Chapter 29
I exhaled, my grip tightening on Ryan’s arm. “Ryan… we always said we wouldn’t be like them We wouldn’t let power and revenge dictate our lives.”
His muscles tensed beneath my touch. I looked into his eyes, pleading.
“You have the power to fix this,” I whispered. “To make things right.”
For a long moment, silence stretched between us.
Then, with a frustrated sigh, Ryan ran a hand through his hair and turned to James. “Start talking.”
James inhaled deeply. “Jack was behind everything. The laundering, the illegal dealings, the offshore accounts–he set it all up. I trusted him, and he ruined everything. Now, the board is coming after me, and if I go down, the company goes with me.”
Ryan’s lips pressed into a thin line. “So now you need me?”
James nodded, swallowing his pride. “Yes.”
I could see the hesitation in Ryan’s eyes–the war within him.
Then, after a long pause, he spoke.
“I’ll help. But I’m not doing it for you.” His gaze flickered to me, then to Angelo, who was nestled against my chest. “I’m doing it for my family.”
James exhaled in relief.
“But,” Ryan added, his voice turning sharp, “when this is over, I walk away. I don’t want a seat at your table, and I don’t want your approval. I’ll clean up your mess and make sure Jack after that, we’re done.”
James hesitated, but nodded. “Agreed.”
The following days were a whirlwind.
pays. But
Ryan worked around the clock, digging through years of financial records, exposing Jack’s crimes, and strategizing a way to save what was left of the Smith empire.
He made sure that they would all pin it to Jack, after all, he was already in prison. All what’s left was to pay people who had been scammed because of it.
It will take some time but I hope everything will be okay.
One evening, as Ryan prepared to leave the office, James entered the room.
“I owe you an apology,” he said quietly.
Ryan didn’t look up. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does.”
James hesitated before continuing, his voice rough. “I was wrong about you. About Kylie. About everything.”
Ryan finally met his gaze.
“I wanted so badly to control everything, to build an empire that would last forever… but I forgot
Chapter 28
741par G D
that power means nothing without the people who truly matter.”
Ryan remained silent.
James exhaled. “I don’t expect forgiveness. I just wanted you to know–I’m proud of you.”
A long pause. Then, Ryan nodded once.
It wasn’t an acceptance. But it was enough.
E
That night, Ryan came home and found me on the balcony, watching the stars. He wrapped hie arms around my waist, pressing a kiss to my temple. “It’s over.”
I turned to him, searching his face. “Are you okay?”
He nodded. “For the first time in a long time… yeah, I am.”
I smiled, leaning into his embrace.
Then, softly, I whispered, “I forgave your father”
Ryan’s grip on me tightened.
‘He hurt us, but… I don’t want to carry that anger anymore,” I murmured. “Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting. But it means moving forward.”
Ryan sighed against my skin. “I don’t know if I can forgive him.”
looked up, touching his face. “Then don’t. Not yet. But one day, maybe.”
