His Knees, His Pleas, But Our Son's in Peace

Chapter Ther

53

I felt a wave of frustration building as I gripped the phone tighter. "What kind of problem?" I asked, though deep down I already knew this wasn't going to be good.

Ryan sighed. "Turns out, Nathan did something to the contract documents. Our pack isn't as independent as we thought. There are still business dealings that tie us together."

I stopped walking, my mind racing as I tried to process what he was saying. "Are you saying we're still connected to Nathan's pack?" It didn't seem possible, after all the work I had put in to separate everything.

"Yes," Ryan confirmed. "And it gets worse. Nathan's been using those connections to interfere with some of our major deals. He's caused enough trouble that a few of the big contracts we had lined up have been canceled." I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice calm. "How many?" I asked, though I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer.

"Several," Ryan replied. "They were some of our most important deals, and losing them is going to hit us hard. Our pack's income is under great threat."

I stood there for a moment, the weight of Ryan's words pressing down on me. Nathan had found a way to meddle in our business again, undermining everything I had worked for. I hung up the phone, knowing this wasn't over. Nathan had always found ways to disrupt my life, and I had a sinking feeling this time was no different.

As I ended the call with Ryan, the weight of his words sinking in, Carlos stepped out of the car without a word, his usual distant demeanor intact, though I had noticed the softer glances he gave Cyrus earlier. Before I could process everything, my phone buzzed again. It was Nathan. His voice was unsettlingly calm as he insisted we meet, hinting that I wasn't as independent as I thought. A

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His Knees, His Pleas. But Our Son's in Peace.

knot tightened in my chest-Nathan wasn't done, and now I had to face him.

Nathan arrived not long after I stepped into my office, and as soon as he walked in, the room felt smaller. He always had a way of filling a space, his presence imposing, but it no longer intimidated me. I had changed.

He didn't waste any time. "Doris, we need to talk," he said smoothly, closing the

door behind him.

I didn't offer him a seat, standing tall behind my desk. "What is it, Nathan?" My tone was flat, unbothered, a stark contrast to the nervous woman I once was around him.

"I want to see Cyrus," he said directly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he waited for my response.

I felt my pulse quicken, but I didn't let it show. Cyrus? He had no right to ask about Cyrus. My son had nothing to do with Nathan, and he never would. "Cyrus has nothing to do with you," I said coldly. "You have no right to see him."

Nathan's lips tightened. "I still have ties to the pack," he said, his voice dropping a notch, the threat clear in his tone. "You know how these things work, Doris. We were tied together once, and those ties are not as easily severed as you think." Thee it was. He was using the pack as leverage, hoping to intimidate me. But I wasn't the woman I used to be. Nathan had underestimated me-again.

I stood my ground. "Nathan, my pack has nothing to do with yours. I know every detail of the contracts, and we are fully independent. You have no hold over us." I let the words sink in before continuing, "Moreover, the businesses I partner with are built on trust. My partners are honest businessmen who don't break contracts over rumors or manipulation." I saw the flicker of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected me to be so sure of myself, to know the contracts and partnerships as thoroughly as I did. It was clear that Nathan had counted on me still being the woman he could

easily manipulate,

but I wasn't that person anymore.

"You've really changed," he said after a moment, his voice softer, as though he was

suddenly seeing me in a new light.

I didn't respond. I had no desire to entertain his sudden reflections on how much I

had grown. I didn't need his validation.

Nathan's eyes shifted as he realized that his usual threats wouldn't work on me. He took a deep breath, switching tactics as easily as flipping a switch. "You know," he started, his tone gentler now, "your mother wouldn't have wanted things to be this way between us." The mention of my mother made my heart clench, but I kept my face impassive. Nathan knew exactly how to play the family card. My mother had always been a source of love and comfort for both of us, even when things between Nathan and me had been falling apart. She had always hoped we'd find a way to make it work.

"She was my adoptive mother too," Nathan continued, his voice softening even more. "She gave us so much-especially this." He raised his hand, and I saw it: the

my

other had given us, the one I had returned to him when I broke off our relationship. wedding ring