Chapter 4
I ignored Ryan’s face and got in the car.
As it slowly pulled away, I caught a glimpse of him in the rearview mirror–his face twisted with anger.
The car rolled along the road, but my thoughts were already somewhere else.
There was a time when Ryan was wonderful. He took care of me like I was everything.
For almost ten years, I clung to that kindness. Broke it into pieces, held it close, made it sweet enough to survive on.
But it’s time to wake up.
“He’s not a good choice. He has nothing to offer you.”
I snapped out of it and turned to Derek. That smug smile he’d worn since earlier still hadn’t left his face.
“Oh yeah? And what can you give me?”
He reached out, hand resting on mine. “Anything you want. Everything.”
He said it like a fact. No room for doubt. I had to admit–he had the means to back that up. The problem was, what he could give was the one thing I never lacked.
I was the only daughter of the Mitchell family, raised in comfort,
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surrounded by luxury. I never needed more stuff.
What I wanted–what I always wanted–was something real. A love that stayed.
But in the end, even that wasn’t fully up to me. I had the right to choose -but only if I picked someone better than Ryan. Otherwise, I’d still be pushed back toward him.
Maybe Derek was the better choice.
“I’ll think about your offer,” I said as the car stopped in front of my office building. I opened the door and stepped out.
Tonight, I had a charity gala to attend. I needed to finish work first, then show up and smile.
Most importantly, tonight was the official announcement of the engagement between our two families. I had one day–just one–to get my head straight and deal with it.
By evening, the hall was filled with people from both families and business partners.
I walked in wearing my gown, and every pair of eyes turned to me- some with pity, some with mockery, some with barely–hidden amusement. Then I saw why.
Standing in the center of it all, next to Ryan, was a girl. She wore a white dress, delicate and sweet, glowing with that untouched, youthful charm I’d long outgrown.
Maybe what he loved was eternal youth.
I took a deep breath and walked over to my parents. My dad’s face was
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stone. My mom grabbed my hand, concerned.
“What happened between you and Ryan?”
“Mom, Dad, we’re just friends.”
They looked like they wanted to say more, but Ryan walked up, still holding the girl’s hand.
“Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, this is Sophie Garrett. She’s my girlfriend.”
Then he looked at me, smiling, and added for her benefit, “This is Caressa Mitchell. She’s my childhood friend.”
He stressed those last two words.
“Nice to meet you, Caressa.”
I nodded. I tried to speak, but nothing came out.
I remembered how badly I’d wanted a title–how he always hid our relationship, made me feel like I had to tiptoe just to stay beside him.
At every event, he’d say we were just friends. Even when I offered him part of a company in exchange for going public–he still refused.
Now this new girl–she got it all, effortlessly. What a joke!
I looked around. The amusement on their faces burned into me. Everyone here knew about us and what we used to be.
And everything he just did was a slap to my family’s face.
“Well, looks like I’m late.”
Derek’s voice cut through the room.
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He walked straight over–and stopped right by my side.
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