All Chapters of Too Late To Want Me Back: Chapter 21 - Chapter 29

The glass doors of the Barley Group headquarters slid shut behind them, cutting off the noise of the executive floor. The night air was cool, carrying the faint scent of rain.Enzo walked beside Bianca as they made their way through the underground parking garage toward his sedan. He unlocked the car but didn't say a word. Only after they were both inside did the silence settle between them.Bianca leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes as the adrenaline finally faded. Her hands were still shaking.Enzo reached into the console and pulled out a thermal flask. He opened it, letting out the scent of chamomile and honey. He placed it in her hands without a word."I almost lost control in there," Bianca whispered. "When I saw those files on the screen... I thought I was going to throw up."Enzo shifted the car into drive and pulled out toward the exit ramp."No. You didn’t lose confidence," he said. "There’s a difference. Lawrence wanted a reaction. Instead, you hel

At 9:02 a.m., Lawrence sat in the Barley Group conference room with three senior psychiatric consultants from St. Jude's Medical Center.The consultants had their files open in front of them, waiting for the evaluation to begin. Lawrence checked the time again and leaned back in his chair.Bianca should have been here by now."Our interim chair appears to be late," Lawrence said. "Considering the circumstances, I think that speaks for itself." "The evaluation will proceed as scheduled," Camille said. "And you don't dictate this board's procedures." "I care about protecting the shareholders, Camille," Lawrence said. "The stock dropped another three percent this morning. We're here to determine whether Bianca is fit to lead this company."The boardroom doors opened.Bianca walked in, and Enzo Davenport entered beside her. Then a third figure followed.The moment the three St. Jude's consultants saw him, their expressions changed.Dr. Arthur Sterling.Lawrence's smile disappeared."Wh

The Davenport Group's war room was already running by 7:14 a.m.Bianca sat at the center of the conference table with a cold cup of coffee untouched beside her. Camille worked through reports on her tablet, her expression tightening with every update, while Olivia stood by the projection screen reviewing the latest trading data.Bianca had slept less than three hours. Every time she closed her eyes, she found herself replaying the conversation in the car and the words she still couldn't stop thinking about.When the conference room doors opened, she straightened immediately.Enzo Davenport walked in, composed and impeccably dressed. Any trace of the tired man she had seen a few hours earlier was gone. He acknowledged Camille and Olivia with a brief nod before taking his seat at the head of the table. He didn't look at Bianca any differently than he looked at anyone else in the room.It shouldn't have mattered. If anything, the distance was exactly what she should have wanted. Yet she

The drive to Brooklyn passed in silence. Bianca leaned back against the leather seat, her blazer folded beside her. Enzo sat next to her with his sleeves rolled to his forearms, his attention fixed on the road ahead. They had left the lawyers and analysts at the Davenport headquarters. The paper trail had led nowhere. If they were going to find the leak, they needed to start where it had begun.The SUV rolled into the gravel lot of the Red Hook Shipping Terminal. Stacks of cargo containers towered over the docks while the steady rumble of diesel engines echoed across the yard.Bianca reached for the door handle. "We don't tell the regional director we're here. The moment they know we're coming, the logs will be cleaned."Enzo held her gaze for a beat before giving a single nod. "Then let's catch them off guard."Enzo retrieved two high-visibility vests and a pair of hard hats from the back of the SUV, handing one set to Bianca. She slipped the oversized vest over her silk blouse and s

The drive to the Plaza passed in silence. Streetlights swept across the back of the SUV, catching the deep blue of Bianca's gown before fading into shadow. Beside her, Enzo stared ahead, calm and unreadable.The SUV rolled beneath the Plaza's grand entrance and came to a stop. Enzo stepped out first. He turned and, without a word, held out his arm. A small flutter caught in Bianca's chest, and she steadied herself, slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, and stepped into the lights."Ready?" Enzo asked quietly.Bianca let out a slow breath. "No."The corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly."Good," he said. "Neither are they."Camera shutters erupted as reporters surged against the velvet ropes, calling their names. They walked in effortless step, Bianca's gaze fixed on the entrance ahead. She didn't lean on Enzo, but his steady presence beside her settled something inside her.The moment they crossed into the ballroom, the atmosphere changed. The orchestra played on, bu