I check my watch. Her flight is tomorrow morning. If I'm going to do this, I need to move now, call our private jet, pack a bag, make arrangements for the brewery.
But what if she doesn't want me there? What if my presence makes things worse?
I close my eyes, picturing her face. The fear in her eyes when Elliot showed up. The fury when she discovered what I'd hidden. The way she looked in Denver, relaxed and happy, before everything fell apart.
I can't let her face this alone. Not when I have resources that could help her. Not when I might be able to make a difference.
Decision made, I call the airline and book a ticket on the same flight as hers. Not to crowd her, not to force my companyon her, but to be there if she needs me. To have her back, whether she wants me there or not.
Next, I call Reeves.
"I'm heading to Oregon tomorrow," I tell him when he answers. "I need you to meet me at the brewery in an hour with everything you've found. And I mean everything."
"You got it," he replies. "But Axel? This is explosive stuff. Life-changing. You sure you want to be the one to deliver it?"
"I'm sure," I say, more confident than I feel. "She deserves to know—and she deserves to hear it from someone who cares about her."
"Your call," he says. "See you in an hour."
I hang up and stare out the window again, watching clouds gather over the mountains. A storm is coming, both literally and figuratively. I just hope I'm doing the right thing this time.
My phone buzzes with a text. I grab for it, hoping it’s her, but it's just Logan confirming a delivery schedule. I type a quick response, trying not to feel disappointed.
She might not want to see me. Might not want my help. Might never forgive me for what I did. But I have to try. Have to be there for her, even if it's the last time.
"I'm coming back for you, Sadie," I whisper to the empty office. "Whether you want me or not."
Chapter 25
Sadie
The chair wedged under my doorknob won't stop him.
I know this with bone-deep certainty as I pace my living room, checking my watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. My flight leaves in ten hours. Ten hours until I face the Oregon family court system that could take my daughter away.
The baby monitor crackles softly on the coffee table, Poppy's gentle breathing the only sound in my too-quiet apartment. I've triple-checked our bags, organized our documents, run through every possible scenario with my lawyer. There's nothing left to do but wait, and waiting is unbearable.
My fingers find the restraining order paperwork, edges soft from how many times I've handled it. Will it be enough? The police report from Elliot's appearance sits beside it, along with the photograph he left. Evidence of stalking that might help my case or might be dismissed as a "concerned father" trying to locate his child.
Three sharp knocks sound at my door. I freeze mid-step and stare at the door.
No one should be here. Rowan has a key. The café staff wouldn't come by this late.
"Sadie." Axel's voice is low, controlled. Not the playful tone I'm used to. "I know you're in there. We need to talk."
My cheeks flash warm with anger, relief, confusion all tangled together. I haven't spoken to him since that night in the parking lot.
"Go away," I call, hating how my voice shakes.
"I'm not leaving until you hear me out."
"I have nothing to say to you."
"Then just listen." There's something in his voice I've never heard before, an intensity that makes the hair on my arms stand up. "Please."
Against every instinct, I move to the door. I don't remove the chair, just stand close enough to hear him better.
"What do you want?"
