Chapter 8 Did They Give You a Hard Time
On Friday after school, Sabrina informed the Fridman family driver that he didn’t need to pick her up.
Instead, she bought a few things and took a ride to a secluded private villa in New York.
1/9
Nestled in the forest, the villa’s security was tight, exuding an air of mystery.
As Sabrina approached, the guards nodded respectfully, their demeanor polite.
“Welcome. Please, come in.”
Sabrina gave a courteous nod in response as she stepped inside.
The further she walked, the heavier her heart felt.
She wasn’t sure how to face Ryan Gellar.
If it weren’t for Ryan rescuing her and treating her like a cherished granddaughter, she wouldn’t be the person she was today.
In my past life, I focused all my energy on the Sterling family, neglecting Grandpa. In the end, he bore the weight of shame for
Chapter 8 Did They Give You a Hard Time my sake.
That proud man must have felt so devastated.
2/9
Sabrina clenched her hands tightly as she stood before the villa. Suddenly, a wave of hesitation washed over her.
She hadn’t even had a chance to backtrack when the villa’s door flew open.
The butler immediately spoke up in greeting, “You’re home! Sir Gellar’s been camped out in the living room since the crack of dawn.”
As Sabrina made her way toward the familiar living room, a warm feeling welled up in her chest.
Once inside, there was Ryan, sitting straight on the sofa, his presence just oozing authority.
The moment he spotted her, he visibly jolted, then huffed and turned his head away.
Sabrina could tell he was in a snit. She sauntered over and plopped down right beside him, cooing, “Grandpa.”
Ryan kept his stony expression and pointedly ignored her, which made Sabrina let out a little laugh. “Grumpy old codger?”
But Ryan still played hard–to–get and kept a straight face. “No respect at all. I’m not your grandpa. I’m just a poor old loner.”
Chapter 8 Did They Give You a Hard Time
3/9
With red–rimmed eyes, Sabrina scooted over and clung to Ryan’s arm, cooing, “What loner? You’re my favorite grandpa!”
She always knew how to wrap this old guy around her little finger.
The butler watched the banter with a grin. It was a riot seeing old Ryan acting like a kid having a hissy–fit.
This little show had played out so many times that he’d long since gollen used to it.
Ryan was trying his best to keep his cool, but the sight of Sabrina’s red–rimmed eyes set his frustration off like a powder keg. He swiped angrily at a fruit bowl, sending it crashing to the floor with a clatter.
He roared, fuming with anger, “Darling, did those no–good jerks from the Sterling family give you a hard time?
“I’ll teach ‘em a lesson they won’t forget!”
Ryan reached for his phone in a flash.
This little girl had always been a handful in front of him. It was the first time Ryan had seen her so forlorn, and his anger just melted away.
Sabrina quickly grabbed his arm, putting the brakes on his plan. After a brief moment of silence, she finally spoke up, her voice soft but tinged with pain, “Grandpa, I just missed you.”
Chapter 8 Did They Give You a Hard Time With that, she buried her head in his chest.
“Then what took you so long to come see me?” Ryan huffed, trying to sound all tough, but there was a definite softness. peeking through.
4/9
“I’m sorry! I’m here now, and I swear I’ll come around more often from now on,” Sabrina said with a smile, raising her hand like she was taking an oath to convince him.
“For real?” His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Ryan, who’d spent his whole life wrapped up in his career and never had kids of his own, thought of Sabrina as his very own granddaughter. Her promise meant the world to him.
“You betcha!” she replied firmly.
Ryan was head over heels for Sabrina. Despite his gruff exterior, she had this magical way of defusing even his worst outbursts, like putting out a wildfire with a gentle breeze.
“What went down while you were out, honey? You can spill the beans to me, and I’ll sort it all out,” he said, his eyes filled with
concern.
This time when Sabrina came back, surprisingly, she didn’t argue with him. Ryan knew she must have suffered some grievances outside.
As Ryan’s mind wandered to the Sterling family, a dark cloud seemed to pass over his face.
