LOGINHENRYI was going through some files in my office when I heard a knock on the door."Come in," I said without looking up.The door opened and my PA stepped inside."Sir, she's back."I lifted my head immediately. My brows furrowed."Who?" I asked."Miss Karen."The moment her name left his lips, I froze.For a second, it felt like the air had been knocked out of my lungs. My grip tightened around the pen in my hand, and I stared at him in silence.After all these years."Should we go after her, sir?" he asked carefully.I shook my head.The surprise on his face was obvious. He probably expected me to order a full investigation on her whereabouts immediately.Instead, I leaned back in my chair."Get her a gift.He blinked."A gift, sir?""The best necklace you can find."He looked confused, almost like he wanted to ask a hundred questions, but he wisely kept them to himself."Yes, sir."He turned and left the office.The moment the door closed, I let out a long breath.So she was finally back.Af
KARENI really didn't want to think about it.I didn't want to remember the way they had acted, the way they had thrown me out as though I meant nothing. I didn't want to remember how they had forced me to leave for Paris because they thought I was an embarrassment. To them, I wasn't their daughter anymore. I was a mistake. An error they needed to hide.Just thinking about it made my chest tighten.My eyes slowly filled with tears, and I blinked several times, refusing to let them fall. I was tired of crying over people who had never truly cared about how I felt.Right now, all I wanted was to be left alone with my son.That was enough for me.I would figure things out somehow. I always had.They had no right whatsoever to suddenly ask to see me after everything they had done. No right at all.My breathing became uneven, and I pressed a hand against my chest before taking a long, slow breath. Then I lay flat on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.The room was quiet.Too quiet.Unfortunate
KARENI came downstairs clutching my son tightly against me. The air felt different the moment I stepped outside. Maybe it was because I was finally back home after all these years, or maybe it was because I knew nothing would ever be the same again.A car was already waiting for us.The moment the guards saw me, they hurried forward and took our luggage. I thanked them quietly before getting into the car with my son ,Edwin beside me."Mum, do we finally get to see Dad?" he asked, looking up at me with those innocent eyes.My heart squeezed."Yes, baby," I replied softly, leaning down to kiss his forehead.He smiled and settled comfortably beside me while the car pulled away from the airport.I turned my head toward the window as familiar streets slowly came into view. The city was as lively as I remembered. Cars filled the roads, people moved about in a hurry, and tall trees lined several parts of the street Home.I had missed it more than I cared to admit.But along with the memories
BRYAN"Mr. Bryan, we might be late for the meeting," Mrs. Lewis said as she stepped into my office."Let's go," I replied.She quickly gathered the files from my desk and followed behind me. We headed toward my private elevator, and within moments we were downstairs at the reception area. My eyes briefly swept across the lobby. Cali wasn't there. She was probably out for lunch or buried somewhere in the building doing whatever task she'd been assigned.I pulled out my phone and checked the time.Damn.I might actually be late.I started toward the exit when something caught my attention.I looked up.And froze.Cali.And Steve,Standing together,Talking,Smiling.For a second I just stared.What the hell was going on?I had specifically told her not to follow me earlier so she could finish her work. Yet here she was, laughing with her high school sweetheart as if she didn't have a care in the world.A scoff escaped my lips before I could stop it.Annoying.I motioned toward Mrs. Lewis.She immed
CALII was finally back home and had already resumed work.Out of nowhere, Mr. Bryan told me I could leave, so I did. After all, it had only been a contract, and both of us had fulfilled our parts of the agreement. There was no reason for me to stay any longer.I grabbed my bag and paused for a moment, glancing around the room to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything important. My eyes swept across the table, the chair, the shelves, and every corner of the room. Nothing.With a small nod to myself, I locked the door behind me and headed out.Thankfully, I was able to catch a cab without much trouble.The ride to the company was quiet, giving me enough time to mentally prepare myself for the mountain of work waiting for me. The moment the building came into view, I couldn't help but sigh.Back to reality.I paid the driver, stepped out, and walked briskly toward the entrance. The first thing I did was stop by reception to clock in before heading to my office.The second I stepped insid
SARAH"You're back," he said.I nodded. The night was quiet, and somehow his voice sounded louder than it should have."You didn't have to wait," I replied."I wasn't waiting," he said quickly. "I just couldn't sleep, so I decided to come out for some fresh air."I nodded slowly. "Okay. Goodnight."I turned to leave."Wait."His voice stopped me in my tracks.I froze for a second before turning back to face him."Can we have a word?" he asked.I let out a small sigh and sat back down. There was something in his expression that made me curious. He stared at me for a moment, as if trying to gather courage, then cleared his throat."So..." he began.Then he stopped.I waited."So, I wanted to ask..." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Did you enjoy your time out?"The question caught him off guard because he immediately cursed under his breath, like he had asked the wrong thing.I hummed.It should have been an easy question to answer, but somehow it wasn't.The silence stretched betw







