Chapter 29
Logan
Dad,
I’ve spent the last week reflecting on what I’ve wanted to say to you. This isn’t how I planned to have this conversation, but since you’ve cut ties with me, you’ve left me no choice, and selfishly, I need to get this off my chest.
I’ve always looked up to you. My hero, my role model, and the man I aspired to be. Your strength, wisdom, and guidance were constants in my life. Even through our hardships, I cherished the lessons you taught me and the bond we shared.
But the man I believed you were was merely an image I constructed in my mind that never existed. You’ve manipulated me, intentionally or unintentionally, to serve your own needs and desires. Everyone makes mistakes, but as the depths of your betrayal comes to light, I find it impossible to speak to you, let alone see you.
How can I look into the face of a man who continuously abused me and feel nothing but anguish? You laid a hand on me once… I tried to forget, but I never could. Just as I haven’t forgotten your punishments for simply trying to enjoy my youth, to experience life without the constant focus on greed and business politics.
You didn’t just take years of my adult life from me. You stole what remained of my childhood and molded me into someone you could use for your own personal gain, and I’m holding you accountable for that.
It’s ironic that the woman you tried to erase from my life, and forged documents to keep me from, is the very one encouraging me to write this letter. That’s because she’s a good woman, one who will stand beside and protect me the way a partner should. And no matter what comes of this letter, I will always choose her.
I hope, someday, you’re able to become a better man. A man who values what he has now that he’s experienced the loss of something great. Because I’m moving forward with my life, and more than anything, I need you to know that I’m committed to breaking this cycle. My family will know nothing but love and trust. I’ll be a different kind of father, one who nurtures and empowers my children, allowing them to grow into their own unique selves, instead of forcing them to meet impossible expectations surrounded by deceit.
Please understand that my decision to distance myself from you is not an act of revenge, but a conscious, deliberate choice to protect myself and my future family.
I do love you, Dad, regardless of the pain you’ve caused me, but it’s not enough to mend what you’ve broken.
At the very least, I hope you learn that, of all the things we can live without, love is the least expendable.
Logan
Sealing the letter inside a plain white envelope, I hand it off to the receptionist with instructions to give it to my father, then exit the lobby of his office.
As soon as my shoes hit the pavement outside, Javier is there to greet me. “Sir. How are you feeling?”
His smile is cautiously optimistic as I approach the SUV.
I glance back at the massive glass tower housing the Elite Properties headquarters. “All right, all things considered.”
“Very good, sir.” He opens the door before gesturing for me to have a seat. “Shall we?”
“Ida will have both our asses if we’re late to a meeting I specifically called for.”
“Then let’s not keep her waiting,” he says, grinning beneath his twitching mustache.
After sliding into the back, I pat the breast pocket of my suit, double checking that the documents I picked up from the bank this morning haven’t miraculously disappeared.
I close my eyes, feeling the adrenaline wane as I decompress from the anxiety of disassociating with my father.
Penelope has coaxed me through every tumultuous emotion I’ve experienced since making my decision. I’ve been angry; god, I’ve been so fucking angry. But at the core of my grief, I find the picture of me and Dad at my grandmother’s house. The one where I’m racing toward him and he’s there, eager for me to fall into his arms.
I’ve grappled with denial and acceptance, each tasting bitter on my tongue like a pill I can’t swallow.
A sob violently wracks my chest, and the harder I fight it, the more it tries to escape. I hold my hand over my mouth as a wave of heartache sweeps through my body, knocking the ground out from under me.
In the privacy of the backseat, I allow myself to finally let go. Hot tears roll down the sides of my cheeks and neck, knowing I may never speak to him again. Knowing I’ve annexed myself, not just from him but likely from my mother, too, the safety net my parents had created for me, and a business I’ve worked tirelessly to build.
I’m free falling and it’s terrifying. There’s no differentiating up from down, or how long I’ll be tumbling, but at the very least, I know Penelope will be there when I land, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
It’s been one week since Dorthea and Ricardo gave the bank the money they were after. Patrick gave us the loan we needed to outbid my father for the other residential properties, and while a part of me wishes I could have seen the shock on his face when they denied his contract, we were busy pitching our ideas to Ellen and solidifying a partnership with someone who shares our same interests for the development.