Chapter 8 Did They Give You a Hard Time
“Is it Hailey and her daughter causing you grief again?” he asked, his voice laced with a hint of anger.
5/9
Even though he was all the way in New York, Ryan kept a close eye on the goings–on of the Sterling family. He was well–aware of their whole situation.
Although Sabrina always kept mum about the Sterling family in front of Ryan, he knew full well that they’d never treated her like a princess.
Feeling the genuine warmth of his concern, Sabrina felt a surge of warmth within.
She figured it was high–time to let him in on the fact that she’d cut ties with the Sterling family.
“What? That little weasel Matthew had the nerve to treat you
like dirt? I’ll tear him a new one!”
Ryan practically jumped out of his seat. As he started looking around, clearly itching to chuck something, Sabrina quickly stepped in to cool him down.
She cooed, gently rubbing his back, “Grandpa, don’t work yourself up into a lather.
“I’ve dumped the Sterling family for good, and I’ve found my real dad.”
Hearing the first part, Ryan visibly let out a sigh of relief. “Good riddance! Those bone–heads aren’t worth losing sleep over,” he
Chapter 8 Did They Give You a Hard Time
huffed.
But when she mentioned her dad, his eyes narrowed like a detective on the hunt. “Your real dad?”
Sabrina nodded. “Yeah, it’s Theodore Fridman.”
6/9
Ryan ruffled her hair, and then his face turned dead serious. “Sweetie, if the Fridman family doesn’t treat you right, just know you can always come back home. I’ll be your rock, and wherever I am, that’s your home sweet home.”
He didn’t put the squeeze on her to come back to his side. He gol that the little girl had her own mind.
After all these years, he was well aware of how badly Matthew had messed with her head. No one else could fathom just how starved Sabrina was for love.
Even though she’d found her birth father, Ryan couldn’t shake off a nagging worry.
He just prayed that the Fridman family wouldn’t turn out to be a bunch of heartbreakers like the Sterlings.
“Thanks, Grandpa,” Sabrina murmured, fighting back tears ast she leaped into his arms.
She knew how much he yearned for her to stick around.
His okay with her staying in Los Angeles was more out of powerlessness than anything.
Chapter 8 Did They Give You a Hard Time
7/9
Since they hardly ever got to see each other, Sabrina didn’t have the heart to let him down and decided to crash there for the night.
She gave Dominic a ring to give him the lowdown.
Before long, her phone started buzzing with an unknown number.
She brushed it off at first. But almost right away, il rang again, and this time she picked up.
“Where have you been?” Theodore’s voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of barely–concealed anxiety.
Sabrina was caught off–guard when she recognized Theodore’s
voice.
How the hell does he get my number? Is he worried about me? No way.
She quickly shrugged off the idea. After a brief moment of hesitation, she shot back, “I’ve got some stuff to handle tonight and won’t be coming back.”
Then she added, “I already gave Mr. Miles the heads–up.”
In the end, she dodged Theodore’s question.
Meanwhile, in the spookily quiet villa, Theodore plopped down on the sofa, feeling an odd sense of unease.
Chapter 8 Did They Give You a Hard Time
8/9
Over the past week, he’d gotten used to seeing Sabrina all curled up, zoning out in front of the TV in the living room, or noticing the lights on in her upstairs room.
But tonight was a first. He was stuck in this dark, silent house, and it felt like a ton of bricks was sitting on his chest.
That was what prompted him to make the call.
As he picked up on Sabrina’s reluctance to answer his question, an unexpected wave of disappointment washed over him, along with a twinge of worry he’d never really acknowledged before.
After a long stretch of silence, Sabrina was about to hit the hang–up button when Theodore’s voice cut through. “When are you coming back?”
“Tomorrow.”
After that, a thick silence settled over them, and eventually, Sabrina ended the call.
Suddenly, she was hit with memories of her days with the Sterling family.
Matthew was hardly ever home. Even if she didn’t go back for a whole week, there’d never be a single call asking how she was.
Her well–being was just a non–issue.
She’d long since come to terms with it.
