Chapter 646 Secret
At the hospital.
After the doctors' examination, Ryder felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Thankfully, Saskia had been diagnosed with only minor external injuries that would heal after a few days of rest.
Her current unconscious state, the doctor explained, was likely due to extreme shock.
"Thank you, doctor," Ryder murmured as the medical professional left the room.
Now, Ryder and Donna sat in silence beside Saskia's hospital bed.
Donna's intuition had proven correct—Saskia had planned to kill Alfonso all along. And in the end, Alfonso was indeed dead.
Despite Saskia using video evidence to distance herself from Alfonso's death, suspicion clung to her like a shadow.
The facts were damning: they had been in the same hotel room, and now Alfonso was dead. There was no escaping that reality.
"So, it was exactly what I thought?" Ryder asked, a bitter smile playing on his lips.
Donna nodded, her expression equally grim. "Maybe this is just your destiny together. I honestly wasn't planning to tell you at first, but I never expected she'd actually consider killing Alfonso." She sighed. "I had no choice but to tell you everything. Besides, you deserve to know the truth—it's only fair to both of you."
Ryder reached out his hand. "You mentioned she posted a lot of private messages. Let me see them."
"Sure. I've backed everything up." Donna handed him her phone.
Ryder took it, giving her a strange look. "Wait, you read all of these?"
Donna's lips twitched as she gave an awkward laugh. "Well, you know... life gets boring sometimes. I just needed some drama to spice things up."
So she had hacked into Saskia's phone, enjoyed all her secrets, and even backed them up.
"You're invading women's privacy," Ryder couldn't help but point out. "Be careful someone doesn't report you."
Donna stuck out her tongue. "If I didn't pretend to be a guy online, I'd have a bunch of nerdy guys hitting on me! Besides, you're about to read the same stuff."
She stood up. "Forget I said anything—take your time. I need to pee, be right back!"
After Donna left, Ryder settled into the chair beside the hospital bed and began scrolling through the backed-up private posts.
The first post from three years ago—when they were still together—wasn't long, just two sentences: [Alfonso confessed his feelings to me and I turned him down, but I'm afraid to tell my boyfriend about it.]
The second post, also from three years ago, was much longer—practically an essay: [I never thought something like this would happen to me. In the evening, I was walking back from the library along a dimly lit path. I want to die! But I can't! I still have my family, my classmates, and the boyfriend who loves me and whom I love!]
Ryder's hands trembled as realization struck him.
Saskia had been raped by Alfonso. No wonder she had seemed so different after that night—listless and withdrawn no matter what gifts or treats he brought her.
He continued reading, his heart growing heavier with each post.
The third entry was dated the exact day they broke up: [It's over. Everything is over. Ryder, my most beloved man, as long as you're safe and happy, I'm happy!]
His brow furrowed as the truth behind their breakup finally became clear. He had wrongly believed Saskia was just a vain, greedy woman.
The reality was far more painful—she had been raped by Alfonso, felt she had betrayed Ryder, and meanwhile, Alfonso had threatened Ryder's safety.
How ridiculous! Truly ridiculous that he had never known.
Nearly an hour later, Ryder had read everything without missing a single detail.
The posts painted a complete picture of the past three years.
After breaking up with Alfonso, Saskia had found another benefactor—Constantine. But when the Young family was ruined and Constantine went to jail, all her dreams of wealth vanished.
She had been planning to become financially secure, then return to Ryder properly, even if it meant supporting him herself.
Because in her heart, he would always be the best man.
When that plan failed, she contacted Alfonso through Zane, determined that the devil of a man should finally receive his punishment.
That's why Saskia had decided to kill Alfonso at the class reunion, specifically choosing that hotel because she knew from her time working there that the floor-to-ceiling window wasn't secure.
What she hadn't expected was Ryder's sudden reappearance in her life.
She had confessed her feelings—if he agreed, she was willing to let go of the past and start over.
But he had rejected her completely, and her heart had died for good.
Ryder sighed deeply. It wasn't that he still had feelings for her—if forced to choose between Sarah and Saskia now, he would choose Sarah without hesitation.
But the guilt was overwhelming. His past weakness had ruined this poor girl's life.
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, Saskia stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open, and when she realized she was still alive, tears welled up as she looked at him.
"You... you know everything now?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ryder nodded.
A bitter laugh escaped her. "In the end, you've seen me at my worst."
"No," he insisted, "this wasn't your fault! It was that bastard Alfonso's fault. You should have told me what happened back then."
"And what good would that have done?" Emotion colored her voice as tears streamed down her face.
"Could you have stood up to someone like Alfonso? No! You would have just gotten yourself killed."
Ryder fell silent, knowing she was right.
After a pause, Saskia continued, her voice softening. "That's why I thought it would be better if I bore everything alone. As long as you were happy, that was all that mattered."
She reached for his hand. "But Ryder, are you truly happy now? Why don't you get a divorce, and we can go somewhere where nobody knows us, and live happily ever after together, okay?"
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