We make the long trek back to Keerah, and another twenty minutes to Honey Hollow, where me, Penelope, and Ida will discuss our next move.
When we arrive, Ida’s the first to meet me.
She barely gives me a second to close the car door before her arms wind around my middle. “I’m proud of you,” she says, taking the arm I offer her when we part. “Took real guts to do what you did.”
I absorb the warmth she openly gives. “I feel like an idiot for not seeing it sooner.”
We walk up the stone steps to the courtyard in the center of the condominium complex, where I find Penelope commanding a small army of children to attack a vicious lava monster—also known as Declan.
Their laughter threatens the tears I thought I’d parted with on the drive here, and I force my gaze to the bright Topican sky, choking them back.
“You’re not an idiot for trying to do right by someone, even if they didn’t deserve it.”
“Yeah, and it almost cost me everything.”
“But it didn’t, did it?” Ida smirks when Pen jumps on Declan’s back, kicking him like she would spur a horse, and the kids cling to his legs, taking them both down.
My chest grows uncomfortably tight when I seek her wisdom. “How long will it hurt?”
Ida’s eyes shimmer, faded blue and wrinkled around their corners. “Baby, I’m seventy years old, and I still struggle with the hurts from my past. The key is to not let them keep a hold on you.”
“How?”
“By letting all the good that life brings you outshine them.” She lifts her hand, squeezing my arm lovingly. “Anyone can break your heart, but they don’t keep the pieces. You’ll put it back together; just gotta be patient.”
I smile at my friend, grateful to have her and this family to fall back on. “Thank you, Ida.”
Agán, Charles, and the rest of Ida’s neighbors are gathered around the courtyard, and I wave when they spot us.
“I need to grab something from inside, but I’ll be right back,” Ida says.
“Do you need a hand?”
“Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I can’t do things on my own.” There’s a touch of humor in her gaze when she shoos me toward the awning where our friends are waiting. “Now, go on.”
“All right, all right.” I hold my palms up.
Penelope rises from the dogpile she instigated, and the sun mosaic at her back frames her. It’s both eerie and beautiful with how the tendrils of yellow flames shoot out around her when she faces me fully.
I barely manage a step before she’s trotting across the lawn toward me. Her brows are pinched with worry as she wordlessly wraps her arms around my middle. We stand like that for as long as possible, with my chin on the top of her sun-warmed hair and her face tucked into my chest.
“I’m all right, sunshine.” I softly kiss her knuckles, but it doesn’t do much to ease her concern.
I can’t help but notice the tiny bit of nail growth on her fingertips, and I press kisses over them, too.
“Should have let me come with you,” she half-heartedly complains.
“And risk you setting the building on fire in my honor?” I grin at the mischievous spark igniting her gaze. “Maybe next time.”
She guides me to an empty spot at the table where our friends are waiting. Declan makes a break from the chaos to join us, panting as he flops into the chair next to Pen. “Demons. Every damn one of them.”
She elbows his ribs, but I can sense the entire table practically vibrating with the need to ask me why I’ve called this meeting.
We’ve been keeping Ida in the loop with the city’s pending approval for the contract we made with Ellen, and I finally heard from them this morning.
“As you all know, Declan and I have stepped away from Elite Properties.”
They clap obnoxiously as Ida approaches the end of the table, holding a small black box.
“So that’s it, then?” Charles asks. “No more Summit Estates?”
“I’m not sure what he’ll do with it now that I’ve stepped down as the CEO and he’s out an architect.”
Not liking that answer, Agán scrunches his nose. “Replace you both and continue monopolizing the land.”
“It’s possible… but for now, we’ll be grateful for our victory.” Reaching inside my suit pocket, I remove the tri-folded contract and set it in the center of the table. “Thanks to SunGro’s assistance, our proposal to the city to acquire the vacancies along the strip has been approved. Which means Seaside officially belongs to us.”
