Page 12 of The Omega Switch: Part 2

That made me look up. "You know about that?" He nodded.

"Our attorneys uncovered everything during discovery." He spoke quietly, carefully. "They didn't just claim a few of your products. They claimed credit for pretty much all of your work. Investors believed Arabella was developing products that you had already created. Your family moved money through fake research budgets while you did almost all of the development. They were committing theft and fraud.”

I straightened up. This was news to me.

"Seriously?"

"We've got proof of most of it.” He said, finally looking at me. “But it's obvious now to anyone who’s paying attention. They haven't come out with anything new since you left. Well, they tried - Arabella or Clara tried to encourage people to blend the calming lotion with the customized scents, and that created a fiasco.” He said. I groaned, slapping my hand across my forehead.

Of course they’d come up with a dumb idea like that. “The alcohol in the fragrance will cause the lotion to separate. It will ruin both products to just combine them like that without a proper formulation.” I said, and Ronan nodded.

“Yes, they are struggling. They have no idea what to do without you, though they won’t admit it.” He said.

I took a moment to think through this revelation. "I really built that company," I said. Ronan nodded.

"Yes. You were the heart of it." I was the heart of it, just like my mom was before me. I should have felt pride, but instead I just felt grief. All those years I'd believed I wasn't talented enough, that maybe Arabella was just better. I really believed that she was more creative and capable than I was.

"I don't know how to feel." I finally said, the past catching up with me and messing with my emotions.

"You don't have to know today," Ronan said quietly. "And, Ivy - I'm truly, truly sorry." I raised my head to look at him. "I don't mean..." He shook his head. "Not just for believing Arabella and your family’s lies." His voice grew rough. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you." I didn't answer. "I'm so, so sorry I frightened you. And I'm sorry I looked at you and didn't know something was wrong. I didn’t realize you were begging for help in so many non-verbal ways.” His eyes dropped to the table.

"I've practiced that a thousand times." He laughed quietly. “And it never sounds like enough." He sighed. I straightened in my chair.

"That’s because it isn't," I said.

To my surprise, he didn’t react, just nodded. “No, it isn't. I don't expect forgiveness."

"Good." I quipped. The word came out before I could soften it. "Because you aren't getting it. You three, out of anyone in the world, should have sensed something wasn’t right. We had a connection when we met. I felt it, and thought I was crazy. Now I know it was because you were supposed to be my match. Instead, Arabella lied. But you three never felt the truth. The damage is done. And I don’t care about you anymore."

He flinched, and somehow looked even worse after my words. Another long silence stretched out between us, and no matter how tough I was being, a small part of me still wanted to know what it felt like to be wrapped up and protected in those massive arms of his. But that time had passed. It was too late.

Finally, he asked quietly, "Is there anything you need from me?"

I thought about it, then I shook my head.

"No," I said. It was the truth.

"Alright, what about something I can do? Anything at all to make some type of amends?" He asked.

"No."

He accepted the answer immediately.

"Okay." He said with a resigned sigh.

"That's it?" I asked.

"What do you mean?” He asked, looking at me with those tired eyes that I had once adored looking into.

"You're not going to argue?" I prodded. He gave me a sad smile.

"I've learned that respecting your answer is the least I can do."

Something inside me shifted slightly. I didn't forgive him, but I noticed that he had at least learned something. He reached into his pocket one last time.

"There's one more thing." He said, pulling out some paperwork. “It’s about your family's company." My stomach tightened instinctively.

"What about it?" I asked.