,” he said, and Mack bowed before heading for the door.

He gave Genevieve a polite, and did the same to the others as they walked in behind Genevieve.

Ryan’s gaze shifted from Genevieve to Abigail, and he tried not to look too surprised when he saw her face— her real face, and realized she’d tricked him.

As they all stared at him, different thoughts ran through their minds but no one spoke.

Ryan looked at each one of them. From Abigail, to Genevieve, to Emily, to Jamal, to Callan, and to Stefan, who was standing by the door.

Ryan sighed inwardly, feeling exhausted by their presence. He’d already made up his mind on what to do, and all he wanted now was for them to say their piece and leave him alone.

He shifted his gaze to Callan, ”I thought you left already. Did you come back with them to ensure I apologize?”

Callan nodded. ”Yes, I did.”

Ryan almost snorted but he didn’t. They were all in for the shock of their lives.

”Are you going to remain quiet or is someone going to speak? I’m assuming you all came here because you have something to say to me. Or perhaps you have questions. Get on with it. I don’t have all day,” Ryan said, looking from Abigail to Genevieve and then back again.

They all looked at him, taken aback by his tone and attitude. Emily was the most surprised seeing how he didn’t sound the least bit remorseful as he’d been earlier.

”Why do you sound that way?” Emily asked with a worried frown.

Ryan smirked. ”What way?”

Genevieve stepped forward. ”Shouldn’t you be sorry? Shouldn’t you be ashamed to face us this way? To face Dawn this way? Shouldn’t you sound remorseful and look apologetic after everything you’ve done?”

”What did I do?” Ryan asked, making Callan frown.

Before Callan could speak, Abigail stepped forward, her face twisted with anger.

”What do you mean what did you do?” Abigail snapped, angry at his tone. ”You need me to tell you what you did? How you murdered my mother and grandparents...”

”They deserved it,” Ryan cut in flatly. ”I’m not sorry for that. I’m not sorry for anything I’ve done. The only thing I’m sorry for right now, is not killing you,” Ryan said, glaring at Dawn. ”If I had killed you when I killed them, none of this would be happening right now.”

”How can you say that to her in front of me?” Callan asked in disbelief.

”How can you expect me to apologize to the daughter of the woman who killed your mother? Your mother!” Ryan asked Callan, equally angry. ”I understand that you never got to know your mother, but how could you honestly choose these people over your own biological parents? I’m not sorry for punishing her mother and grandparents. You know, after I married her mother, I randomly brought up what they did over dinner to see if they were sorry. I told them I found out about the case while doing a background search on the family before our wedding. Do you know what Kimberly said? She said the living has to go on living, and that she couldn’t lose sleep over a silly mistake she made as a teenager. She called what she did a silly mistake. And her father? Her father said they couldn’t allow the death of a nobody like your mother affect their company’s stock or business so they had to make it all go away. He called it the privilege of the powerful.”

”So what? You murdered them and so many others and ruined my life...”

”I didn’t ruin it nearly enough seeing how you still look that way and you found your way back to the Hanks,” Ryan sneered. ”To think that I was beginning to soften towards you because of Josh, and you had to ruin it!”

”I ruined it?” Abigail asked, her voice raised in anger.

”Yes, you did.”

”I thought you said you’d do anything Callan says? Why are you being this way? It’s not helping you,” Emily asked, confused and sad by the development.

”That was before I realized he’d take their side in this manner. He judged and condemned me without even hearing me out. I don’t want a really with a son who would take sides with the killers of my Nancy. I thought he of all people would understand my pain. I thought whatever he suffered would help him see clearly and understand what we were deprived of, but he’d rather look good to his friends, than listen to me. I have no reason to do what he or anyone else here wants,” Ryan said bitterly.

”What about me? Let’s assume you were punishing Dawn for the sins of her mother, why did you drag me into it? Why did you...”

”I’m sorry, Genevieve,” he cut in. ”I’m so sorry for taking you in. I’m sorry for thinking that someone as dumb and stupid as you could ever be Dawn.”

”I’m not dumb or stupid!”

”Don’t call her such names!” Genevieve and Stefan said simultaneously.

”You’re dumb,” Ryan said with a smirk, completely ignoring Stefan. ”You’re the dumbest person I know, Genevieve. But I’m not surprised. You’re just like your bitch of a mother. You stabbed me in the back for what? To be with Jamal? You think he loves you? You think he’d forgive you? You believe they’ve all forgiven you? You’re more stupid than I thought. They’re only using you. When they’re done with you, they’ll discard you. Mark my words. You made a mistake, Genevieve. And you will regret it.”