The table erupts with cheers, and Penelope takes my hand, lacing her fingers with mine, her face shining with pride.
Charles sweeps his arms across the table. “Well, consider us your renovation crew. You’re going to need all the help you can get.”
“Deal,” I say, feeling my heart expand with joy.
The commotion draws the kids to us, and Tarra winds her arms around Penelope’s neck from behind, giving her a hug, while I’m mauled by a squirmy Mable.
“Loggie!” she squeals while climbing into my lap.
“Hey, kiddo.”
She wraps her little arms around my neck, and I hug her just as tightly.
“You know,” Agán says. “There’s still a chance we could stop his pursuit of the land he’s after on the other parts of the island…”
“How’s that?” I ask around Mable’s wild, curly hair.
He arches a penciled brow. “We’ll start a petition.”
Penelope leans forward. “Agán, that’s brilliant.”
He wags a finger at me as if still formulating his idea. “If we get Ellen to help us rally some signatures, maybe even get some media coverage, we can present it to the prime minister and stop his mass expansion at the very least.”
I run my thumb along my lower lip in thought. That could honestly work if we pushed hard enough and had entire communities supporting us. “It’ll be hard work, for sure. But Pen’s right, that’s a great idea.”
Mable blinks up at me with her big doe eyes and gives me a vibrant, toothless smile. “Are you and Nellie gonna get married now?”
I grin when I say, “We sure are.”
“Oh my gosh. Really?” She beams at Pen. “You’re gonna look like a princess in your big dress, and we’re gonna eat all the cake and have so much fun!” Her palms slap her little cheeks as she gasps, “Are you going to have a baby?”
Penelope chuckles, and the sound flits around my heart, making it beat furiously. I glance at her stomach, flat beneath the dress she’s wearing, and a glimmer of excitement blooms in my chest.
“Slow your roll, bug.” Pen pokes Mable’s nose. “We’ve gotta find a place to live first.”
“You’ll live here, in Anchorage Harbor,” Ida says before opening the box to reveal what appears to be a diamond necklace.
Mable slides off my lap as I take it from her, studying its timeless, elegant design. The links are meticulously shaped, creating intricate frames for each crystalline diamond. They’ve lost some of their luster over time, but at the lowest point of the V, a teardrop-shaped diamond, with a pale-yellow hue, hangs suspended.
“I believe it’s worth around fifty-thousand dollars. I know it’s not enough to buy a house, and it needs a good cleaning, but considering how much you’ve given up, I thought it would help.”
I shake my head, trying to give it back. “Ida, I can’t accept this.”
“Yes, you can.” She shrugs. “I have at least three more just like it.”
Penelope gawks at her nonchalance. “You have more than one?”
“Oh, they’re just trinkets, I’m sure. But that’s the one I have the papers for.”
Agán reaches for the necklace, leaning back to bring it into the light, and tiny refracted rainbows litter his neck and chest. He looks absolutely scandalized when his wide eyes turn to Ida. “Honey, I think you may have missed a zero.”
“Five… hundred thousand?” I ask.
He sets the piece in the center of my palm. “With this clarity, and these cuts, I imagine probably more.”
“There you have it.” Ida casually places one hand on her hip, waving the other toward the necklace. “You can buy a house and pay for that wedding we’ll all be crashing.”
“Quick. Who’s coming with me to raid Ida’s trinkets?” Agán asks, standing in a rush.
Chairs screech and the entire table shakes as our friends make a dash—some comically slower than the others—for Ida’s apartment.
She shakes her fist, barreling across the courtyard after them. “Get back here, you greedy assholes!”
Penelope snorts. “I can’t believe her.”
“I can’t believe this,” I say, turning to cup her cheeks and bringing my lips to hers. “You, and the life we’re going to have together… It’s finally ours, sunshine.”
Her eyes fill with wonder when she says, “For the record, you’re going to be an incredible dad.”
I kiss her languidly, taking my time and savoring my woman until she’s breathless.
“I’m glad you think so, because I don’t want to wait.”