Chapter 17
It was a calm morning when my phone buzzed with a call from one of my men. I sipped my coffee, letting the warmth spread through me, and answered the call.
“She’s finally gone, Ms. Leigh,” the man said on the other end of the line.
I set my mug down, raising an eyebrow. “Naomi?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “After everything that happened, she’s completely lost it. She’s been admitted to a mental hospital.”
A part of me should’ve felt vindicated, but all I could feel was relief–relief that she was finally out of my life, that her chaos and manipulations were over. “Send her some flowers,” I said quietly.
“Flowers?” the man asked, confused.
“Yes, flowers,” I repeated firmly. “Whatever else she’s done, her suffering doesn’t change. who I am.”
“Understood,” he said before the line went dead.
As I dropped the phone onto the table, I let out a long sigh. For the first time in what felt like forever, my chest didn’t feel so heavy. The flowers from Oliver had stopped arriving over the past few days, and I had hoped it meant he was finally realizing there was not going back.
But as I stepped into my office that morning, I saw a familiar bouquet waiting for me on my desk. My heart sank as I walked over and picked up the card attached to it.
The note was short and to the point:
Hannah, please meet me. This will be the last time. If you don’t, I’ll stop for good. – Oliver
I let out a frustrated groan, crumpling the note in my hand. He just didn’t know when to
quit.
I picked up the flowers and tossed them into the trash without a second thought. My mind was made up. I wasn’t going to give him what he wanted, no matter how many bouquets he sent or how many letters he wrote. Oliver was my past, and I refused to let him control my present.
Determined to push the negativity out of my day, I decided to do something different. Scott had always been the one surprising me–showing up at my office with coffee, arranging spontaneous dates, and constantly finding ways to make me smile. It was my turn to do the same for him.
I grabbed my bag and headed to his workplace. Scott ran a thriving business, and though I’d been there a few times, I rarely dropped by unannounced. I felt a little thrill of excitement as I planned the surprise, imagining the look on his face when he saw me.
When I arrived, the receptionist greeted me with a bright smile. “Ms. Leigh! It’s so nice to see you again. Are you here to see Mr. Hayes?”
“Yes,” I said with a smile. “Is he free?”
see you again. Are you here to see Mr. Hayes?”
“Yes,” I said with a smile. Is he free?”
“He’s in a meeting right now,” she said, glancing at her schedule. “But it should be wrapping up soon.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “I’ll wait.”
I sat in the lobby, scrolling through my phone to pass the time. My heart felt lighter knowing I was about to see Scott, especially after the mess Oliver had stirred up.
What I didn’t realize was that Oliver had been following me.
Somewhere down the street, Oliver sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he watched me walk into Scott’s building. He had been waiting at the meeting spot he mentioned in his letter, hoping–praying–that I’d show up. But when I didn’t, he decided to follow me.
As he watched me walk into the building, he felt his last thread of hope snap.
He slumped back in his seat, staring at the entrance. He didn’t need to go inside to know what was happening. I hadn’t come to meet him because I didn’t care.
He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “She’s really gone,” he muttered to himself.
It was over.
Back in the lobby, I stood as the receptionist called out to me. “Mr. Hayes’s meeting just ended. You can go in now.”
I thanked her and made my way to his office. As I stepped inside, Scott was standing by the window, his jacket slung over the back of his chair and his tie slightly loosened. He turned when he heard me, his face breaking into a wide grin.
“Hannah,” he said, walking over to me. “What are you doing here?”
I shrugged, smiling back. “I figured it was my turn to surprise you.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “You didn’t have to, you know.”
“I know,” I said, stepping closer. “But you’re always doing things for me, so I thought I’d return the favor.”
Scott’s expression softened, and he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “You’re full of surprises, you know that?”
I laughed, feeling my cheeks warm under his gaze. “Maybe.”
“Let me guess,” he said, crossing his arms. “You brought me lunch?”
“Better,” I said, pulling a small gift box from my bag.
Scott raised an eyebrow as he took the box. “What’s this?”
“Open it and see,” I said, trying to hide my excitement.
He opened the box to reveal a sleek watch, engraved on the back with the words: “For always being there.”
Scott stared at the watch for a moment before looking up at me. “Hannah, this is…
Chapter 17
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Scott raised an eyebrow as he took the box. “What’s this?”
“Open it and see,” I said, trying to hide my excitement.
He opened the box to reveal a sleek watch, engraved on the back with the words: “For always being there.”
Scott stared at the watch for a moment before looking up at me. “Hannah, this is…”
“Don’t overthink it,” I interrupted. “I just wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for
me.”
He smiled, slipping the watch onto his wrist. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“Good,” I said, grinning.
Scott stepped closer, his hands resting gently on my shoulders. “You know,” he said softly, “you’re making it really hard not to fall for you all over again.”
My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, all I could do was look at him. Then, without thinking, I leaned in and kissed him.
It wasn’t planned, and it wasn’t perfect, but it felt right.
When we pulled apart, Scott smiled at me, his eyes shining with something I couldn’t quite describe. “Best surprise ever,” he said, making me laugh.
As I walked out of the building later that day, I felt lighter than I had in years. Scott was my future, and I wasn’t going to let the shadows of my past hold me back anymore.
Far away, Oliver sat in his car, staring blankly out the window. He had finally realized the truth. No matter what he did, no matter how much he begged, I wasn’t coming back.
And as much as it broke him, he knew he had to let me go.
