Chapter 41
Chapter
Forty-One
JENNY
I sit on the edge of my bed, staring at the suitcase I’ve just finished packing. The room feels hollow, stripped of everything but the essentials I’m leaving behind. It mirrors the emptiness in my chest, the sharp ache I’ve tried and failed to ignore since this morning.
A knock at my door startles me. My heart jumps, irrationally hoping it’s Zack, but when I open it, Brett is standing there. His blond hair is slightly disheveled, his grin a little too crooked to be carefree.
“You’re packed already?” he asks, his eyes landing on the suitcase. “Aren’t you leaving tomorrow?”
“No,” I reply stiffly, my hand tightening on the doorframe. “I moved my flight. I’ll be leaving tonight.”
His brows shoot up, the grin faltering. “Tonight? That’s… sudden.”
I, on the other hand, am much more startled than he is because, in all the years I’ve lived here, he has never been to my father's apartment.
Still, he steps inside, glancing around the room with the ease of someone who’s always belonged. His hands stay stuffed in his pockets, but his energy feels restless, like he’s holding something back.
“You’re really going, huh?” he says, his voice quieter now. “Just like that?”
“I have to,” I say firmly, sitting back on the bed. “I have a job to do.”
He watches me for a moment, then pulls something from his pocket and holds it out. “Well, you’re not going alone.”
I frown, staring at the folded paper in his hand. “What’s that?”
“A plane ticket,” he says, stepping closer. “Zack gave it to me this morning. Said if I was serious about you, I should go with you.”
My breath catches, and for a second, the room tilts. “Zack gave you… a ticket?”
He nods, his grin turning softer, almost self-conscious. “Yeah. It’s first class too. Looks like he wanted to make sure you were comfortable.”
The words twist something deep inside me. The idea of Zack planning this, arranging for Brett to be with me, sends a sharp pang through my chest.
“You’re serious?” I manage, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Dead serious,” he says, sitting beside me on the bed. “Look, Jenny, I know I’ve been… flaky in the past. But this isn’t about that. I really want to be there for you, to try. Paris could be good for us.”
I shake my head, overwhelmed. “Brett… I don’t know.”
His expression softens further, and he reaches out to take my hand. “You don’t have to decide right now, but I need you to know I mean it. Whatever this is, I’m willing to take the leap.”
I pull my hand away gently, standing to create some space. “I appreciate it, really. But I’ve made up my mind. I need to focus on my career, on myself.”
His brows knit together, confusion flickering across his face. “Jenny, are you sure? You’re not even going to give it a chance?”
I turn back to my suitcase, closing it with trembling hands. “It’s better this way,” I say softly. “For both of us.”
He stands, and I feel his presence at my back. “You two got closer in Rome, didn’t you?” His tone is light, almost teasing, but the question hits like a hammer.
I whirl around, startled. “What?”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “I never thought I’d see the day, but it seems my older brother is actually in love.”
The words hang in the air, and I stare at him, speechless. “You’re wrong,” I finally say, but my voice lacks conviction.
“Am I?” he asks, stepping closer. “Think about it, Jenny. Zack doesn’t do this. He doesn’t sacrifice deals or push people toward someone else’s happiness. He’s never cared like this about anyone.”
I don’t say a word at this. I’m completely speechless.
I step back, my legs bumping against the edge of the bed as Brett’s words hang in the air, pressing down on me with the weight of something I can’t ignore.
“Jenny,” Brett says softly, his tone losing its usual playful edge. “You have to see it. Zack wouldn’t do this for anyone. Not for me, not for our parents, not for anyone in the world except you. He might not seem to realize that he’s in love with you, but he’s my brother, and I know him more than anyone, and I can see it clear as day. So... please don’t leave. At least not yet. Give me a chance to give you two a chance the way he tried to give us both a chance.”
I’m so confused I still don’t know what to say.
I fold my arms over my chest, trying to shield myself from the possible truth in his words.
“You’re wrong,” I murmur, looking away. “His only concern is the family business and the merger.”
“If this was true, then why would he tell me to go away with you?” Brett laughs softly, shaking his head. “You really think that? You think Zack, the guy who’s been running this family like a goddamn machine for years, would risk it all…hand me a ticket to chase after you…if he only cared about the merger?”
“He cares about you much more than you know, and if you care about him as well, try to give this a shot. My head is spinning right now because you’re both running out of time, but I’m sure I can make him see it.”
I am instantly turned off.
“No interest,” I say and rise to my feet.
I get up and start to walk away toward my bathroom, but he tries to stop me.
“Jenny,” he calls, but before he can say anything more, his phone begins to ring.
He glances at the screen, frowning. “It’s my dad,” he mutters. “Hang on.”
He answers, his expression shifting from confusion to surprise. “What do you mean, an emergency board meeting?” he says into the phone, his tone sharp. “I didn’t know about this. When?”
A pause. Then his eyes widen, darting to me. “Zack called it?” He runs a hand through his hair, his movements suddenly frantic. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll be there.”
He hangs up, his face pale as he looks back at me. “Jenny, I think something’s wrong.”
“What?” I ask, my chest tightening. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” he says, shaking his head. “But if Zack’s calling an emergency board meeting, it’s big. He never does that unless something’s about to implode.”
Fear coils in my stomach, sharp and unrelenting. “What do you think he’s planning?”
“I don’t know,” Brett says again, grabbing his jacket. “But I need to stop him before he does something stupid.”
He turns to leave, but I grab his arm. “Brett, wait?—”
“I’ll fix this, Jenny,” he says, his voice firm but gentle. “Just… don’t leave yet, okay? Give me until tonight.”
I want to argue, to tell him it’s pointless, but the determination in his eyes stops me. I nod reluctantly, letting him go. As the door clicks shut behind him, I collapse onto the bed, my heart pounding.
I don’t know what’s happening, and whatever it is, I really don’t want to be a part of it. I also don’t want Zack to return and still find me here, so I hasten to finish my packing and get ready to leave for the airport.