CHAPTER 71–THE WEIGHT SHE CARRIESLARRY'S POV She came to me all smiles, like we were old friends.“Hey, Mr. Jonathan. What brings you to this side of town?”The way she said my name... Mr. Jonathan, made me almost forget myself... almost I say. I quickly smirked, playing it cool, though inside I was scrambling. “Hm,” I stalled, then lied smoothly, “business trip.”Her brows arched a little, curious, but she nodded anyway. “Hmm. That’s reasonable.”I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Whew. At least she bought it.She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, tilting her head. “So… what can I get you?” “A cappuccino. Extra foam.” I gave her the same easy smile.Minutes later she returned, sliding the cup onto the counter like she’d done this a hundred times before. And maybe she had....with other customers. But never with me.I watch her set the coffee in front of me, steam curling like a little ghost trying to warn me off. “Thanks,” I mutter, but my eyes refuse to behave, tr
CHAPTER 70– THE STRANGER I KNOWLARRY'S POV She quit. Fucking two words. That was it. No explanation. No timeline. Just… absence.And yet, it hit me harder than I expected. Like someone had pulled the floor out from under me, and all I had left was this half-baked teenager asking if I wanted lilies or carnations.“She quit?” I repeated, like maybe if I said it enough times it would sound less ridiculous. “Why would she quit?”The kid finally dragged his eyes off his phone, giving me the kind of look that screamed you’re old, you don’t get it. “Uh, yeah. People do that. Want me to get you something?”I stared at him like he’d grown a second head. Flowers? I hadn’t even been buying flowers for Grandpa lately... at least not consciously. Half the bouquets were just excuses to watch her hands move, to hear her laugh, to see if she’d linger on me a second too long, like I was more than just another guy cluttering her counter.And now? Nothing. Just some underpaid intern who probably could
CHAPTER 69 – WHEN SUNSHINE VANISHES LARRY’S POVYeah. She heard me.God, kill me now.Maybe my brain short-circuited and my mouth forgot its job description. Or maybe the universe just sat back with a bag of popcorn, waiting for me to finally humiliate myself in public. Either way... she fucking heard me say it.Her head snapped up, those eyes narrowing just slightly, like, “Excuse me? Did this man just...?” And me? Oh, I froze. Picture this: multimillion-dollar CEO, trained to stare down investors and bull markets without blinking… suddenly reduced to a fourteen-year-old at prom who just tripped over his shoelace.“Uh...” I coughed, fiddling with my tie like it had suddenly developed a chokehold. “I… meant the flowers. Sexy arrangement. Very… seductive bouquet.”Yeah. That was the genius line my billion-dollar brain came up with. Somebody put me out of my misery.But instead of calling security, or reporting me to HR for verbal assault on a bouquet, which, let’s be honest, she sho
CHAPTER 68– HOW IT ALL STARTED LARRY'S POVI didn’t stay at the bar a minute longer. I packed up, left, and hit the road home ASAP. Lucky me, Brandy wasn’t around... because there was no way I could’ve handled that sunshine smile or her sweet little snacks right now.I fished my phone out of my pocket and punched in her number. Rang once… twice… and straight to voicemail. Of course. Typical Maya... always elusive when I needed her most. She would’ve known exactly what to do now... she always does, like some kind of human GPS for my disaster life. I called again. And again... and again. Nada. Nothing. Where did it all go wrong? Seriously. She’s always been sweet, my Maya... always. Even when I only knew her as that always smiling flower girl in that florist shop. I laughed at the memory, a little bitter, a little wistful too. Funny how some memories can feel like a warm hug and a kick in the gut at the same time.How did it even start? Me, Larry Jonathan... CEO, empire-builder, life
CHAPTER 67 – DYNASTY AT STAKELARRY’S POV I literally stayed staring at my desk like it had personally offended me. The polished mahogany might as well have been lava because my thoughts were melting me from the inside out. Kane had just excused himself, smooth as a spy slipping out of a bad rom-com, leaving me alone in the aftermath of Davenport’s verbal nuclear bomb.Mr. Kane had just left, excusing himself with that faint, almost polite nod that reeked of calculated distance. Like he had read every chapter of my life and decided today was a good day to remind me just how messy I really was.I ran a hand over my face, pulling the edge of my tie a little tighter, Kane… you’re lucky you’re so damn polished, or I’d throw this tie at you. Kane had that talent... the uncanny ability to place a mirror in front of your conscience and make you squirm in the reflection of your own secrets I could feel the weight of the conversation pressing down on me, suffocating in a way that no empire,
CHAPTER 66 – LEGACIES AND LIESLARRY’S POVBy ten, I was in the shower. By twenty, I was already on the road. And by thirty, I was sliding into the company lot, dressed like the CEO’s nightmare but running strictly on coffee fumes and unholy amounts of attitude. I parked my car, threw on my best fake confidence, and strutted into the building like a man who knew the game was ninety percent appearance and ten percent caffeine.The glass doors of the company greeted me with their usual sterile shine, a cold reflection of power and money. Employees swarmed the lobby like ants, each carrying files, coffees, and fake smiles. They nodded at me as I strode past, some whispering my name like I was either a savior or a scandal waiting to happen.The air practically shifted the second I stepped into the executive hall... thick, heavy, like the universe already knew drama was waiting for me. Even before I reached my office, I caught the voices... smooth, sharp, dripping with that “I run the wor