The decade-long struggle culminated at Ryan and Hope’s wedding. In a world where weddings are performances of family unity, Ryan treated it as a security exercise. He hired professional guards to enforce a strict guest list, ensuring those who had caused him pain would not attend. When Deb, Gary, and Madison arrived expecting to play their roles in a public relations stunt, they were met with a locked gate and a man who had mastered detachment.
Ryan’s refusal was not vengeance; it was risk management. Narcissists don’t seek reconciliation—they seek returns on investments they never built. Under an ancient oak, Ryan looked at a crowd defined by loyalty and merit. His “parents” were not those who signed his birth certificate but those who taught him to mend fences and heal hearts. Uncle Scott served as best man, a symbol of mentorship, while his grandparents stood as guardians of his legacy.
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