Semua Bab The One He Let Go: Bab 61 - Bab 70

AndersonI stared at the screen of my laptop, my eyes fixed on the email I had sent to Mr. Davis nearly a week ago. No response. Not even a polite acknowledgment. My fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk as frustration struck in my chest. How could someone ignore an offer like mine?The demand for my latest collection was already faltering, and the clock was ticking. I couldn't afford to lose momentum now, not when so much was riding on this deal.My phone buzzed on the desk beside me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen: Mom.The frustration in me spiked. I let the call ring out, ignoring it completely. She called again, her name flashing insistently."Not now," I muttered, shoving the phone into my pocket as I grabbed my keys and stormed out of the house.The drive to the office was frustrating. Every second of silence in the car seemed to echo the ticking time bomb that was my business. When I finally reached the building, I made way to my office, the space of

AidenFor the past few days, the house felt quieter than usual. The kind of silence that made my skin crawl and my chest tighten. Grandma and Aunt Kate or should I say my stepmother were gone, off to Italy for some event I didn’t care about. At first, I thought their absence might be a relief, but it wasn’t. It made everything worse.The silence wasn’t peaceful; it was oppressive. There was no one around to cook a fresh meal, no comforting smells coming from the kitchen. Instead, I had to heat up leftovers from the fridge and eat alone at the table. I tried to pretend it didn’t bother me, but it did.I missed Mom.Not that I hadn’t always missed her, I did. But today, the weight of her absence pressed harder on my chest. Why didn’t she care? Why did she leave me behind? Maybe she was happy wherever she was, living her life while I was stuck here, miserable and forgotten.Or was it Dad’s fault?Dad wasn’t cruel, not really. He didn’t yell about my grades, always saying it didn’t matter

AndersonHow could David make such a mistake? Forgetting my suitcase on a business trip this important? The man was reliable 99% of the time, but of course, it was the 1% that always seemed to matter the most.I sighed, staring out of the window of the taxi that had picked me up from the airport in Rome. As if leaving the suitcase behind wasn’t bad enough, I’d just realized that the main event wasn’t even in Rome. It was in Florence.Fluorescence? No, Florence. Whatever.I pinched the bridge of my nose, groaning softly. “This is why I should have double-checked the details myself,” I muttered.The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror, clearly confused by my outburst. I waved him off and leaned back in my seat..I wasted no time booking the fastest flight to Florence. The whole ordeal was frustrating, but at least it was giving me a crash course in Italian domestic travel. By the time I landed in Florence, my patience was thinner than the thread count on budget hotel she

KellyThe ride back to the villa was quiet, except for the sound of the car engine and Harper's soft snores. Adrian had suggested we head back early to continue the celebration in private since Harper was getting sleepy. He’d said it so casually, but something about the way he’d looked at me during dinner made me suspicious. Adrian had always been full of surprises, especially on my birthday. He had a way of turning ordinary moments into memories, even when I thought he’d forgotten.As the car pulled up to the villa, my heart betrayed me with a sense of anticipation. My logical mind argued against it. Don’t expect anything. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment. But my hopeful heart whispered otherwise.When we stepped out, I hesitated. My hand lingered on the car door as Harper clung sleepily to my arm. Adrian glanced back at me with a quizzical look, but I forced a smile and followed him inside.Everything was the same as we’d left it. No surprise banners, no sound of soft music

KellyBlood seemed to drain from my face. Anderson? In Italy? I must've forgotten this was a show organized for designer's, but it still stung to see him here. My breath hitched as I let my eyes travel again, landing beside him was Kate. Her presence only made it worse. I tore my gaze away quickly, my grip tightening around the stem of my wineglass as I fought to steady my emotions. But Anderson’s eyes, those piercing, unyielding eyes never left mine.Adrian, oblivious to whats happening, continued his cheerful chatter about the gala. I was grateful he hadn’t noticed anything unusual, and I planned to keep it that way. Slowly, I let my gaze move back to where Anderson had been seated. To my relief, he was gone. A wave of calm washed over me, and I let out a soft sigh. Maybe this was just an unfortunate coincidence. Maybe—“Kelly?” Adrian’s voice snapped me back to the present.“Hm?” I turned to him, forcing a small smile as I pushed the thoughts of Anderson out of my mind.“I was sayi