Chapter 14%
The days after Fiona’s downfall were strangely peaceful.
With her scandal taking over the headlines, the whispers about my past with Jayson finally died down. The company’s reputation slowly recovered, and my mother and stepfather reconciled. Everything felt like it was falling back into place, and for the first time in a long while, I could breathe again.”
To celebrate, my mother insisted on a family dinner. A real one this time. No secrets, no tension–just the four of us.
I wasn’t supposed to go because of Jayson, but I had figured out that no matter what happened–we’re family. That was something I could no longer remove in my life. I couldn’t move forward if I would not let go of this past.
Jayson sat across from me at the dining table, his usual arrogance replaced with something softer. Guilt, maybe. And somehow, I saw the man I used to love. Perhaps, if this was at the right time and in the right place, we could be happy. I’d admit that even though Jayson lied to me about his real intention, we were happy.
He sighed, setting down his fork. “I was an asshole. I’m really sorry.“>
I arched a brow. “You think?”
He chuckled dryly, shaking his head. “No, seriously. I was blinded by my own issues, by revenge…. and I hurt you. I just want you to know, I regret it and I will forever make up for it.“2
Silence settled between us. My mother watched with cautious hope, while my stepfather simply nodded, letting Jayson speak for himself.”
“And,” Jayson continued, looking at me directly, “I’m happy for you and Ryan. I see the way he looks at you, and I know he’ll take care of you, something I failed to do, but I will always be your brother.”
I hadn’t expected that. I guess there was still room for forgiveness–so we could keep the harmony in our family.
Ryan, sitting beside me, smirked. “Of course, I will. You lost your chance, and I don’t plan on making the same mistakes you did.”}]
Jayson let out a low chuckle. “Yeah. I got that.” He lifted his glass in a small toast. “To your upcoming wedding.”
1 hesitated, searching his face for any sign of insincerity, but there was none.
So, I raised my glass too. “To moving forward.“}
We all cheered and I felt peace again.”
Later that night, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.”
I glanced at the screen. Unknown Number.
Fiona. I knew it was her. Who would be the one to keep on calling me? Of course, it was her. I let it ring a few times before finally answering.
“You ruined my life!” Her voice was shrill. “You think you can just walk away from this? You’ll pay for what you did to me!“>
I sighed, already regretting answering. “Fiona, I didn’t do anything. You destroyed yourself. And for the record, you were the one who started this. If you kept your mouth shut then you wouldn’t be in that position because I would never thought of revenge!“}
“You think this is over?” she seethed. “Because of you, I’m being charged with fraud, defamation, and even adultery–do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
I rolled my eyes. “All I did was reveal the truth. You should’ve been smarter, Fiona.”}
Her breathing was ragged, furious. “You’ll regret this, Kylie.“}
I hung up. Let her threaten me all she wanted. I had bigger things to focus on.”
Work at the research facility resumed as usual. Some colleagues still gossiped behind my back, but I ignored it. Ryan, on the other hand, was furious.
“I should fire them,” he muttered, watching a group whispering across the hall.
I shook my head. “If you fire them for talking, you’ll lose half the staff. It doesn’t matter, Ryan. They’ll move on eventually.“>
His jaw tightened. “I don’t like people disrespecting my fiancée.“}
I placed a hand on his. “I don’t care what they think. You’re with me, and that’s all that matters. You believed in me so I have all the confidence in the world.”
His expression softened, and after a moment, he sighed. “Fine. But we should better start preparing for our wedding. I don’t want to let you go anymore.”%
I smiled. “Now that, I agree.“%
With our wedding plans in motion, I spent the next few weeks choosing dresses, venues, and finalizing details. But we weren’t in a rush- Jack and Yanna were scheduled to marry first, and Ryan and I didn’t want to steal their spotlight. But it was better to plan it already. I was so excited to finally get married.
It worked out perfectly because Ryan never left my side. I had more time to focus on the research project while also preparing for the next chapter of my life.
That was, until one afternoon at the bridal boutique. I stood in front of the mirror, admiring the intricate lace details of my wedding gown, when I heard a familiar voice from the next fitting room.
Yanna
(smiled, about to greet her–until I heard her next words.
