Chapter 3

Iris knew perfectly well that I needed the money too badly to turn down such a large order. So she'd made those demands on purpose, just to watch me dance to her tune.

I almost laughed through my tears at the realization.

After I'd gotten home that day, I'd been thrilled to tell Iris how much money I'd made. When she'd bandaged my wounds so tenderly, had she been laughing at me inside? Thinking what a joke I was?

I was wiping the tears from my eyes when the agent arrived.

Seeing me standing by the door, he asked in confusion, "Mr. Kirk, the landlord's inside. Why aren't you going in?"

I stared at him in shock, my eyes still wet. "What did you say? The landlord? Iris?"

The agent looked baffled. "Yeah. You didn't know? The entire stretch of Central Street belongs to Ms. Fulton."

I looked at Iris' figure in the distance. Painful memories I'd buried deep suddenly rushed to the surface.

After I'd paid off her debts the second time, I'd struggled to make ends meet for a long stretch. I couldn't even afford rent.

"Four or five thugs had crowded the flower shop entrance, demanding payment. They smashed every flower in the store and even stepped on my dog, ignoring his agonized yelps as they ground their boot into him.

Cooper had been with me for 12 years. He wasn't just a pet anymore. He was family, as important to me as Iris.

I'd dropped to my knees, begging them to let him go.

In three years of running the shop, I'd been shaken down for rent and protection money more times than I could count. But I'd never mentioned any of it to Iris. I didn't want to add to her stress.

But that time, I was terrified. I called her, sobbing so hard I could barely speak. "Iris, what do I do? Please save Cooper. Please save him..."

Iris knew how important Cooper was to me. But after a long silence, all she said was sorry. I watched helplessly as those men crushed Cooper to death.

I held him as he grew cold and stiff in my arms, exactly like my mother had when she died in my embrace all those years ago. I'd been just as powerless then.

Even after all that, I'd never hated Iris. I'd only blamed myself for being useless.

But now the truth stared me in the face. The landlord who'd sent those thugs after me was Iris. The person who could have saved him with a single word was her.

But she hadn't saved him. And Cooper was dead.

I clenched my jaw so hard it ached, trying to keep the anguish off my face. I ran out of the office building and flagged down a cab, telling the driver to take me to the airport.

In the car, my hands shook as I called my father. After 27 years, the only person I had left was the father I'd once refused to acknowledge.

"Dad, come get me now..."

…

Meanwhile, Iris walked out of the office with Lincoln and her group of friends. She kept her head down, staring at our chat window on her screen.

Two whole days had passed, and I hadn't sent her a single message.

Irritation prickled under her skin. She pulled out a cigarette, then remembered I hated the smell of smoke on her and put it away.

One of her friends came up behind her and glanced at the dark screen, barely concealing her glee. "What's wrong, Iris? Can't your plaything pay up this time? Is he done playing along?"

Annoyance flickered across Iris' face. She shoved her friend's arm away.

"Who said that? Jasper's crazy about me. He's probably out there right now scraping together money for me. Just wait. I'll ignore him for a few more days, and he'll come crawling back with the cash."

Just as she finished speaking, the agent who'd overheard my name approached her.

"Jasper Kirk? Ms. Fulton, you know Mr. Kirk? Perfect timing. He wants to sublease the flower shop, and I was worried you wouldn't agree."

Iris frowned. The unease that had been building in her chest for days suddenly felt like it was about to find an answer.

She forced herself to stay calm and asked casually, "The shop's doing fine. Why would he want to sublease it?"

The agent smiled politely, completely unaware of the weight behind his words. "Mr. Kirk said he's tired of running the shop. He's going home to get married."