Page 54 of The Omega Switch: Part 2

“You might want to sit down for this,” he said, and I sighed, taking a seat while I read through the legalese. “As part of the discovery that the legal team did, they found the original incorporation documents from when your mother founded Nestwell."

My mother. My heart rate picked up as I looked up at him, my fingers trembling as I held the sheets.

"I don't understand. I don’t understand what this means.” I said, and Hunter stepped closer.

"When your mother passed away, her ownership stake didn't disappear. It was transferred." He said.

"To my fathers?"

"No." I looked up sharply. "It transferred to you." He said.

"What?"

"You inherited her portion of the business," Hunter explained.

My mind raced for a moment. “But I - my fathers never said anything.”

“I know.” Hunter pointed toward one of the highlighted paragraphs. "Your mother specifically requested that her ownership pass directly to her child - under certain conditions."

I felt dizzy as I looked back down at the papers. “What does this mean?” I asked, and Hunter sat down next to me.

"That’s the issue. For so long, nothing has been challenged. You’ve been in the background while your fathers run the company. And according to our laws, if you voluntarily abandon your claim long enough, they can argue the ownership has effectively been surrendered."

A hollow feeling opened in my chest. “How long is too long?” I asked.

“Over a year, and it can be contested. I’m not sure even your own fathers know about how that works. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. But you have choices - if you go back and make a claim for Nestwell.” He explained.

Go back.

"I don't know if I can do this," I said. "I finally have a life. I wanted to leave all that behind.” I said, my throat growing tight. Hunter nodded.

“I know. But you put years of work into Nestwell. It was your mother’s company, and she wanted it to go to you.” My memories of our time together, playing around with fragrances and colors, made my heart hurt. Those were some of the best memories of my life, back before the company became everything, before my life changed to what it was. I looked down.

"I don't know if I have the strength to go that far."

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “You don’t have to go back and work there. They can buy you out. You can at least get something for all your time. You have options.” He said, so close to me now that I could smell him.

"You don't have to carry this alone. And I’ll be here to help. You can trust me." Those words should have comforted me. But they didn’t.

Clouds drifted across the sky, dimming the afternoon sun until the air suddenly felt cooler. I stood without thinking, walking a few steps farther down the path. Hunter stood up.

"Ivy?" His voice called out, but I didn’t look back. I walked until I was standing beneath one of the trees, watching as the wind picked up, making ripples across the lake. I heard Hunter stop behind me. Finally, I asked the question that had been living inside me for months.

"Why didn't you believe me?" I asked, my voice pained. I turned around to face him. In the fading sunlight, I could see guilt etched across his face. My voice shook. “You ask me to trust you, but you didn’t even see me. You didn’t believe me.” My eyes burned as I looked at him, the pain I’d been carrying suddenly pouring out of me as the first splatter of rain hit my cheek. “I was right there. I… I cared for all of you. And when I needed you the most, you weren’t there.” My voice cracked.

The rain grew heavier, smattering across the ground as another tear escaped.

"I waited so long. I kept thinking one of you had to realize something was wrong." My chest hurt so badly I could barely breathe. The rain soaked my shirt as I looked at him through blurry eyes. I wiped angrily at my face.

"I've been so scared ever since. Every time one of you gets close, I’m terrified you’ll hurt me again.” I looked directly into Hunter's eyes. Thunder rocked through the air, and the rain came down in torrents as I waited for him to say something.

Chapter 26

Hunter

The rain was coming down heavy, soaking through my clothes, but I barely noticed. All I could see was Ivy standing a few feet away, her arms wrapped around herself as she choked back a sob, tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks.

When I needed you the most... you weren't there.