The Price Of His Mistake Chapter 06
“Seven years. You can’t just cut it off. I don’t believe you can.”
I smiled. It didn’t reach my eyes. “That’s not up to you either.”
I stepped around him and headed for the door.
He lunged forward, ready to chase me, but Emily grabbed his arm. Desperation was all over her face.
“Andrew, you can’t leave! There are LPs waiting in the conference room. They’re upset. The firm needs you to manage this.”
“If you leave too, I don’t know what to do…”
Andrew’s steps faltered. He watched me getting further away. He looked at Emily, her eyes full of helpless dependence. He looked at the eyes of his staff, all of them fixed on him.
He didn’t follow.
I walked out the front doors. The wind on Fifth Avenue hit my face, cold and sharp.
A memory surfaced. Seven years ago. I was running a 102-degree fever. He was frantic. At three in the morning, he was driving all over the city, hunting for a CVS that was still open. He finally banged on the door of a 24-hour bodega, begging the owner like a madman to sell him a box of Tylenol.
He came back soaked from the rain. Clutching the medicine. Grinning. “Don’t worry. I ran fast. The medicine’s dry.”
Back then, I thought, *this is it. He’s the one.*
Funny. People do change.
I got into my car. I didn’t drive off right away.
I sat there. I waited until the suffocating weight in my chest finally loosened its grip. Then I picked up my phone. I dialed my brother, Edward Blackwood.
“A rare call.” Edward’s voice came through with a smile. “What’s the occasion? Finally remembered you have a brother?”
I didn’t do small talk. “Edward. I’ve wrapped things up on my end. Is everything set for tomorrow?”
He laughed. The sound held something rueful. Almost tender. “The legal team and the M&A squad are prepped. Tomorrow, nine a.m. I’ll lead them in personally.”
“So. Your little ‘commoner experiment’ is finally over. Ready to admit defeat and face reality?”
I leaned my head back against the seat. A self-mocking laugh slipped out. “Yeah. Bloodied and bruised. I don’t want to look at this mess anymore. I’ll leave it to you tomorrow.”
Edward’s teasing tone dropped away. His voice went serious. “Enough. It’s nothing. Whatever you suffered out there, the Blackwood name is always your backbone.”
“You’ve come home. I’ll handle the rest. I’ll clean it all up.”