011: The Woman I Let Go

Ashton's POV

I stood by the far corner of the rooftop, one hand in my pocket, the other loosely gripping a glass of soda I hadn’t touched. My P.A., James, was saying something beside me, probably updating me on some follow-up meeting or relaying an investor's feedback. But I wasn't listening.

My eyes were on her.

Lily.

She stood near the center of the room, wearing that wine-red dress like it was made for her. Her back straight, chin high, her presence loud without saying a word. She moved through the crowd like she belonged there...and she did. Every pair of eyes followed her. Whispers floated around. Some admiration. Some envy. All of them aware that Lily Evans was someone you didn’t overlook.

She laughed at something someone said, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe.

God.

She hadn't laughed like that around me in years. Hell, maybe never. Not genuinely. Not freely. Not like she was now, with people who saw her as she deserved to be seen.

"Sir?" James's voice broke through the noise in my head.

"Hmm?"

"Mr. Langston asked if you’d give a quick word later, after Miss Evans finishes hers."

My eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by her speech?"

James gestured to the center where the small podium had been set up. A hostess was now stepping onto it, microphone in hand. "The board invited her to give a short speech on modern brand building. It was last minute."

I didn’t reply. I just kept watching.

The room quieted when the hostess called Lily up. She moved gracefully, the heels barely making a sound. She took the mic, smiled once...that smile that used to undo me in ways I couldn’t explain...and began.

"I’m not sure why anyone wants to hear me talk," she started. Laughter spread through the room. "But here goes."

I watched every second.

Her voice. Her posture. Her words.

She spoke about grit. About building something out of nothing. About being underestimated, overlooked, and counted out. About finding your space when no one was willing to give you one.

People clapped, laughed, nodded. Phones came out to record. Even the waiters paused to listen.

And all I could think was, I did this. I broke her down, and somehow, she rose from it.

That memory...of her walking out of my office that day with tears in her eyes, a small box in her hands, wearing the cardigan she kept on her desk chair...that memory had hunted me for years.

I could still hear my voice from that day. Cold. Robotic. "You're no longer needed."

What a lie.

She was all I’d ever needed.

Valerie had been a transaction. A tie-up for shareholders. A name on a contract. She was smart, yes. Pretty. But I never loved her. Not the way I loved Lily. Not with the way she made my skin ache from a distance. Not with the way her voice stayed in my head even after she left.

And now...

She hated me. I saw it in her eyes. She didn’t even try to pretend.

She thought I didn't deserve to know my own son.

I almost laughed. Not because it was funny. Because it hurt so much it made me feel stupid.

How could I blame her?

The day she told me he wasn't mine, I knew she was lying. I saw it in the way her eyes avoided mine. The way her voice tightened, like she was trying too hard to make it sound real.

But what broke me more than that?

It was hearing how much I’d hurt her. How deeply she remembered every word I said. Every move I made. The night I had her, only to pretend it meant nothing.

It wasn’t that it didn’t mean anything.

It was that it meant too much. And I didn't know how to handle that.

I felt James lean closer. "Do you want me to get the car ready?"

I shook my head. "No. Not yet."

My eyes were still on her.

She was wrapping up her speech now. People were already rising to their feet. Cheering. Applauding. Someone even whistled.

She didn’t look at me once.

Not even by accident.

I caught the glance of a woman beside me. She smiled. Probably in her late thirties. Designer heels, lips painted dark red, the kind who always found her way into rooms like this.

"Mr. Carter, isn’t it?"

I gave her a polite nod.

"I loved your last interview on TechWire," she said, angling her body toward mine. "Very impressive." Her eyes dropped to my mouth, lingering.

"Thank you," I replied coolly.

She waited for more.

I gave nothing.

Her smile faltered slightly, then she moved on.

James tried to hide his smirk. "You know she just made a whole plan in her head about having your kids, right?"

I didn’t respond.

Because the only child I cared about was the one I never got to know. A little boy with my eyes and Lily’s nose. A kid who probably liked dinosaurs and made her late to work because he didn't want to eat carrots.

My son.

"Sir," James said again, his voice lower. "Are you sure this is the time and place to handle this? Maybe we should let it breathe. She’s emotional."

"She has every right to be," I said quietly. "And I have every right to want to know my son."

James looked like he wanted to say something else, but held back.

Smart.

Lily stepped off the podium, smiling at someone, thanking a man who handed her a drink. Dana was beside her, proud like she was the one who raised her.

I stepped forward.

James followed, but I paused. "Give us a minute."

"Yes, sir."

Lily turned when I reached her. Her smile faded the second she saw me.

I saw the wall come up again.

"You did good up there," I said quietly.

"You can save the compliments, Ashton."

I nodded once. "Okay. But I meant it."

She looked away. Dana was still close, watching me like she’d throw her drink in my face if I said the wrong thing.

"Can I walk with you?" I asked.

Lily let out a tired sigh. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not really."

She didn’t respond, but she didn’t stop me either.

We moved toward the far end of the rooftop, away from the crowd.

"Lily..." I started.

"Don’t," she said, turning to face me. "Don’t ask again. The answer is no."

"He’s my son."

"And like I told you earlier,  you’ll never be his father.”