Page 191 of The Fire We Make

Joy wiped the remnants of her lipstick from his mouth, then with a smile that Ace would fight a million wars for, turned and strutted out of his office.

With a shake of his head, Ace gathered his belongings and made his way to the conference room.

Waiting for him were two men in expensive suits, one older Black man and another who appeared around his age.

“Good morning. I’m Adonis King the Second, Junior Partner,” Ace introduced himself as he entered.

Both men rose, the younger of the two extending his hand. “Jermaine Chapman. Thank you for meeting with us.”

“My pleasure,” Ace replied. The older man extended his hand silently and Ace shook it, eyeing him closely. Something about him was familiar but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Good to meet you,” Ace said. “My associate should be joining us shortly.”

As if he spoke her up, Joy walked through the doors of the conference room causing both men to turn in her direction. She froze, eyes bouncing from the older gentleman to Ace.

“What the fuck is this?” she asked through gritted teeth.

“Good to see you, my love,” Jermaine said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, walking closer.

“You come any closer and I’ll⁠—”

“What? Stab me again?” he asked mockingly. “Did she tell you she stabbed me with a fucking shoe that my parents paid for? Better watch this one, she has a temper.”

“Shut up Jermaine,” Joy hissed, charging towards him.

“Joy. Enough,” the other man spoke for the first time. The older man stood, buttoning his suit jacket. “I came here under the assumption that you’ve changed. Don't prove me wrong.”

Joy’s movements halted like a toy soldier who needed to be wound up again, but the fury and confusion never left her expression. “Daddy, what are you doing here?”

Ace blinked as things started clicking.

“I needed to talk to you,” Byron replied, moving around Jermaine to stand in front of Joy.

“You look well,” he said once he’d completed his assessment of her.

“I am well,” Joy replied. “Why are you here?”

“We need your help with something Princess.”

Joy snorted. Oh now she was his princess again? A month ago, she’d have given anything to hear the term of endearment from her father’s lips again but now that she had, it felt hollow.

“I assumed when you threw me out you wouldn’t be wanting my help anymore.”

Jermaine and Byron shared a look.

“Well we were thinking that if you helped us with this, we could talk about you returning home.”

Byron’s declaration was met with silence from Joy and a clenched jaw from Jermaine.

“We?” Joy asked, with a raised brow, her eyes moving between the two men before her.

“Is there somewhere we can speak privately?” Byron asked.

Joy sighed, but nodded. She ignored Ace’s piercing gaze with silent questions as she led her father out of the conference room and around the corner to a secluded hallway.

“How did you even find me?” Joy asked once they were alone.

Byron looked down at her. The face they shared, the same face that used to bring her comfort, now looked foreign.