Page 37 of Petals & Promises

My phone buzzed, and I smiled at seeing the message. If I was going to be forced back to Tumie to deal with my parents, then I was going to do whatever it took to turn this moment into something beautiful. The ballet I’d wanted to take Bailey-Rose to was hosting its last four performances this month. One of those shows happened to be tomorrow night, and as one of Tumie Ballet Company’s top patrons, I got tickets and a private box for Bailey-Rose and me.

Ulysses sank into the seat beside me, taking out his phone to snap a picture of Bailey-Rose to send to her parents. We hadn’t been able to send many while we were in Prio Gria since most of the photos we took weren’t presentable to share with parents. Last night, we’d made sure to update them on our change in plans, keeping up our end of the deal. My phone buzzed again as Ulysses sent the image to our family group chat as well. Quickly, I downloaded it and added the picture to my collection.

“Hey,” Ulysses said, leaning closer to keep his voice low. “You doing all right?”

“I suppose,” I answered, not really sure how I felt.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t been back to Numoland numerous times since moving and meeting the guys. Only those had been business meetings hosted at a corporate location or one of the stores for a quality check on my designs. It had been ten years since I’d stepped foot in my parents’ home. As soon as I could, I moved out and got my own place, needing to be free of their toxic nature.

“I don’t know how to feel,” I admitted. “Should I be sad? My mother is dying, but I feel nothing.”

“No one can tell you how to feel, Vili… that’s for you and only you to decide,” Ulysses stated. “Like Rosie, I have a good relationship with my parents, so I can’t begin to know how you feel, but I’m happy to listen if you need to talk.”

Brushing a hand over my jaw, feeling the stubble that was growing since I decided not to shave during our island vacation, I could hear my mother’s voice telling me it was a sloppy look to have facial hair and I should shave every day. The amount of time and effort my parents invested into maintaining their appearances was exhausting. Although I agreed with the sentiment to dress for the success you want to have, there were limits to how far that would take you. If you suck at running a business, nothing you wore could change that fact, but educating yourself could change everything.

“Did I tell you I never finished university?” I asked offhandedly.

“No, I don’t think I knew that…” Ulysses frowned, taking a sip of his brandy before his eyes went wide. “Wait, are you telling me you got into one of the most prestigious business schools and didn’t graduate?”

“Indeed,” I confirmed. “I only needed one more year, but Wilhelm made a call, and I was magically handed a diploma.”

“I’m confused, so you did graduate?” he questioned.

“The records say I graduate, but I did not,” I explained. “A well-placed donation afforded me a diploma. I tore it up, much to Wilhelm’s ire.”

“Wooow, that is fucked up,” Ulysses muttered.

I hummed in agreement. “Just one of many moments. This is what they do… throw money at the problem, not caring about morals.”

Ulysses took another sip before spinning the swivel chair to face me. “Did you really mean it when you told Jonas you want to cut ties?”

I’d thought about doing just that for years, but fear had kept me tied to a family I wanted nothing to do with. Now, there wasn’t anything to be scared of. My pack would support whatever choice I made, and Bailey-Rose would never judge me for turning my back on my lineage. All that mattered to her was that I was happy.

“Yes, I believe it is time to make that happen,” I decided. “I am their son in name only. They don’t need me, and I don’t need them. What is there to hold on to?”

Ulysses nodded, tapping his finger against his glass. “What if you started your own business? Your designs are the ones that sell, so you’ve already proven you’ll have customers. I know with all of our knowledge, we could help get things up and running in no time if that’s what you want.”

My heart swelled hearing Ulysses’ suggestion, and it only confirmed that I was making the right choice. A true family is one who has your back, offers selfless support, and wants to see you achieve greatness. I only hoped I could offer the same to each of my pack brothers when the time came.

“Possibly, I think I’d like to explore the idea,” I answered. “Who knows, maybe Bailey-Rose and I team up to build her studio. She does the art, I deal with the people who want to buy.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t see Rosie doing well at pricing her work for what it’s worth. She’d probably give it away if someone really loved it.”

“Or ban the person for life if they don’t,” I added, knowing how feisty our Omega could get when she’s feeling protective.

Snorting as he tried to cover his laughter, Ulysses grinned. “True, but I have a feeling those would be fun interactions to watch.”

I glanced at my watch. We still had another three hours to go, so I leaned my chair back and settled in to get some sleep.

Since I refused to stay any longer than necessary in my parents’ home, we got the penthouse suite at the Royal Crest Hotel. It was fifteen minutes away from my childhood home but central to everything else in the city. When we landed, it was the middle of the afternoon, and my plan was to see my mother right away. Then the matter would be done and settled so I could enjoy showing my pack around the city I loved.

Looking in the mirror, I adjusted my gold-rimmed glasses I’d designed. My hair shone with a strong red hue after being out in the sun so much. I purposefully didn’t shave, leaving the dark blond facial hair that was filling in nicely. Not having a plan for what I was going to do with it, I just liked it was a silent fuck you to the values my parents held to so strongly.

However, I did dress nicely in a pair of slacks and a button-down shirt I’d ordered to be sent to the hotel. In fact, all of us were wearing new outfits since I planned to take them to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner. There weren’t many places I went to that had a dress code, but the food was so amazing I didn’t mind the rule for business attire. Thankfully, they didn’t force men to wear a tie anymore since it wasn’t mandatory for most companies these days.

Bailey-Rose wore an adorable lavender button-down dress that hit just below the knee. She paired it with mint-green accents, and the skirt was extra swishy, as she described it. Her hair was curled and full of bounce, making it look like cotton candy. My kitten was the prettiest Omega who ever lived, and I couldn’t help but pull her into my arms and kiss her. I tried not to mess up her makeup, but she was going to need more lipstick after I was through with her.

“Vili,” she scolded as she wiped the pink lipstick off my mouth. “We can’t show up at your parents’ house looking like we’ve been making out.”