LOGINSean slowly looked toward Kennedy then Amelia, then Kennedy again. Of course, of fucking course.Kennedy noticed. "What?"Sean said nothing. His mind was already moving. The Voss family, international holdings, private capital, energy, infrastructure, technology, shipping, a family so private that most people outside the upper circles barely knew the extent of their wealth.Vale Group had attempted twice to secure cooperation with one of their overseas investment companies. Both times rejected. Not even negotiations, just polite refusals, and now Amelia Voss was sitting inside Kennedy Miles' house after Kennedy publicly threatened to dismantle Vale Group.This man didn't waste time."What are you doing here?"Kennedy's brows drew together. "It's my house.""I'm not talking about you."Sean looked toward Amelia. Everyone became still.Shannon immediately realized Sean didn't know. "Sean..."But he was already looking toward Kennedy again. "So this is what you're doing?"Kennedy stare
"I want to know what happened after she left. What her life became, whether she thought about me, whether she ever..." Her voice broke. "...wondered what I would've looked like."Kennedy closed his eyes briefly.Shannon squeezed his hand again. "I'm not asking you to forgive her.""I wouldn't.""I know, I'm asking you to let me hear her."Kennedy didn't answer.Shannon waited, finally he sighed. "Fine."Her shoulders loosened."But this does not mean she stays here.""Okay.""It does not mean we're suddenly one happy family.""I know.""And if she starts defending what she did..." His expression hardened. "I walk away."Shannon nodded. "Fair."Kennedy looked toward the entrance then back at Shannon. There was another reason he had agreed, he didn't want to admit it, not to her, not even to himself, but since yesterday one question had been eating him alive. Amelia had been gone twenty seven years, twenty seven. What had her life looked like?Had she been happy? Had she dated? Had she
Morning came quietly. Kennedy had already been awake for almost an hour when one of the maids approached him near the entrance hall. "Chairman."He looked up from the document in his hand. "Yes?"The maid hesitated.Kennedy noticed immediately. "What?""There's someone outside."His expression changed before she even said the name. "No."The maid swallowed. "Sir...""No." He folded the document. "I don't care who it is.""It's Mrs. Amelia."Kennedy's jaw tightened. "Then tell her to leave."The maid stood there. "Chairman...""Did you hear me?""Yes, sir." The maid nodded and hurried toward the entrance.Kennedy remained where he was. His entire body had gone rigid. Amelia again. Of course she had come back because why wouldn't she? Twenty seven years of silence and suddenly she couldn't stay away for twenty four hours.Kennedy gave a humorless laugh. Unbelievable.The maid returned several minutes later. "Sir..."Kennedy closed his eyes. "What now?""She won't leave."He slowly turne
Kennedy returned to the report. From the hallway came Shannon's quiet voice. "She said she thought I was dead."Sean responded too softly for Kennedy to hear then Shannon again. "I understand that part. I just don't understand how she could do that to Dad."Kennedy's fingers tightened around the tablet. He stood. "I'm going to my study."Shannon looked toward him. "Dad...""I'm fine.""Are you sure?""Yes."Kennedy walked away.Shannon watched him until he disappeared.Sean looked at her. "He's not fine.""I know." She sighed. "He won't talk about her.""Give him time.""Twenty seven years, Sean." Her voice dropped. "He loved her for twenty seven years."Sean looked toward the hallway Kennedy had disappeared through. "And she knew?"Shannon nodded.Sean had no response to that. His hand returned to her stomach. Shannon looked down, the movement still did strange things to her. "You keep doing that."Sean looked innocent. "Doing what?""Touching my stomach.""My baby lives there."Sha
Kennedy was discharged shortly after three that afternoon. The doctors had wanted to keep him longer but Kennedy had disagreed, then he'd disagreed more strongly. By the time the doctor finally signed the discharge papers, Shannon had already realized there was absolutely no point arguing with a man who had apparently decided collapsing once was enough medical drama for the decade.The drive home was quiet. Shannon sat beside him in the back seat, occasionally glancing over. Kennedy spent most of the journey looking through the window. He hadn't mentioned Amelia, not once. Not when they left the hospital, not when Shannon asked whether he wanted anything before they went home, not even when she'd carefully asked if there was somewhere Amelia could stay until they figured everything out.Kennedy had only said, "She's an adult."That had been the end of it.Shannon hadn't tried again but she could see it. His face was composed, his voice was normal, he even answered two business calls
Amelia covered her mouth.Kennedy looked away. His eyes were wet now.Shannon had never seen him cry, not once. "Dad..."He lifted a hand.She stopped.Kennedy looked back at Amelia. "Do you know what I did when they told me?"Amelia couldn't answer."I walked." His voice was almost empty. "I walked because I couldn't afford transportation."Amelia's face crumpled."I got to that hospital..." He swallowed. "...and they told me my wife and daughter were dead."A tear slipped down Amelia's face.Kennedy continued. "I had nothing." His voice became quieter. "No money, no family fortune, no wife, no daughter, no home worth returning to." He laughed once, bitterly. "And you were alive.""I'm sorry.""You were alive. For twenty seven years.""Kennedy...""You knew I thought you were dead."Amelia couldn't deny it. Her silence answered for her.Kennedy stared at her then shook his head slowly. "Selfish."Amelia closed her eyes. "Yes."Shannon looked at her.Amelia opened her eyes again. "Yes
Rowan sat on the bed, his arm wrapped loosely around Evelyn.Evelyn stood close, too close, and Rowan leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world.Like he had done it a hundred times.Like it belonged there.“Stop!”The word tore out of Shannon befor
The first thing Shannon felt was the weight, like her entire body had been dragged beneath something heavy and invisible, pressing her down into a darkness that refused to let her rise.Then came the sound, a slow, steady beep... beep... beep...It echoed from far away at first, distant and unreal,
The guest room was at the end of the hall.Shannon paused at the doorway, her fingers resting lightly against the frame before she stepped in.It used to be a storage room now it was neat, cleaned and prepared.A bed, fresh sheets and a wardrobe that looked barely used.Shannon exhaled slowly and s
The hospital discharged them the next day.Shannon didn’t know whether that was fate or cruelty.She stood just outside the building, her fingers gripping the thin discharge papers in her hand as the sunlight hit her face. Too bright. Like the world hadn’t just ended for her.A few steps ahead Rowa







