23. Oliver
CHAPTER 23
OLIVER
S unlight filters through the oval window of the jet, casting a warm glow on the leather seat beside me. I lean back, fatigue from fighting for the Riverfront deal settling into my bones. The property would be a game-changer for the company, and I’ve done everything I can to secure it.
Now, there’s nothing to do but cross my fingers and wait.
I fish my phone out of my pocket, thumbing through notifications until her name lights up the screen — Nora.
A grin splits my face. It’s only been a day, but that’s too long to go without hearing her laugh or feeling her in my arms. This deal had me tied up in knots, but she’s been my anchor, steadfast and true even from miles away.
Missed you every second, I type, my heart hitching with each letter.
I wait, eager for the ping of her reply.
Counting down the minutes , she answers, a string of heart emojis trailing her text. Got something big to tell you. Can’t wait.
Something big? My pulse quickens at her cryptic message. Anticipation mingling with a hint of anxiety.
What could it be? A new opportunity at work? Or maybe something more personal? The possibilities send my mind racing.
Can’t wait to hear it. Landing soon. I’ll be at the office in about an hour. I hit send, wishing the jet could fly faster.
We haven’t seen each other since I flew out for this last-minute meeting, and her absence feels like a hole in my day.
The plane begins its descent, and as buildings and bridges come into sharper focus, my thoughts drift to Nora, to us, and to the future that awaits just beyond the horizon. Whatever it brings, we’re ready.
From the jet, I hop into my car and book it towards the office. I’m still riding high from the meeting, the adrenaline rush of closing in on a deal mixing with the buzz of seeing Nora. As I weave through the traffic, the city feels like it’s mine — every skyscraper, every bustling street corner, a testament to dreams within reach.
My phone vibrates against the console, and I snatch it up, expecting a message from Nora. Instead, Greg Dalton’s name flashes across the screen.
My heart hammers in my chest as I hit the speaker button. “Oliver speaking.”
“Morning, Oliver!” Greg’s voice comes through, bright and clear. “Hope I caught you at a good time.”
“Always a good time for good news,” I reply, easing into the next lane as I sense where this is going.
“Then you’re in luck. Your offer’s been accepted. The Riverfront property is yours.”
I grip the steering wheel tighter, a triumphant grin stretching across my face. “That’s incredible! Thank you for everything.”
“Happy to be involved. That land’s been waiting for someone like you.”
We exchange a few more pleasantries, discussing the next steps and timelines. This development is my newest legacy, a chance to sculpt the New York skyline.
It’ll take a higher degree of focus, though. More flying back and forth than I’ve ever done before. But it will also put my hand into the New York real estate market in a big way.
It’ll be rough being away from Nora so much. But maybe she can come with me sometimes. Maybe I can get us an apartment in New York to stay at whenever we’re there.
As Greg and I hang up, I let out a whoop that echoes in the confines of the car. Years of planning, of schmoozing investors and crunching numbers — it’s all coming together.
Pulling into the parking garage beneath my office building, I’m practically vibrating with energy. The elevator ride to my floor is agonizingly slow, but when the doors finally slide open, I stride into my domain, ready to conquer.
“Morning, Mr. Wolfe,” Sara, one of my assistants, greets me with a stack of messages.
“Morning, Sara. Keep the coffee coming today. We’re celebrating!”
“Will do. Oh, and your dad called.”
I pause; my father’s timing never fails to be inconvenient. “Thanks. I’ll call him back later.”
There’s too much to do right now. Meetings to set, plans to draft. I can’t afford distractions, not even from family.
My office awaits, a panoramic view of the city spread out before me. I settle behind my desk, the leather chair embracing me like a throne. This is where I belong, where every decision shapes the future I envision.
But before I dive into work, there’s something else I need to do. Or, rather, someone that I need to kiss.
Pulling out my phone, I send a quick text to tell Nora I’m here and ask her to come to my office whenever she gets a chance.
The click of the door signals her arrival before I even see her. Looking up from my computer, I grin wide. She stands there for a moment, her figure silhouetted against the frosted glass, indecision written in the way she holds herself — stiff yet uncertain.
“Hey,” I begin, pushing aside the blueprints sprawled across my desk, making space not just on the surface but in my mind for whatever has brought that look to her eyes.
