Chapter 21
My flight landed safely in Danveria. The moment I stepped off the plane, I saw them–Mom and Dad waiting right outside security.
They smiled when they saw me, but within seconds, their faces crumpled. Tears followed right after.
“Oh, honey,” Mom whispered, her hand brushing my cheek so gently it almost broke me. “Why didn’t you tell us things were so bad?”
I tried to keep it together, gave her a shaky smile, but the tears on their faces mirrored the ones already streaking down mine.
“I screwed up,” I choked, voice catching in my throat. “I shouldn’t have said yes to Aaron. He wasn’t good to me. He almost–he almost got our baby killed.”
And just like that, everything I’d been holding in came crashing down. But in front of my parents, I was still their little girl. I didn’t have to pretend to be strong.
“Oh, sweetheart…” Dad wrapped his arms around me, voice rough with emotion. “All we ever wanted was for you to be okay. We don’t care about anything else. That baby–when it comes, it’ll be the rightful heir to the Blake legacy.”
“And about the engagement with the Daltons…” Dad glanced at Mom, then back at me.
“Actually, they agreed,” Dad said, his tone softer now. “But after everything that’s happened, we’re not going to push you. You can just stay home and focus on the baby. When the time comes, the company’s yours to lead, if that’s what you want.”
He ruffled my hair gently and for a second, I couldn’t even speak.
I’d been so sure they’d blame me. Before I flew back, I even asked Dad to negotiate with the Daltons–not just to get back at Aaron, but to prove I was still worth something.
I wanted to matter. I wanted to show I could be more than just someone Aaron threw
away.
But I forgot–they never cared about any of that. They just wanted me.
After crying my heart out, I went home with them. For the first time in what felt like forever, I finally slept through the night.
A few days later, I went with Dad to the company. I wasn’t just visiting–I was preparing to step in.
There happened to be a huge deal in motion and Dad thought it’d be a good learning experience if I tagged along and observed. And that’s when I met him.
Chapter 20
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12:12 Mon, 23
Ryker Dalton. The CEO of Dalton Enterprises and the guy I was originally supposed to marry for the alliance. Turned out, the project we were working on came from their side, Apparently, they only sent the contract our way because I agreed to the engagement.
Of course, once Dad told Ryker the engagement was off–after everything with Aaron–he respected that.
But interestingly enough, they still didn’t pull the project.
It was a big deal, sure, but not so big that someone like Ryker needed to be personally involved. Which is why I was genuinely surprised when I saw him walk into the meeting
room.
He was wearing a perfectly tailored black suit, the kind that probably cost more than my rent and his face–well, let’s just say the guy looked like he walked out of a Vogue cover shoot. Cold, sharp and completely untouchable.
And yet…
I glanced at his lower half and immediately remembered the gossip I’d overheard. The man might be perfect on paper, but word is, there’s… a flaw.
I wasn’t trying to be rude, but I guess my eyes lingered a little too long and before I knew it, Ryker locked eyes with me.
«
And somehow, I didn’t look away. I even smiled. Only then, I felt like a complete idiot.
To my surprise, something in his expression shifted–almost like the corner of his mouth wanted to smile back. Just barely.
But the moment the meeting officially began, that flicker vanished. Whatever warmth there’d been iced over in seconds. Classic corporate poker face.
After the meeting, I was about to leave with the rest of the team when suddenly–two strong hands reached out from behind me.
