14. Ivory
IVORY
The elevator hums beneath my feet as we climb to where my father waits; the low mechanical vibration settles somewhere deep in my chest. I stare at the glowing numbers above the doors as they climb higher and higher, each one tightening the knot that’s formed in the pit of my stomach.
I look down and see my hands shaking. That is, until Hudson’s fingers slide between mine, anchoring me back into my body.
He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to. His thumb brushes the back of my hand in slow, steady strokes, a silent promise that he’s here, that I’m not walking into this alone. I take a deep breath, then another, trying to match the rhythm of his touch.
“I hope this is going to work,” I whisper, barely audible over the soft whir of the elevator cables.
“It will,” he says, voice low, steady. “And even if it doesn’t, I’m not letting anything happen to you.”
I nod, but the fear coils even tighter in my ribs.
Hannah’s plan is smart… terrifying, but smart.
And it’s the only reason I’m standing here instead of running as far from this hotel as humanly possible.
If everything goes right, we’ll walk out of here in one piece.
If it goes wrong… I don’t let myself finish that thought.
The elevator slows. My pulse spikes. Hudson gives my hand one last firm squeeze, grounding me.
The doors slide open.
When we walk into my parents’ suite, he’s standing there waiting.
His expression hits me like a slap; fury, disbelief, and something darker simmering beneath the surface.
His jaw is clenched so tight I can see the muscle ticking.
His eyes flick to Hudson, then to our joined hands, and his face goes red.
“What the fuck is going on here? Where the hell have you been, young lady?” he snaps, voice echoing through the marble foyer of the penthouse. “You disappear for days, and this is how you show up? With him?”
Hudson shifts slightly, positioning himself half a step in front of me. My father notices, making him even angrier.
“Get your hand off her,” he barks at Hudson. “Now.”
I squeeze Hudson’s fingers before he can react. “No,” I say, stepping forward. “We’re not doing this. Not today.”
My father’s eyes narrow. “Excuse me? What did you just say?”
I swallow hard, but I don’t back down. Not this time. “You heard me. I’m not here to be yelled at or controlled. I’m here because I have something to say, and you’re going to listen.”
He laughs, and it’s a short, cruel sound. “You think you can walk in here with demands? You think you can embarrass this family parading around with…”
“Stop.” My voice cracks like a whip, surprising even me. “Just stop.”
My mother appears behind him, wringing her hands, eyes moving back and forth between us. “Ivory, sweetheart, maybe we should all sit…”
“No,” I say again, even stronger this time. “I’m done sitting. I’m done pretending. I’m done letting you decide every part of my life.”
My father steps closer, towering over me, but I stand my ground, don’t move. Hudson stays right behind me, a solid wall of heat and quiet strength.
“What exactly do you think you’re done with?” my father growls.
“Everything,” I say. “I’m done being your property, living by your rules. I’m done being miserable. I’m done pretending I don’t love him.”
The words roll off my tongue before I can stop them, hanging in the air like a live wire. My mother gasps. My father’s face goes expressionless, then twists into something ugly.
“What do you know about love?” he spits. “You’re a child playing house with a man who wants something from you. You’re an easy lay, somewhere he can get his dick wet. Don’t be naive, Ivory.”
I can feel something shift in Hudson, and I know if he could get his hands on my father, he’d kill him.
“I know exactly what love is,” I say, voice shaking but sure. “This is the first time in my life I’ve felt safe. It’s the first time I’ve felt seen. And I’m not giving that up because you don’t approve or allow it.”
My father looks back at me, then bursts out laughing, sounding colder this time. “You think you can turn around and walk your ass out of here, choose him over your family and there be no consequences?”
“Yes,” I say. “I do.”
His eyes flash. “And what? You expect me to just let that happen?”
I take a deep breath in.
This is it. The one Hannah warned me would either save us or blow everything to pieces.
“I’m not asking,” I say quietly. “I’m telling you. And before you try to threaten him or me, you should know something.”
My father’s posture stiffens. “What?”
“I have been in contact with someone from the FBI.”
My father’s eyes flick to Hudson, then back to me, suspicion sharpening into something more dangerous. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“You heard me. They have a video interview with me, detailing all the dirty, sick things you’ve done. Things you don’t want anyone to know.”
My mother’s hand flies to her mouth. My father’s face drains of color, then floods with rage.
“You little…”
Hudson steps forward, his tone low and lethal. “Careful.”
My father stops mid-step, chest heaving.
“You think you can blackmail me?” he snarls.
