His eyes flash. “And what? You expect me to just let that happen?”
I take a deep breath in.
This is it. The one Hannah warned me would either save us or blow everything to pieces.
“I’m not asking,” I say quietly. “I’m telling you. And before you try to threaten him or me, you should know something.”
My father’s posture stiffens. “What?”
“I have been in contact with someone from the FBI.”
My father’s eyes flick to Hudson, then back to me, suspicion sharpening into something more dangerous. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“You heard me. They have a video interview with me, detailing all the dirty, sick things you’ve done. Things you don’t want anyone to know.”
My mother’s hand flies to her mouth. My father’s face drains of color, then floods with rage.
“You little…”
Hudson steps forward, his tone low and lethal. “Careful.”
My father stops mid-step, chest heaving.
“You think you can blackmail me?” he snarls.
“I’m not blackmailing you,” I say. “I’m protecting myself. If anything happens to Hudson or to me, that video goes straight to the top. And you know exactly what that means.”
Silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating.
Finally, my father grinds out through gritted teeth, “What do you want?”
“Nothing. Not a damn thing,” I tell him. “I don’t want your money. I don’t want access to my trust fund. I don’t want anything you have.”
His eyes narrow. “Then what?”
“I want to be able to walk out of here,” I say, “and be left alone. No threats. No consequences. I don’t want anyone following me or the chance of ever being dragged back into this world.”
He stares at me for a long, agonizing moment. Then he exhales, putting out a harsh, bitter sound.
“Fine. Whatever,” he says. “Just know, little girl, the moment you walk out that door, you will be dead to me. Do you understand what I’m telling you? You will no longer be a part of this family or my daughter. You will be completely on your own from this day forward. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
The words hit harder than I expected. They cut through something deep, something old. But the pain is temporary, a spark, not a wound. Because for the first time in my life, I am free. I will get to live my own life, make my own decisions, and learn to be exactly who I’m meant to be without my father or the Ashford name.
I lift my chin. “Then I guess this is goodbye.”
My mother reaches for me with tears in her eyes. “Ivory, please…let's just sit down and discuss this rationally.”
I step back, pulling away from her reach. “No, Mom. I’m sorry, but I can’t live like this anymore. I can’t stay here. I need to go live my life.”
Hudson’s hand finds mine again, feeling warm and steady. My father turns his back, already dismissing me as if I’m nothing more than a business deal gone wrong.
His way of letting me know that I no longer hold value in his eyes.
Not that I ever did.
Without another word, we leave them standing there, my father cursing my mother, blaming her for not teaching me better. I fight the urge to rush back in there and beg her to come with me. But I don’t. It would be pointless, knowing she would never leave him. Even though the relationship with my mom has been nowhere near perfect and strained at times, deep down, I always knew she loved me. She was doing her duties and what my father expected of her.
I block out all the chaos behind me and head straight toward the elevator, my head held high, not looking back. My heart is pounding harder than it ever has, while my hands shake, but my steps are absolute and sure. Knowing that this was the best decision for me, and that if it wasn’t for Hudson or Han, I would have never had the chance. So I had to do it.