“Oliver, we need to talk.” Her voice is steady, but there’s a tremor there, one that you wouldn’t catch unless you knew her as well as I do.
“Of course.” I get up and come around the desk, reaching my arms out to her. “What’s up? Is everything okay?”
“I hope so. Uh, I need to sit.”
But as she sits, it’s clear this isn’t about any case or contract clause. Nora fidgets, hands twisting in her lap, and suddenly I’m hyper-aware of every detail — the way the sunlight from the window catches in her hair, the faint scent of her perfume, the quick dart of her tongue across her lips before she speaks.
“Oliver, I…” She pauses, takes a deep breath, and when her eyes meet mine, they’re brimming with an emotion I can’t quite decipher.
“Hey,” I say again, softer this time. “Whatever it is, we can handle it.”
I take a seat on the edge of my desk, my gaze pinned on her.
Her exhale is shaky, but when she speaks, her words are clear. “I’m pregnant, Oliver. We’re going to have a baby.”
For a second, everything stops. The noise of the city below, the faint buzz of the office beyond these walls — it all fades into a stunned silence.
A baby. With Nora.
Reality hits me like a freight train, and suddenly, I’m gasping for air.
“Oliver?” Her voice is laced with concern now, and it snaps me back to the moment.
“Wow, that’s… I mean, that’s huge.” My brain scrambles for purchase, thoughts colliding — my dream property secured, the future I’ve meticulously planned. And now, a baby?
How can we possibly handle it all?
“Are you okay?” she asks, leaning forward, searching my face for clues.
I can feel the panic clawing at my throat, the responsibility of raising a child bearing down on me. This wasn’t part of the timeline. Not yet.
“Sorry, I just need a minute to process this.” I stand abruptly, the room tilting slightly as I do. “It’s not that I’m not happy, Nora. It’s just… a lot.”
She nods, but her eyes have dimmed, hurt flickering through them before she masks it with a nod. “I understand. Take the time you need, Oliver. We can talk later.”
She gets up and leaves before I can find the words to explain that I’m not running away from this, that I just need to align this new reality with the visions I’ve had for us. But she’s gone, the door clicking shut behind her, leaving me alone with a racing heart and a future suddenly filled with more questions than answers.
I sink back into my chair, leather creaking under my weight, and stare out the window. Until today, success was as simple as acquiring the next big property, expanding the empire, proving I could take the business to heights others’ have never even imagined.
But kids? They’re not just another skyscraper on the horizon. They’re a seismic shift — a whole new city to navigate without a map.
I drum my fingers on the desk, each tap echoing the rapid beat of my heart. It’s not that I don’t want kids. Someday. Maybe when the lines around my eyes are a testament to years of triumphs rather than just stress and lack of sleep. But right now?
I let out a heavy sigh, my gaze catching the mirror on the wall. The reflection staring back isn’t the face of a man ready to be a father. It’s someone who still feels too much like a kid playing at being an adult.
I think about Nora, with her sharp intellect and the way she debates courtroom battles with the same passion I reserve for closing deals. She’s always known what she wanted — and apparently, what she wants is this. Us. A family.
I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere. Did I make a mistake getting involved with Nora? When she reentered my life, it felt like serendipity, a second chance at something that had once been just out of reach. But perhaps it was merely a detour from the path I’d laid out for myself.
I’ve spent my life planning every move, calculating risks, and ensuring each step I took was measured and sure.
A baby… Nora… they’re variables I never accounted for. And now, my carefully curated world is threatening to spiral into chaos.
“Maybe I’m not cut out for this,” I whisper to the empty room.
The silence doesn’t argue; it just swallows my words, indifferent to the turmoil inside me.
I stand and pace the confines of my office, hands raking through my hair. This — this vulnerability, this uncharted emotional territory — it leaves me defenseless.
And weak. How am I supposed to lead a company and shape the very skylines of Chicago and New York if the thought of being someone’s dad sends me spiraling?
I stop pacing and lean against the cool glass. Maybe I’m not the visionary I thought I was. Maybe I’m just a guy who got lucky with numbers and now is realizing he’s not cut out for this life.
I do know one thing, though. Kids aren’t right for me. Not now. And the gnawing doubt that’s been quietly eating away at me seems to grow teeth — maybe they’ll never be.
“Damn it.” I sigh, my reflection frowning back at me, trapped behind the glass. “Why now?”