“I’m not blackmailing you,” I say. “I’m protecting myself. If anything happens to Hudson or to me, that video goes straight to the top. And you know exactly what that means.”
Silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating.
Finally, my father grinds out through gritted teeth, “What do you want?”
“Nothing. Not a damn thing,” I tell him. “I don’t want your money. I don’t want access to my trust fund. I don’t want anything you have.”
His eyes narrow. “Then what?”
“I want to be able to walk out of here,” I say, “and be left alone. No threats. No consequences. I don’t want anyone following me or the chance of ever being dragged back into this world.”
He stares at me for a long, agonizing moment. Then he exhales, putting out a harsh, bitter sound.
“Fine. Whatever,” he says. “Just know, little girl, the moment you walk out that door, you will be dead to me. Do you understand what I’m telling you?
You will no longer be a part of this family or my daughter.
You will be completely on your own from this day forward. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
The words hit harder than I expected. They cut through something deep, something old.
But the pain is temporary, a spark, not a wound.
Because for the first time in my life, I am free.
I will get to live my own life, make my own decisions, and learn to be exactly who I’m meant to be without my father or the Ashford name.
I lift my chin. “Then I guess this is goodbye.”
My mother reaches for me with tears in her eyes. “Ivory, please…let's just sit down and discuss this rationally.”
I step back, pulling away from her reach. “No, Mom. I’m sorry, but I can’t live like this anymore. I can’t stay here. I need to go live my life.”
Hudson’s hand finds mine again, feeling warm and steady. My father turns his back, already dismissing me as if I’m nothing more than a business deal gone wrong.
His way of letting me know that I no longer hold value in his eyes.
Not that I ever did.
Without another word, we leave them standing there, my father cursing my mother, blaming her for not teaching me better.
I fight the urge to rush back in there and beg her to come with me.
But I don’t. It would be pointless, knowing she would never leave him.
Even though the relationship with my mom has been nowhere near perfect and strained at times, deep down, I always knew she loved me.
She was doing her duties and what my father expected of her.
I block out all the chaos behind me and head straight toward the elevator, my head held high, not looking back.
My heart is pounding harder than it ever has, while my hands shake, but my steps are absolute and sure.
Knowing that this was the best decision for me, and that if it wasn’t for Hudson or Han, I would have never had the chance. So I had to do it.
Hudson stays beside me, matching my pace, not saying a word. When we step in and the elevator doors close, sealing us off from the life I just left behind, I’m finally able to let out the breath I’ve been holding since we got here.
He turns to me, his brown eyes searching mine. “Are you okay?”
I nod. “You know what? For the first time… I think I am.”
The elevator descends, carrying me away from everything I’ve ever known, and toward the only future I’ve ever chosen for myself.
He places a hand on my waist, warm and impossibly steady, knowing he’s the only solid thing I’ll ever need in my life. I can feel my heart beating everywhere, my throat, my wrists, the tips of my fingers. I don’t know how he isn’t hearing it.
“Hudson,” I whisper, because his name is the only thing I can manage at this moment.
He looks down at me like he’s bracing for the worst. Like I’m the one who could break him. “Don’t say my name like that,” his voice is low and rough. “I’m barely holding it together as it is.”
My breath catches. “I don’t want you to hold it together.”
His jaw flexes while I watch his eyes flick to my mouth, then back to my eyes. He’s fighting himself. “You don’t know what you’re asking, Ivory.”
“I do.” My voice shakes, but I don’t look away. “I know exactly what I’m asking.”
Something in him cracks.
He exhales, long and uneven. “I shouldn’t feel this way about you.”
My chest tightens. “But you do.”
He closes his eyes for a second, like the truth hurts. “Yeah. I do.” His voice drops to a whisper meant only for me. “I love you. I’ve been trying not to, but I do.”
My world tilts as my knees start to go weak, but his hand tightens on my waist, keeping me upright.
I swallow hard. “I thought it was just me,” I breathe.
His eyes snap open. “Not even close.”
I can feel the words rising up in me, and they are soft and terrifying…unstoppable. “I love you too.”
Hudson goes completely still. Like he’s afraid to move and ruin the moment, sliding one hand up to cradle the back of my head, his forehead pressing to mine. Feeling his breath against my lips.
“Say it again,” he murmurs.
“I love you,” I whisper, and this time, it feels like I’m stepping off a ledge and learning I can fly.
He groans, pulling me closer, choosing me with his whole body.
And for the first time in my life, I don’t feel small.
I feel chosen.