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“Um, is your partner driving away without you?”

I drag in a breath and lower the package, setting it on end at my feet and revealing my face.

With hungry eyes, I take in every detail. Nia is barefaced and already in her pajamas for the night. She looks a little tired, but still so beautiful I can’t find words. My knees almost buckle. I’m filled with sharp, bittersweet agony.

“No, honey. I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”

She gapes at me, looking utterly stunned. “Evan… What are you doing here?”

“Apologizing to you. Fighting for us.”

The words are barely out before her face closes up. She opens her mouth. Nothing good is going to come out of it.

I have to cut her off before she says something we can’t take back.

“Please don’t kick me out before I admit I was a complete asshole who can’t give you a good reason why I accused you of ugly things. I’d just like to try to explain as best I can.”

Nia bites her lip and stares. She says nothing for excruciating moments while she gauges my sincerity. Finally, she sighs. “Fifteen minutes. I’m supposed to fly out early in the morning.”

That stops my heart cold. “Where are you going?”

She hesitates, then shakes her head. “Evan, why would I stay here? I don’t have a job, and my rental is too expensive with no income. And to be honest, the memories are…too much. I’m from Georgia originally, so I thought maybe I’d fly home and see if⁠—”

“Douglas Lund isn’t hiring you or helping you or…” He’s her fucking father, after all. And now that the truth is out, why wouldn’t he?

“No. Stephen is happy to recognize me as his sister. Douglas…” She shrugs. “We’ve talked. We’ll see what happens. He’s spent twenty-five years denying I exist. I don’t know that he’s eager to shout to the rooftops that he did his maid or has an ethnic daughter or whatever.”

“Then he’s a douchebag. But I was, too. I should never have spit all those awful accusations at you. My only defense is that I’d found out mere minutes prior that Becca was brewing plans to divorce me and force me to sell Stratus so she could be with Sebastian.”

“You said that. Was he in on it, too?”

“He had no idea,” I assure her. “But it was a shock to know that, even after I’d genuinely tried with Becca, she was willing to stab me in the back and sell me out for a chance at a life with someone else. I didn’t love her, and she didn’t love me, either.”

“I get it. You were in a bad headspace when you followed me home. But⁠—”

“That’s not all. I was literally standing in front of the cafe when Bethany called me. She’d figured out earlier that day that Douglas Lund was your father. She put the suggestion in my head that you’d married me to screw me out of Stratus. I didn’t really believe her. After all, she doesn’t know you. And Barclay Reed had just destroyed her every illusion, so she was brittle. But then…I overheard you and Stephen talking about making your plan work and it being best for everyone but me. He argued it was for your future, and you agreed that you couldn’t have everything you wanted if you didn’t go through with it. Instantly, my thoughts went to dark places.”

“You thought I was willing to sell you out to be accepted by the Lunds.” She frowns. “That I’d rather have them over the family you and I were building together?”

The tone of her voice says that’s ridiculous.

I wince. “He’s your father, and I thought you would⁠—”

“Throw you under the bus for a man who walked away from me before I was even born?”

Sighing, I shake my head. “I knew shortly after our fight that I’d been dumb. But I didn’t quite realize until now just how stupid. For the record, I couldn’t imagine what else you and Stephen were talking about.”

“Douglas,” she answers. “Stephen has known about his dad’s illegitimate daughter for years, and when we literally ran into each other in Stratus’s lobby, he wanted to get to know his sister. When you and I came back from Maui after the wedding, he reached out to offer his congratulations and said he needed to see me. I was wary until he explained. After some talk, we decided we want to be family. So we hatched a plan to approach our father together and see if he would accept me.” She shrugs. “But no. He only said he wanted to keep me on staff because it seemed to yank your chain. That day we fought, I imagined you wouldn’t like the plan Stephen and I had concocted because of the negotiations. And because you never liked Douglas.”

“I like him even less now,” I grumble. “Funny how we’re both in the same place—wealthy, powerful men as fathers, neither of whom wanted to recognize us. I don’t need Barclay, and you don’t need Douglas.”

“I don’t.” She nods. “If he comes around, fine. I’ll listen. If he doesn’t, I have a brother in Stephen. He’s been really great.”

“Thanks for explaining.” Even though anxiety is grinding up my guts, I take her hands. “If having him in your life brings you happiness or peace, then I’m glad. You deserve…everything. I didn’t give you that, so I need to rectify the situation. I’ve given this a lot of thought, Nia. I had a miserable Christmas without you.”

She presses her lips together. Her expression says she had a craptastic holiday without me, too. But she doesn’t admit it aloud.

“The thing I trashed most the day I walked away from you was trust. The thing I took most from you was your voice. So I’m here to give those back to you. I know you would never have sold me out and now I need to prove that to you.”