I have. Quiet tears slid down ay checks as guilt and relief tangled ogether in a knot tooplex for words.


    "Good. I also appreciate the que. You''ll always be like a daughter to me. His words made me choke up, that warmth and eptance something I''d longed for but never dared hope to receive


    "Thank...you..." I managed through my tears.


    "Have a good day." He hung up.


    I sat there, feeling as though my soul had been gently cleansed. My Head fell heavily as my fingers clutched the phone, tears beginning to spill without warning. I''dpletely forgotten Ryder waiting outside as a soft whimper escaped my lips, growing steadily into deep, wrenching sobs that tore through my chest. The buried pain, regret, and finally relief crashed over me in waves, my entire body shaking as I copsed into myself, surrenderingpletely to the overwhelming flood of emotions I''d been desperately holding back for so long.


    I''d thought Ryder would rush in at the sound of my crying, which wasn''t what I wanted. Thank God he stayed outside for more than ten minutes, knocking and entering only after I''d regained someposure.


    He gave me a genuine smile, then fetched a towel from the bathroom and handed it to me.


    “Thanks,” I said, taking it from him. He poured two sses of water and ced them on the coffee table in front of the sofa. He sat beside me, and I rested my head on his shoulder.


    My eyes fell on the will. "I still can''t believe it," I said, shock and disbelief still hanging over me.


    "Me either. Your father really took care of you. Made sure you were provided for," Ryder''s voice held admiration.


    "I just can''t believe it. I can''t. I never saw a penny of this money. Everything at the shop, I had to pay back. Dad helped me get started, and I didn''t make a dime until I''d paid him back every cent. Memories flooded back-those difficult startup days, countless nights of overtime.


    "You learned the value of money. Most Alpha females are entitled, thinking money grows on trees." His words made me smile slightly.


    "True enough."


    "Will this change your ns about traveling?" he asked.


    "I''d like to see what Florida has to offer."


    "We can start there," he agreed.


    "I also want to visit my mother''s family home."


    "We can go after we sort all this out. We can''t mess anything up," he said firmly.


    "Fine. Though I don''t know how to keep this from Ama."


    "I''m sure you''ll be busy enough with the shop that you won''t notice much. Before you know it, Saturday will be here."


    "Yeah..." I had zero motivation to do any work today, my thoughts too tangled to make sense of.


    "Want to watch movies this afternoon?" Ryder suddenly suggested, surprising me.


    *Really? You don''t have work to do? 1 looked up at him.


    "Nothing that can''t wait until tomorrow." Ryder stood and extended his hand to me. ''Come on. Ler''s just rx and watch some films. I have popcorn...


    "What did I do to deserve such a good mate? It was a rhetorical question, but Ryder answered anyway.


    "I am pretty great, aren''t 171 guess the Moon God loves you. His yfulness tugged at the corner of my lips.


    "Whatever..." I gave him a "really?" look. "What movie are you going to pick? I asked as we started up the stairs, the cloud hanging over me temporarily lifting, reced by simple anticipation just spending quiet afternoon with the person I loved, temporarily forgetting the storm raging in the world outside. Chapter Comments


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