Chapter 182
Chapter 182
Alex was restless.
He sat behind his desk, tapping his fingers on the table, his knee bouncing up and down restlessly. The office around him was quiet, cold even.
There was a storm in his chest, one that refused to calm down, one that kept pulling his thoughts back to a name.
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Mia.
It was just a name. A damn name. There were probably thousands of girls named Mia out there, maybe even more. It didn’t have to mean anything. But it did. To him, it did. Because when he heard that name, he didn’t think of anyone else but her.
And now that same name was popping up again. Not in his dreams or nightmares this time, but in his real life–in his company. That name wasn’t supposed to show up here, in his space, in this life he built away from all of that.
The very idea made his skin crawl.
The moment his mother mentioned a girl named Mia coming in for an interview, since then, he had not been able to concentrate.
It was ridiculous, really. He knew it was ridiculous. But he couldn’t shake the thought. What were the odds? What would she be doing here, in his city, in his company? Was fate really that cruel?
He leaned back in his chair and sighed, dragging a hand through his hair.
He wanted to check. He really, really wanted to check. Maybe take a quick glance at the applicant list, or the security footage of the waiting room. Just to confirm. Just to put his mind at ease. Just to prove to himself that he was being paranoid.
But what if it was her?
What then?
Would he kick her out? Pretend not to know her?
No. He needed to focus. He had other things to worry about. Things more pressing than the ghost of an old name.
He slammed his palm lightly against the desk and let out another sigh, trying to ground himself. But the thoughts kept coming.
He was going to meet all the new employees before they resumed full–time anyway. That was how they did things here.
So whether or not he snooped now didn’t matter. He would see her face eventually, if it was really her.
Still, the temptation to spy ate at him.
“This is stupid,” he muttered under his breath.
He stood up and walked to the window, pulling the blinds apart just slightly to look down at the courtyard. It was mostly empty. Nothing to see.
He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, shutting his eyes for a moment.
This name shouldn’t still have this much power over him. Not after everything. Not after all this time. He was better than this. Stronger than this.
But was he?
Maybe that’s why the past always found a way back in. Because a part of him hadn’t healed. Because a part of him still ached, still wondered, still held
- on.
He shook his head.
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1707 SAL 9 MIN
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It was pathetic her rating his father had pot Shem through, he had the nerve to ask them to come back. As if minds could ever de har ts for Hoy bite, de Il Dine hadn’t moved on As if they hadn’t all been deeply and by the years spent in that cold, love house.
Fest, it was the threats. Flis father had tried to scare them into coming back, using his offence, fit wreath, Ad connections When that didier work, he ted to manipulate thein with guilt.
Then came the begging. The empty apologies. The promises. It was all just noise to Alex now, Noise he had long learned to fund out
And now, to top it all off, his father was talking about merging companies.
Alex snorted bitterly.
It was laughable. Absolutely ridiculous.
What he did here, what he had built with his mother and brother–this was different. It was real. It had nothing to do with the empire his father ran with an iron fist back in Willowcrest. They weren’t even in the same industry.
It wasn’t just about business. It was about freedom. About proving that they didn’t need him.
And yet, they still bore the name Blackwell.
That name was a shadow he couldn’t escape. No matter how hard he tried. But they had tried to take back some power. They had added Lowell, his mother’s maiden name–to their full names when they moved.
Here, in this city, people knew them as the Lowell family.
And that was a win.
They had fought tooth and nail to make that name mean something. To build it up, brick by brick, until it stood on its own. Until it commanded respect. Until it made people forget that they were ever Blackwells.
And for the most part, it worked.
The company was thriving. His mother and brother were thriving.
A notification pinged on his phone, breaking his thoughts. He glanced at it. Personal email.
Zoe.
Of course.
He groaned softly, already feeling the beginnings of a headache.
Zoe had been persistent. Too persistent.
At first, it was just a quick hello. Then it became weekly check–ins. Then more.
She claimed she just wanted to keep in touch, to stay friends. But Alex wasn’t stupid. He could read between the lines. He could feel the weight behind her words, the hope.
But he didn’t have it in him to give anyone hope
Not anymore.
Lucas and Sammy had reached out too. And after weeks of dodging their messages, he finally gave in and sent them his new number. It was only a matter of time, really.
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Chapter 182
He couldn’t hide forever. Not when his face was starting to pop up in business magazines, not when his name was beginning to circulate.
With success came exposure.
It was only natural that people from his past would come crawling back. But what they didn’t understand was that he wasn’t the same person anymore. He had walls now. High ones. And they weren’t coming down for anyone.
Especially not for Zoe.
He stared at her email for a while before locking his phone again.
He had nothing to say.
Not now.
Maybe not ever.
He leaned back into his chair, closing his eyes for a brief second.
Just breathe, Alex.
Just breathe.
This is your company, your empire.
You decide who stays and who leaves.
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