Chapter 0010

(Scott's POV)

"He's my fiancé." Those words echoed in my mind, relentless and maddening. I slammed my fist against the wall of my office, feeling the sting in my knuckles. The punch should have gone to Stefan’s face, for daring to touch what was once mine, but I had to hold myself back. I had no right to act out, and Allison would only be more upset with me, pushing me further away from the woman I still loved, and I wasn’t ready to lose her completely.

When she told me she was engaged, I felt a deep pang of doubt and disbelief. But now, seeing her fiancé for the first time, that doubt had turned into a rage so powerful it consumed me. I had always been a jealous lover, and Allison knew this well. Six years ago, I had tried to protect her from every other man who dared to look her way. Her beauty had always attracted attention, and I wasn’t about to let anyone else get close to her. She always avoided their advances out of love for me.

I wasn’t a toxic boyfriend, though. I just loved her too much. But now, the woman who once promised she was mine has introduced her fiancé to me with little regard for how it made me feel. Of course, she won't care. I had left her heartbroken and shattered, and I had no right to expect anything else from her.

My gaze swept over the luxurious office around me. I have everything I’d ever wanted. My empire, my own real estate company, wealth beyond imagination. I was no longer the man my father used to spit on, calling me a mistake. I was a billionaire now, powerful, influential. But Allison... she was no longer mine.

When I left her pregnant all those years ago, I had convinced myself it was the right decision. All I had wanted was to escape the label of “mistake” that my father had so eagerly given me. I had been blind to everything else, especially to how heartbroken and devastated Allison would be. I didn’t care then, not about her, not about the life we could have had. All I cared about was power, wealth, and success. I didn’t even consider the possibility that one day, I might regret leaving her.

And now, regret consumed me.

I should never have left her. I should have chosen her and our child over the temptation of moving to London. Allison had never once complained. She had never rubbed it in my face that all I had to offer was my love. To her, that was enough. She would have chosen a single rose from me over a diamond necklace from anyone else.

I ran my hands through my hair, cursing myself for the mistake I made. Would Allison ever be mine again? Would she love me the way she used to? These thoughts tormented me. My heart ached knowing I couldn’t be with the woman I loved, nor could I be with my son. What was the point of having all this wealth if they weren’t part of my life? I couldn’t even approach my own son, burdened by guilt for asking Allison to get rid of him.

"Boss."

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of Peter’s voice. I looked up to see him standing in the doorway, holding a file. I sighed, still reeling from the images of Allison and her fiancé in my mind.

"What is it, Peter?" I asked, my tone flat. The pain of seeing her with someone else was still fresh.

"You left this document unsigned earlier," Peter replied, offering me the file. I remembered the moment—how I had dropped everything to rush to Allison when I heard she was stranded on the road. It was a flat tire, nothing too serious, but it felt like an emergency to me. I had left the office without a second thought, only for her to leave with her fiancé even when I offered to take her home.

I took the document from Peter and quickly signed it without much thought. "Anything else?" I asked, trying to push the gnawing feeling away.

Peter shook his head but noticed my knuckles, which were still bruised and raw from my earlier frustration. "Boss, you're bleeding."

I didn’t even notice. It seemed trivial, given the deeper wound in my heart. If bleeding countless times could make Allison forgive me, I’d do it without hesitation. But she wasn’t giving me a chance to apologize, let alone let me explain how much I regretted my past decisions. It wasn’t that I had intentionally hurt her; I had been trapped in the middle of my own fears and desires.

But now, with the benefit of hindsight, I saw how wrong I had been. I regretted everything—the distance, the lies, the abandonment. I often wondered what might have happened if I had chosen her and our son. How different would our lives have been if I hadn’t left her for London? Even until now, Allison remained the woman I want to marry, the only one who could make me laugh, cry, and set my heart racing with love.

"I'm fine," I said, dismissing Peter’s concern. It was getting late, and I needed to leave the office and clear my mind. I grabbed my car keys and made my way out. As I drove home, I dialed a car dealership. A woman’s voice answered almost immediately.

"Hello, Mr. Scott," she greeted me. I was a regular client there, and they knew me well.

"Get me the best car you’ve got," I ordered. "Have it delivered to Allison’s clothing line, I’ll take care of the payment," I ordered before hanging up.

I wasn’t sure why I was doing it. Maybe it was because I couldn’t stand the thought of her driving around in some other man’s car. Or maybe it was my way of trying to remind her that I could still offer her something—anything—if she would just let me back into her life.

The sound of her words—"He's my fiancé"—still rang in my ears, and I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. I knew I had no right to be angry, but my love for Allison hadn’t disappeared, no matter how many years had passed. I had buried my heart beneath layers of ambition and wealth, but that didn’t mean I stopped loving her.

I didn’t care about her fiancé. I would win her back, no matter what it took. Allison was mine. She had been my first in everything—the first woman I kissed, the first woman I made love to, and the first woman who made my heart race with emotion. And she would be the last.

As the thought of her consumed me, I finally arrived home. But just as I opened the door, a voice interrupted my thoughts pulling me back into the present.

"Hi, Scott. Do you miss me?"

Jenna, the woman I had once introduced to Allison as my girlfriend, was sitting on my couch, a smile on her face, her legs crossed seductively.