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I nodded solemnly. This was my pledge—not just to them or to Mila—but to myself and to who I had become since meeting her.
As applause thundered around us, Mila turned to me with tears brimming in her eyes and whispered, “Thank you.”
“It’s only just beginning,” I promised her… and myself.
***
I leaned back in my leather chair, the cityscape outside the window a testament to my life’s work, but that day, it looked different—softer, less like a battlefield. The council’s decision still echoed in my ears, the bang of the gavel marking the triumph not just for me but for a community that had become an extension of myself.
The intercom buzzed, jarring me from my reverie. “Your partners are here,” Stuart’s voice crackled through. I steeled myself and pressed the button to reply. “Send them in.”
The door swung open with force enough to shake the walls. Michael, with his silver hair slicked back and face flushed red, stormed in first. The others trailed behind him like a storm cloud about to burst.
“What the hell was that back there?” Michael’s voice boomed through the office. He slapped his palm on my desk, reports fluttering to the floor like fallen soldiers.
“I stood up for what I believe in,” I said calmly, meeting his gaze with a level of certainty I hadn’t felt before Mila walked into my life.
“This isn’t some charity case you can throw your weight behind and expect no pushback!” Alison snapped, her sharp features cutting through her words.
“I know exactly what it is,” I retorted, “and it’s worth every ounce of pushback.”
“You’ve cost us millions!” Jeremy chimed in, his usual calm demeanor now a stormy sea of betrayal.
“I’ve invested in something priceless,” I countered. “I’ve redirected funds to where they’ll make a real difference.”
Michael leaned in close enough for me to catch the scent of his aftershave mixed with fury. “You’re out, Cass. This partnership is over.”
I stood up slowly, my legs steady as oak. “Then so be it. I’m done with business that bulldozes lives.”
They exchanged looks of incredulity before Alison shook her head and laughed without humor. “You think you can just walk away and we’ll let you live happily ever after? You can forget about doing business in this city.”
I walked around the desk until I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with them. “Then prepare for battle,” I said firmly. “Because I will defend this cause with everything I have.”
The door clicked shut behind them, leaving silence in their wake—a silence filled with possibility and the whisper of Mila’s name.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Cassius
I pocketed my phone after reading the text from Theo Johnson. The man was a tower of quiet strength, even as illness tried to erode his frame. He’d asked for a meeting, just the two of us, and it struck a chord. What could Mila’s father possibly want with me alone?
“Stuart, hold my calls for the next hour,” I instructed my assistant as I grabbed my coat from the back of my chair. “I’ve got a personal matter to attend to.”
The drive over was a meditation in motion, the cityscape blurring past as I navigated through the heart of the neighborhood that Mila called home. Pulling up to the aging building, I found it hard to believe that such vibrancy and fight lived within these worn walls.
The door creaked in protest as I stepped into the dimly lit hallway, climbing the stairs to the apartment where Mila had grown up. My knock was met by a feeble yet welcoming voice.
“Come in, Cassius.”
The room held the scent of medication and old books. Theo sat propped up in an armchair that had seen better days, his eyes bright despite his pale complexion.
“Mr. Johnson, you wanted to see me?” I ventured as I settled into a seat across from him.
Theo clasped his hands together, his gaze steady. “Yes, thank you for coming on such short notice.”
I leaned forward, elbows resting on my knees. “Of course. Is everything alright?”
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “As well as can be expected. But I didn’t ask you here to discuss my health.”