”No, if there’s any dumb person in this room, it is you. You’re the dumb one who thought that you could keep your secrets forever. You didn’t even realize that I didn’t have a surgery or that I stopped being mute a long time ago. You didn’t even know that your greed and foolishness is the reason I connected with Jamal and the rest of my family. Do you know who Josh’s biological father is? It is Jamal. Wait, you don’t know who Jamal is yet, do you? Pete here is the real Jamal. You’re so stupid you didn’t even see the resemblance between them, did you?” Dawn asked in a biting tone. ”You’re so stupid you trusted him so much and told him about your plans.”

A vein ticked in Ryan’s forehead as he looked at Jamal. ”I always knew there was something special about you. You covered up your tracks pretty well. For what it’s worth, I really did like you,” Ryan told Jamal.

”It’s not worth anything,” Jamal, who had been quiet the whole time, muttered.

”So, am I to take it that you’re not going to take responsibility for your actions?” Callan asked, and Ryan smiled ruefully.

”Oh, I will. I definitely will take responsibility for my actions. But it won’t be the way you want it. It will be on my own terms. On my way here, all I wanted was to see you. I wasn’t sure how you’d react considering your relationship with the Hanks, but I had hoped that if I was able to meet you then I could convince you to see things from my perspective. I’m dying. And at this point I have nothing to lose. I’m not going to apologize to people I don’t care about...”

Abigail stepped forward, ”I don’t care about your apology. I don’t even care if you make a video telling the world what my mother and grandparents did. But you have to confess to all your crimes or we will reveal it ourselves. And by crimes I don’t mean just what you did to me or my parents. I mean the money laundering, evidence of sexual harassment and every other thing you’ve ever done,” she threatened.

Ryan laughed humorlessly. ”You will just have to do that on my behalf then.”

”Mr Harris, please you should do what’s right. That’s the only way you can have a relationship with Callan,” Emily told him.

”I doubt that even after I do as you all want me to do, Callan would want to have anything to do with me. I don’t have enough time to hang around waiting for him to make up his mind, so let’s just get on with it, shall we?” He asked as he reached under his pillow.

They all watched in horror as he pulled out a gun, and they drew back.

Abigail froze, her breath catching in her throat. Genevieve gasped and instinctively grabbed Abigail’s arm, pulling her behind her before Jamal could do so.

”No—” Callan’s voice was pleading as he took a careful step forward.

Ryan’s eyes were steady, burning with a hollow resolve. ”Don’t move, Callan,” he said quietly. ”This isn’t about any of you. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I will if either of you gets in my way.”

”Please put the gun down. You don’t have to do this. We can find another way to fix this. Please,” Callan said, his tone calm though fear edged every word.

Ryan gave a soft, bitter laugh. ”Fix this? There’s nothing left to fix. You all made sure of that. You all won. I lost. Just so you know, I was going to do this before you arrived, but I think it’d be better you all witness the end of this monster,” he said, then turned to Callan, ”you at least should see the end of the father you are so ashamed of.”

Callan shook his head. ”No. Please, no.”

”Like I said, I have nothing to lose. I always planned to end my life this way after getting my revenge. It’s the least I can do for failing my Nancy,” Ryan continued.

”This isn’t right!” Emily cried. ”You can’t do this. Please!”

Genevieve took a step forward. ”Dad, it’s not too late to do the right thing. No matter how long you’ve traveled on the wrong road, you should turn back in the right direction when you realize you lost your way.”

For a second, the word Dad broke through Ryan’s anger. His hand wavered, his breath quickened.

Ryan’s eyes flicked toward her, ”I’m not your father.”

”Yes, you are,” Genevieve said quietly, ”you may not be my biological father and you may not have treated me as I wanted you to, but you were a better parent to me than my mother was. You’ll always be my Dad. And you should know that I didn’t do any of this for personal gain. I was just tired of all the lies and wanted it to end. I’ll accept my punishment for the role I played, but you should take responsibility too, Dad.”

For a heartbeat, the room went silent. The only sound was the muffled beating of hearts.

Ryan’s lips curled into a small, weary smile. ”This is me taking responsibility. I made my choices... and I’ll end them the same way. Dawn, I’ll say hello to your Mom in hell.”

Before anyone could reach him, the gunshot cracked through the air.