Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHLOE
A s the plane descends, I press my forehead against the cool window, watching wisps of clouds streak past.
I feel a sense of relief knowing that I am thousands of miles away from everything that happened in Los Angeles. This is exactly what I needed.
Yet, I still find myself searching for him. This morning, as I stepped out of my apartment to catch my Uber, I half-expected to see Liam there, ready to plead with me to stay. As I boarded the plane, I couldn’t help but look down the terminal, wondering if he would come running after me. And every time my phone buzzes, I hope it’s a call or text from him.
But there’s nothing.
I laugh at myself a little. Clearly, I think I'm living in a movie. Maybe I imagined our entire relationship. In reality, it was probably nothing more than business with a side of pleasure for him.
Despite everything, I’m grateful for Liam’s help—his lawyers and tech team are still tirelessly working to manage the fallout after all the client data leaked. The worst-case scenario happened. Surprisingly, many of my clients were understanding. But others—the look of pain and betrayal on their faces haunt me. They thought they were safe to speak freely with me and now their information is public.
My life has imploded, but up here, high above the ground, everything looks so calm.
At baggage claim, I scan the sea of people, searching for him—my father.
And when the crowd parts and I finally see him standing there, my throat tightens with emotion. He looks older now, with deeper wrinkles and less hair. But his smile is still warm and familiar.
“Dad,” I gasp, as emotion overwhelms me, and I rush into his open arms. He envelops me in a strong hug, and tears stream down my cheeks.