Mary kissed her daughter’s forehead. "Sometimes, it’s the only thing that keeps us going."

Ivy exhaled slowly, a tear slipping free. "I’ll think about it," she whispered.

Mary nodded, stepping back with quiet understanding. "That’s all I ask, sweetheart."

"But I will not let him know where I am. I’m serious," Ivy said. "I have suffered enough in the hands of the Kanes. I won’t let them come near my child. I want to protect this little life from all of it."

Mary reached out and placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, her touch grounding and warm. "I understand, sweetie. I do." Mary had made her share of choices, some of them painful, and she recognized the same war inside her daughter.

They walked back into the house slowly.

When they reached the living room, Ivy paused by the telephone sitting innocently on the console table.

She stared at it for a long time, her pulse racing. What would she even say if he picked up? Hey... you’re an asshole, but I’m pregnant?

Mary watched her silently, understanding the storm raging inside her daughter. Ivy’s fingers hovered over the receiver. Her heartbeat quickened with every passing second.

Her mind screamed don’t do it, but her heart—traitorous, relentless—begged for just a moment of his voice.

She picked up the phone and dialed his number from memory. The digits came effortlessly.

One ring. He’s not going to answer.

Two rings.

Three rings—then, the line clicked.

But instead of Winn’s deep, grounding baritone, a woman’s voice floated through the receiver—soft, intimate, belonging.

"Hello?"

The world stopped.

Her heart stuttered. Her mind froze. That one simple word carried with it everything she feared—confirmation that the man she loved was no longer hers.

She didn’t say a word. Didn’t even breathe.

Her hand trembled violently as she hung up.

She pressed the phone back into its cradle and took a step back as if it burned her.

Mary watched helplessly as her daughter folded in on herself, wrapping her arms around her body as if trying to hold herself together. "Ivy—"

Mary reached for her, but Ivy stepped away.

Mary’s chest ached at the sight of her daughter’s pain and she felt instantly guilty.

And in that moment, Ivy knew she had truly lost Winn Kane—through no fault of her own, through no choice of her heart.

She had lost him as completely as if he had died.

****

Winn could have punched Joey square in the nose, and for a fleeting second, the idea felt good—so good that he almost smiled at the mental image of Joey stumbling back, clutching his face, his eyes wide in shock. His temper had been on a hair trigger lately.

"Do you hear yourself?" Winn growled. Joey had the nerve to look amused.

"Stop thinking like a vengeful asshole and think like the businessman you truly are!" Joey snapped. Joey’s words weren’t entirely wrong, and that made them burn even more. The anger that surged through Winn was personal.

"Read my lips," Winn hissed, leaning forward until they were almost nose to nose. "I. Don’t. Need. Evans. I can hold my own." A flicker of understanding passed through Joey’s eyes, but he didn’t back down.

"You can only get twenty percent of the Orchard wealth, Winn," Joey said, exhaling heavily. "It’s a lot, but even that can’t build the mall. Or are you just going to let that dream go?"

"I have sacrificed my life, blood, peace of mind for this business," Winn muttered. "I’ll be damned if I let Evans get anywhere near it. He’s not touching a single piece of what’s mine."

Joey rolled his eyes. "Evans doesn’t want House of Kane," he said finally. "He just wants to make a quick buck. And to put you at ease, whatever proceeds come from your venture goes to his sister—who, by the way, owns the other half of Everest."

Winn’s brows furrowed as he turned back slowly, eyes narrowing. "Evans has a sister?"

"Yeah, she disappeared years ago," Joey said. "But I believe they’re in contact again." The memory of Sylvia’s call was still fresh in his mind. The way she’d said please had almost thrown him off. She’d wanted him to meet.

He had been sceptical, of course. He’d gone. And for once, Sylvia had stayed on script. No wandering fingers, no sultry glances.

"Listen," Joey said now, shaking his head as he exhaled. "Evans wants nothing to do with the company. He just wants a cut from the project. That’s it. The investors already moved to Everest because they believe House of Kane is unsteady. And between you and me, they’re not wrong."

"Evans has found a way to be an obstacle for me at every turn in the past," Winn replied. "Every time I try to move forward, he’s there, blocking my path. He’s a snake, Joey. You don’t make deals with snakes."

"He did what any businessman would do, including you. Do you have any idea how many other men you’ve sabotaged on your climb up?" He raised a brow. "Come on, Winn. Don’t act like a saint in a suit. You and Evans are cut from the same ruthless fabric—you just hate the mirror."

"You expect me to thank him now for offering a lifeline?"

"No. I expect you to stop confusing vengeance with business."

"I can do this by myself. Once I get the Orchard funds."

"When will that be?" Joey asked, pacing across the wide sitting room of the Orchard mansion. He ran a hand through his hair and turned sharply to face his friend. "You didn’t marry for love, Winn. And if I know Sylvia well—and I do—she will not agree to lie to her grandfather, dead or not. Secondly, she seems to really, really suddenly hate your bride. Third, do you plan on having a child with Sharona?"

He paused. "Because, my friend, the ink on your marriage certificate isn’t even dry, and she’s already moved back to her own damn house. So tell me—how do you plan on finding loopholes in your grandfather’s rules? You can’t charm your way out of a contract written by a dead man, Winn."

Joey exhaled and dropped into a chair, rubbing the back of his neck.