Epilogue
One Year Later
“You’re passing the company to me?” Parker shouts at Owen, his eyes wild and ping ponging between me and Owen as if the decision was also mine.
I put my hands up in surrender, backing away from the barely-contained rage simmering in Parker’s eyes.
Noell stands in the corner of Owen’s office, and Edwin was dismissed before the meeting. The information is confidential. For now. And ever since Edwin became a free man with his name cleared, it’s as if he can no longer keep any secrets.
Owen puts a placating hand on Parker’s shoulder, but Parker shrugs it off.
“You’re ready,” Owen says.
“What if I don’t want it?” Parker shoots back, but it isn’t sincere. We all know he’s had his sights set on running things over the last year, and to everyone’s surprise, he more than exceeded expectations. Much to Noell’s disappointment.
Owen rolls his eyes at his brother. “You’re ready, and you’ll be better at this job than I was.”
“Because I’m more handsome?”
After the words are out of his mouth, Parker backs away from Owen so far that he nearly knocks Noell over.
Noell snarls and sidesteps him.
I can’t see Parker’s face, but I’m pretty sure he winks at her, which only causes her scowl to grow.
Parker turns his attention back to his brother. A dangerous smirk that speaks of violence graces Owen’s face.
Parker sighs, relenting. “I’ll take the position, but you could have given me more of a warning.”
Noell grunts her agreement, causing Owen to glance in her direction, but Parker pulls his attention back by saying, “I assume this has to do with Nova.”
I scoff, but Owen answers. “We’ve been through enough.”
No one argues, and though the last year has been wonderful, putting the company back together was more work than either of us anticipated. We found ourselves working day and night to keep everything afloat. As a result, our happy ending didn’t turn out quite like we’d planned.
“What do you need me to do?” Parker asks, his voice softer now.
“We’ll make a formal statement next month. We need to inform the board and secure their votes.”
Noell snorts.
Parker turns to her. “You don’t think I can win over the board?” His voice is full of challenge.
The two of them couldn’t be more different, and the last year proved that they don’t exactly see eye-to-eye in business either. But no one can deny that Parker is hard-working and wants to succeed.
“We’ll see” is all she says, but her response has Parker beaming at her like he’s won something.
Owen ignores whatever is going on between them and steps to my side, squeezing my hand. “Also, I’m cashing in on my company stock and giving the money away.”
This doesn’t surprise anyone, but Noell rolls her eyes.
“We’ll keep enough to hold us through retirement, but no more,” he adds.
This also doesn’t surprise anyone.
Parker’s smile grows, and he rubs his hands together conspiratorially.
Owen eyes him. “No private jets.”
Parker pouts, and I almost laugh.
“It will be your company, nimwit. Your brother can’t stop you from buying a private jet,” Noell chimes in from her corner, her arms still locked across her chest.
“See, she gets it,” Parker says, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at her.
“Not hard to get you when there isn’t much to you,” Noell replies, which has both me and Owen trying desperately to hold back a laugh.
Parker frowns, but there’s a flash of challenge in his eye.
Noell’s mouth twitches.
“Are there any more questions? Or can I get out of here now?” Owen asks everyone.
Noell and Parker shake their heads, and Noell marches out of the office before anyone dismisses her. Parker follows her with his gaze until she’s out of sight.
“Well, let’s hope there aren’t any other CEOs that need to be”—Parker stops and runs a finger across his neck—“while I’m in charge.”
“You aren’t the murdering type,” Owen says, grabbing his jacket from the back of his office chair and rejoining me by the door.
“I could if I needed to be,” Parker replies.
Owen and I both laugh, each clapping him on the back as we exit the office.
“What? I could be!” he shouts after us as Owen grabs my hand and winds his fingers through mine.
“Where to?” he asks, his green eyes sparkling as he looks at me.
“Home.”
Six Months Later
“I could get used to this,” Owen says, leaning into me.
We’re sitting on the front of a large catamaran as it slices through the Adriatic Sea.
I’ve been to the Greek Islands, but not like this.
Not where I could fully relax and not have to worry about throwing anyone behind bars or putting my life in danger.
This time, I can actually enjoy it. Enjoy the little things. Enjoy Owen.
“I’m never leaving,” I reply, melting into his side.
He’s silent for a moment, his eyes on me.
“How’d we get here?” he asks in a whisper.
I glance up to find disbelief etched across his features. Sitting up, I swing my legs over his lap so we’re face-to-face.
“I don’t know, but we’re damn lucky.” I brush my lips against his.
“Will Parker fuck everything up?”
“Likely.”
We both laugh, and Owen runs a hand through my windswept hair.
After Owen’s trial, rumors of what happened spread like wildfire.
The media began to spin it as a Robin Hood tale, and the public devoured it.
Ultimately, stocks for Regenerative Industries skyrocketed, and the company was able to save itself from bankruptcy, all while continuing to fund Owen’s projects and paying all employees fairly.
But the stress of what happened to us, along with the exhaustion of running such a large company, took its toll. We decided, together, that it would be best to give Regenerative Industries to Parker and spend time away from the public spotlight.
I let Owen process everything, all the while reminding him that I’m here. That we’re here. Together.
“I’m proud of you,” I say sleepily against his neck, my legs still wrapped around him.
Instead of acknowledging my statement, he turns it back on me. “You saved my life, Miss Riley.”
“It’s Mrs. Mills now, or have you forgotten?”
Owen hums against my ear. “I haven’t forgotten. It just doesn’t have the same ring to it.”
I chuckle. “No, I suppose it doesn’t.”
The sudden sound of a speedboat inching closer has me on my feet and on alert, my adrenaline spiking. Owen is right behind me, his hand tense on my low back.
As the boat gets closer, aiming to secure itself to ours, I reach for the bottle of champagne out of instinct, prepared to use it as a weapon. Owen notices but doesn’t comment, instead stepping slightly in front of me as if to protect me.
The driver comes into view.
“What the fuck, Edwin!” Owen shouts.
Edwin, in linen pants and a linen shirt and wearing a straw hat and sunglasses, is driving a very expensive boat as if he’s done it a thousand times before.
He probably has, knowing him.
Owen waves to our captain to lower the sails while Edwin expertly ties his boat to ours. We greet him in the back, where he pulls off his sunglasses and grins at us conspiratorially.
I cross my arms over my chest, waiting for him to drop a bomb on us. This level of theatrics must mean something big has happened.
Edwin clears his throat and opens his mouth, likely to ask for a drink since his eyes scan the bar filled with many bottles of expensive alcohol.
Owen growls, and Edwin turns his attention to him, hands out in supplication. “I guess the drink can wait.” He pauses for effect, and I can’t help but roll my eyes as Owen visibly gets more frustrated.
“Your brother’s missing.”
The End