Chapter 17
One year later, I stood on the balcony of our Malibu beach house, watching the sunset paint the Pacific in shades of amber and gold. The warm breeze carried the scent of salt and jasmine as I sipped my champagne, reflecting on how
dramatically my life had changed.
“What are you thinking about?” Griffin’s arms slid around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder.
“Just how differently things turned out than I’d planned,” I said, leaning back against his chest. “Last year at this time, I was preparing to marry a man who never truly loved me, about to settle for a life that would have slowly suffocated
me.”
Griffin turned me to face him, his eyes serious. “Any regrets?”
I laughed and set my glass down on the railing. “Are you fishing for compliments, Mr. Hayes?”
“Maybe.” His lips quirked into that half–smile that still made my heart race. “It’s our anniversary, after all. The day you stormed into my hotel room and changed both
our lives.”
I reached up to trace the line of his jaw. “Best mistake I ever made.”
Inside, our closest friends waited to celebrate with us. Megan had insisted on throwing us a proper anniversary party since we’d “cheated everyone out of a real wedding” with our quick courthouse ceremony last year.
The living room had been transformed with white roses and twinkling lights. A small jazz band played in the corner while caterers passed champagne and hors
d’oeuvres.
“There you two are!” Megan appeared at the balcony door, champagne in hand. “Stop making out and come socialize. I didn’t spend a week planning this party for
you to hide outside all night.”
Griffin wrapped his arm around my waist as we followed her inside. “Your best friend is bossy.”
“That’s why we love her,” I whispered back.
The party was perfect–intimate but elegant, filled with genuine laughter and
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warmth. Nothing like the cold, status–obsessed gatherings Dom’s mother used to
host.
As the evening progressed, Griffin clinked his glass for attention. Everyone turned expectantly.
“I want to thank you all for coming tonight,” he began. “A year ago, I had everything I thought I wanted–a successful company, financial security, freedom. But I was missing the one thing I’d wanted since high school.”
His eyes found mine across the room.
“Olivia didn’t remember me when she knocked on my hotel room door that night. But I recognized her immediately. The girl who’d jabbed me with a meter stick for messing up her clean classroom floor.”
Everyone laughed, and I felt my cheeks flush.
“I’d spent fifteen years trying to forget her, dating other women, building my company, telling myself it was just a teenage crush. But the moment I saw her again, I knew I’d never stopped loving her.”
The room fell silent, hanging on his every word.
“I didn’t expect a second chance, but when life handed me one, I wasn’t going to waste it.” He raised his glass. “To second chances–and to my incredible wife, who makes every day an adventure.”
As our friends applauded, I moved through the crowd to his side. “That was quite a speech for someone who claimed to hate public speaking.”
“I meant every word,” he murmured, pulling me close.
Later that night, after our guests had gone and we’d cleaned up the last of the
party, Griffin led me to the bedroom where a small gift box waited on the pillow. “What’s this?” I asked, picking it up. “We agreed no gifts.”
“Open it,” he insisted.
Inside was a key. I looked up, confused.
“It’s to our new office in New York,” he explained. “Hayes–Johnson Media is
officially bi–coastal. The renovation is complete, and everything’s ready for you to
take the
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East Coast by storm.”
I threw my arms around him. “You remembered!”
Expanding to New York had been my dream for years, but Dom had always
dismissed the idea, claiming it was too expensive and unnecessary. Griffin had not only listened but made it happen.
“I have something for you too,” I said, suddenly nervous. I hadn’t planned to tell him tonight, but the moment felt right.
From my bedside drawer, I pulled out a small white stick with two pink lines. Griffin stared at it for a long moment, then looked up at me, his eyes wide. “Are
you-?”
“Ten weeks,” I nodded, smiling through sudden tears. “I found out yesterday.”
He lifted me off the ground, spinning me in circles until we both collapsed onto the bed, laughing.
“A baby,” he whispered, placing his hand gently on my still–flat stomach. “Our baby.”
As we lay there, making plans for our expanding family and growing business empire, I thought about the journey that had brought us here–how the worst
betrayal of my life had led me straight to the greatest love I’d ever known.
The following morning, I was going through emails when a news alert caught my
attention. I clicked on it, unable to suppress a smile at the headline:
“FORMER TALENT AGENT DOMINIC REID SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS FOR FRAUD AND
TAX EVASION”
The article detailed how Dom’s desperation after losing his company had led him to illegal financial schemes. Vanessa had apparently testified against him in exchange for immunity, claiming she knew nothing about his criminal activities. “Karma really is something,” I murmured, closing my laptop.
“What’s that?” Griffin asked, bringing me coffee on the deck.
“Nothing important,” I replied, accepting the mug. “Just the past staying where it belongs–behind us.”
He sat beside me, our shoulders touching as we watched the waves crash against
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the shore. “So, New York next week?”
“Definitely,” I smiled. “But first, we need to find a good obstetrician.” “And a bigger house,” he added. “This one only has four bedrooms.”
I laughed and leaned against him. “One step at a time, Hayes. We have our whole
lives ahead of us.”
As the morning sun warmed our faces, I thought about the long, winding path that had led me here. All the tears, heartbreak, and betrayal had been necessary steps
bringing me to exactly where I was meant to be.
Not just surviving, but thriving. Not just being loved, but being truly seen and
valued.
Sometimes the wrong turn leads you to exactly the right place.
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