Sofia's expression softened again, just slightly. "Then you let her. And you find a way to work with my family without making things awkward for everyone involved."
She turned to leave, then paused. "For what it's worth, I don't think you're a bad man, Eric. I think you're someone who's been shaped by circumstances beyond your control, trying to do right by the people you care about. But Ivy deserves better than half-truths and protection she didn't ask for."
"I know."
"Then prove it." She walked away, her heels clicking against the floor until she disappeared through the cafe's entrance.
I sat alone at the table, processing everything she'd said. The alliance was secure. My position in Ironstone was confirmed. All the pieces my father wanted were falling into place.
Except for the one piece that actually mattered.
I pulled out my phone and stared at Ivy's number. Sofia was right. I'd been protecting her, making decisions for her, when what I should have been doing was trusting her to make her own choices.
Just like four years ago.
The server approached tentatively, probably wondering if I planned to order now that my guest had left. I waved him off and stood, dropping enough cash on the table to cover whatever he thought I might have ordered.
Outside, the morning sun was climbing higher, burning off the last traces of morning chill. Ironstone stretched out around me, this city that would be my new home. The city where Ivy lived. Where she worked, where her friends were, where she'd built a life without me.
I could give her space like she'd asked. Wait for her to decide what she wanted, what she could handle. Let her come to me when she was ready.
Or I could do what Sofia suggested. Stop waiting. Stop protecting. Just be honest.
My phone vibrated, and I checked the message.
No movement, will continue surveillance.
I'd talk to her, once she'd had some time to breathe and process.
17
IVY
Isat on the log as the sky deepened to purple, the last traces of daylight bleeding away. My headphones blocked out the world, filling my ears with the kind of music that let me think without drowning in my own thoughts. The park had emptied as evening approached, just the occasional jogger passing by, their footsteps barely audible over the bass line.
The city lived and breathed around me, but here, tucked away by the water's edge, I could pretend I was somewhere else. Somewhere simple, where the biggest decision I faced was what to order for dinner.
My phone lit up in my lap. Elena's name flashed across the screen.
I declined the call and tucked the phone back into my pocket, focusing on the water instead. The river moved in constant motion, never stopping, never second-guessing its path. Unlike me, who seemed to excel at standing still while everything fell apart around me.
The phone buzzed again. Sofia this time.
I hit decline without looking at the message that followed. Whatever they wanted to say about Eric, about my choices,about the mess I'd walked into, I didn't want to hear it. Not right now. Not when I was still trying to figure out what the hell I actually wanted.
The music shifted to something slower, and I sighed, letting my eyes drift closed. Just a few more minutes of peace before I had to face everything waiting for me back home.
My phone rang a third time, vibrating insistently against my thigh.
"For fuck's sake," I muttered, pulling it out to see Elena's name again.
But this time there was a text beneath the missed call notification.
You're in danger. Get somewhere public NOW.
I barely had time to process the words before something rough and heavy slammed over my head. Canvas. A bag that smelled like dirt and oil, blocking out the darkening sky, the park, everything.
Are you kidding me right now?
