<b>59 </b>
55 vouchers.
Inside the ballroom, the music had already returned, and the tension from earlier was slowly shifting back to chatter and clinking <b>sses</b>.
Emery sat with Nina at one of the lounge tables, both of them holding tall sses of non–alcoholic cocktails. The lights caught the ice as they stirredzily, watching the swirl like it was more interesting than the people around them.
Nina leaned closer, grinning ear to ear. “Did you see his face? Tell me you saw it. Don’t even pretend. You’ve been waiting for that reaction forever.”
Emery smirked, taking a sip. “At least now it’s done. He knows.” Hopefully, he would stop bothering her after tonight.
“Done?” Nina scoffed, eyebrows raised. “That look in Samuel’s eyes wasn’t finished. That wasn’t a man who’s letting go. That was… I don’t know, something desperate. Creepy, even.”
Emery’s lips pressed together, but she didn’t look rattled. “Desperate or not, it doesn’t matter anymore. The truth is out. He can’t crawl back from this.”
Ninaughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Serves them right. Years of calling you a gold digger, and now? Look who’s holding all the gold.” She lifted her ss in a mock toast, eyes sparkling with amusement.
Emery clinked her ss against Nina’s. Both of them broke intoughter, their voices carrying just enough to draw a few nces from nearby tables.
“You two are too loud,” James’s voice cut in as he approached, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a drink. “I could hear you from across the room.”
Nina rolled her eyes, unimpressed. “Oh, please. Like anyone here isn’t gossiping. At least we’reughing about
it.”
James ignored her jab, his focus on Emery. “Father wants a word with you.”
Emery set her drink down slowly, already expecting this. The moment her grandmother had announced the inheritance of her shares, she knew her father wouldn’t stay quiet for long. She nodded, adjusting her posture. “I figured he would.”
Nina leaned back in her chair with a grin. “Go on then, heiress. Don’t keep your father waiting. We’ll finish celebratingter.”
Emery rose from her <b>seat </b>and followed James through the crowd. The main ballroom was alive with chatter, music, and the clinking of sses, but the further they walked, the more the noise dulled into a steady hum. James led her past the clusters of guests and into a quieter section along the side of the hall, where the lighting was softer and the decorations more understated.
Here, small kiosks had been arranged, miniature disys showcasing the Be family’s partnerships with luxury brands. ss <b>cases </b>disyed jewelry and watches, while velvet stands held limited–edition essories
and bottles of wine<b>. </b>
<b>9:27 </b>Mon, <b>Sep </b>15 <b>d </b>
…
59
<b>55 </b>vouchers
A few attendants stood nearby to exin the disys, though most guests had wandered back to the livelier center of the ballroom. The air felt calmer here, giving the impression of <b>a </b>corridor designed for conversations that required more privacy.
Emery nced at the polished counters and gleaming disys as they walked, her reflection catching briefly in the ss. The contrast was sharp, this part of the hall felt worlds away from the chaos that had erupted just minutes ago.
It didn’t take too long before she saw her father, standing near a balcony.
Well… It wasn’t really a balcony, though at first nce it looked like one. The far wall of the ballroom was made of tall ss panes that stretched from floor to ceiling, framing a wide view of the city.
The skyline glowed under the night sky, high–rises with their windows lit up like constetions, the red and white lights of traffic weaving through the streets below.
Her father, Adam, stood with his back to that view, a ss of red wine in his hand. His posture was straight, his expression measured. When he noticed them approaching, he gave a faint smile and gestured them closer.
James slowed his pace as they reached him, but Emery kept her chin level, walking to stand beside her father. From here, the city lights reflected faintly on the ss, cutting their silhouettes against the glittering backdrop.
“Were you having a good time?” Adam asked.
“If having a good time, means enjoying the show earlier, then yes. Yes. I am.”
“Do you regret kicking them out?” he suddenly asked.
“Of course not,” Emery smiled as she thought about the deal that she had with her father.
“What’s your n now?” Adam asked without preamble. His gaze rested squarely on his daughter.
“I already have a job,” Emery answered. She was already half expecting him to ask about her ns.
“Do you n to follow your grandmother’s path?” Adam pressed. “Step into her ce, be CEO, carry her reputation forward as a respected woman in the industry?”
Emery hesitated. For a moment, she had no answer. She thought about the life her father was describing, boardrooms<b>, </b>contracts, power, and then her mind slipped to the world outside these walls, the werewolf world. It was harsher, more dangerous, and yet it was where her future had been pulled. That reality had changed her perspective.
“No<i>,” </i>Emery said finally. Her voice was steady, even if her father’s brow arched in surprise. “I’m going to raise my child with Logan. It’s not like I need all that money. Logan has me covered. Even if he isn’t in the picture, I could raise my child alone. The money that I would earn from those shares is enough for me to live like a princess for the rest of my life.”
James’s jaw flexed slightly at the mention of Logan, but he didn’t say anything. “That man is dangerous,” he
said.
<b>9:28 </b>Mon, <b>Sep </b>15 <b>d</b>.
“I know.”
…
:
“You seemed to think he would be able to take care of you and your child.”
“I can take care of my own child, Dad. You don’t have to worry about that<b>.” </b>
<b>59 </b>
55 vouchers
“You have always been stubborn,” Adam studied her, his expression unreadable. Then, out of nowhere, he said, “I’m sorry.”
Emery frowned. “What exactly are you apologizing for?”
“For everything,” Adam said simply.
She didn’t respond, only stared at him with a tight, questioning look.
“I’m not saying this because I’m after your grandmother’s shares,” he continued, shaking his head. “I’ve known for a long time that you would inherit them. I have no interest in that. I have enough shares of my own. This isn’t about thepany.” He paused, taking a sip from his ss before setting it aside on the counter. “You’re about to have a child. And I wanted you to know… I regret the way things turned out. I regret everything that happened between us.”
“Regretted everything?” Emery asked, her voice carrying more skepticism than curiosity.
Adam exhaled slowly, eyes flicking toward the city beyond the ss. “Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Deana and I had raised you ourselves. But the truth is, I don’t think I could have done a better job than my mother. Mary raised you well. She made you into the woman you are now. And for that, I have to admit… I failed. But at least you didn’t.”
Emery frowned. What was her father talking about? “Wasn’t it you and Deana who asked me to live with grandmother<b>?</b><b>” </b>
AD
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