Page 13 of The Omega Switch: Part 2

"They're losing a lot since we went after them.” I looked down at the paperwork.

"These are your lawsuits?"

He nodded. "The fraud case is only part of it. After discovery uncovered years of financial misconduct and misuse of company funds, they are starting to crumble. Plenty of their company partners are pulling out. The banks won’t help them." He hesitated, then said the next part. "You may want to call them." he said, and I frowned.

"Why?"

"They're desperate. And you may be able to negotiate your part of the business so you can get your shares before the whole thing goes under. After all, you are part of the family, and the business. At least legally,” he said.

I looked down at the file, wondering if my mother’s legacy would end due to their mismanagement and ego. “They won’t give me anything,” I said quietly. “They won’t take my advice.”

He held my gaze.

"First of all, you have more rights than you realize. They don’t get to call all the shots. And I think, for the first time in their lives, they've realized exactly how much they depended on you."

That left me in silence. I looked down at the folder again. A small, disbelieving laugh escaped me.

"I really was the genius behind the operation," I said wryly. Ronan smiled then, the first smile I'd seen from him all afternoon.

"I don't think you should ever have questioned that." He said. Then he stood and gave me a nod. “I’ll leave you be now. It was… incredible to see you. Truly.” He said, his dark eyes catching mine. My throat tightened as a rush of emotions hit me. In another world, we could have been perfect together.

“And it’s up to you, of course, but I’d like to at least be cordial with you. If there’s ever anything, anything at all that you need, I’m here for you. No questions asked. Say it, and it’s yours.” He said with a seriousness that sent shivers down my spine. I swallowed, then nodded.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, then as he left, I shut the door behind me, sliding down until I was a heap. I waited a few minutes before I lost my composure, sobs reaching up through me as he left.

Chapter 8

Ivy

I stared at my phone, going back and forth in my mind for almost an hour before finally gathering the courage to call. Ronan's words had replayed in my mind all day, urging me to contact my family before hearing about the lawsuit from someone else, and although every instinct told me to leave the past exactly where it belonged, another quieter part of me still needed to know whether anything had changed.

Maybe it was foolish. I had spent my entire life believing that if I just worked a little harder or loved them a little better, they might eventually love me back. Either way, I needed to know what was going on. Maybe I could at least get what I was owed - as long as they had changed. The phone rang a few times, then Clara answered.

"Hi, Clara," I said with trepidation.

"Ivy!" she exclaimed, her voice overflowing with enthusiasm that immediately caught me off guard. "Oh, thank goodness. We've been worried sick about you."

For a second, my heart softened. Six months ago, I would have held onto those words, believing they cared after all. Then she continued.

"The lab has been an absolute disaster since you left. We've missed every major production deadline, no one understands your formulations, and the research team keeps asking questions we can't answer. Honestly, sweetheart, you've always been so disorganized."

I closed my eyes. She didn’t ask how I was, or how I’d survived all this time without them. She didn’t even ask if I was safe. No mention of them missing me at all.

"I've been busy," I replied quietly.

"We've heard," Clara said with forced cheerfulness. "Someone mentioned you've opened a little shop. Those are notoriously hard to manage long term."

A little shop. That's all she believed I could do.

"I own a business," I said, my teeth already clenched. “How did you find out about it, anyway?” I asked.

“Oh, someone wrote a review and tagged your store online. Arabella saw it.” Of course she had. "Well, all that aside," she said, "Having an adventure is nice, dear. But surely you're ready to come home now. We've all had some time to calm down, and your fathers and I have agreed we're willing to forgive you."

For a moment, I thought I'd misunderstood her.

"...Forgive me?" I repeated.

"Well, yes," she replied as though it were obvious. "You disappeared without telling anyone, embarrassed Arabella in front of Pack Vale, and created quite a scandal. Families fight, Ivy. We all say things we don't mean." An incredulous laugh escaped me.