Page 45 of Billionaire’s Heartbreak

“You have every right to take over the business. To help my men.”

“I don’t want it,” I snapped. “This isn’t some candy you can just pass on because you didn’t like the flavor.”

He chuckled under his breath. “Now you get it,” he said. “I didn’t want it either.”

The words hit harder than I expected, and suddenly, I understood how it had fallen on him back then, how it was falling on me now. Not by choice, but because there was no one else.

“You can’t give up on us,” I said, my voice tightening.

“I’m tired,” he said simply.

“Of what?”

“Of life.”

The room went quiet.

“What about June?” I pushed.

His gaze softened. “I tried,” he said. “But you and I both know… her heart was never mine.”

I swallowed, unsure what to say. Right now, it was hard to believe that. Hard to accept that everything I’d seen, everything between them, wasn’t real. And it was even harder to believe that the person she loved might be me.

No. That didn’t make sense.

“After everything she’s done for you?” I asked.

“Yes.” He nodded once. “And now it’s my turn to do something for her.”

My jaw tightened. “By sending her into danger? You’re asking her to take charge of the triad when you might not even be there to protect her.”

“I’m not sending her into anything.” Dannie shook his head. “Everything will fall into place when the time is right. I’ve already made arrangements. No harm will come to her.”

“How can you be so sure?” I snapped. “You can’t possibly protect her if you’re dead.”

He didn’t hesitate. “Because I know her. She’ll figure it out.” He paused, his gaze steady. “What I can do… is give her her life back.”

“That’s coward talk,” I snapped, my voice rising. “You’re asking her to walk into a war you don’t even know how to survive.”

“That’s where you come in.” He cut me off, his voice sharper now, more intense, as if he’d been waiting for this moment. “Listen. Laura’s betrayal caught me off guard. All I wanted… was to give June everything.”

He let out a slow breath. “My assets. My businesses. Enough so she never has to worry again. Never has to depend on anyone.” He paused, studying my face. “I was going to let Laura take control of the triad,” he admitted, shaking his head slightly. “But she won’t be safe if my uncle’s involved…”

The words landed heavy. Final. A cold weight settled in my chest.

“What does that mean?” I asked, my voice tightening. “You think he’ll come after her?”

Dannie didn’t answer immediately. That was answer enough.

I took a step closer. “She’s not part of this,” I snapped. “She has nothing to do with your uncle, your family, your⁠—”

“She’s with me,” Dannie cut in quietly. “That’s enough.”

I clenched my jaw. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”

And I meant it, even if I didn’t know how yet.

Dannie watched me for a long moment. “I know,” he said. Simple. Certain. “You’ve been handling your own security for years. You know how to protect what’s yours. You can handle yourself.”