Every ti my parents had sidelined , every ti they favored my brother, Gregory, who never asked for it.
They had made their choice.
Every ti my father spread the family’s empire across the globe, every branch, every new company, every dia channel, they had done it without .
They hadn’t ignored by accident; they had made the decision to leave behind.
My brother... Gregory. I thought of him.
He had loved , true and steady, but even he had been powerless under the weight of our parents’ favoritism.
And now, as I traced each mory carefully, I realized the extent of it.
How my parents had built empires, spread their influence across the country, created wealth and power, yet never truly included .
Not in their plans, not in their decisions, not in their vision.
I had been sidelined my entire life.
I let out a quiet breath, one that was more release than exhalation.
Slowly, my lips curved into a small, smug smile. It was a dangerous smile, one that held years of frustration, anger, and finally... clarity.
"You’re right. It’s high ti they got a reality check." I said softly, looking at Matteo.
He didn’t say anything at first, simply watched , his eyes calculating. The cigar smoke curled lazily into the air, twisting and floating like the possibilities now before .
I t his gaze, the tremor in my voice fading with every word, "I have stayed silent too long," I said quietly.
"I let them make the rules... decide the story... pretend my truth didn’t matter." My fingers curled into fists as I took a breath.
"But no more." I completed.
Matteo’s brow lifted slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"I have the match now, and this ti, I will choose where it burns," I said, my voice steady, almost calm.
"I have stayed silent too long. I have let them make the rules, decide the narrative, and ignore the truth of my life. No more. I have the match now. And I will choose where it strikes."
Matteo’s faint smile widened just slightly, "Good. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you an?"
"My lawyers will help you. They will make sure the notice reaches your family, every asset you are entitled to... all of it in your na."
I froze for a second.
It took a mont for the aning to actually sink in. Every asset, properties, and every company. Almost my family’s entire empire would in my na.
It sounded impossible. Like sothing out of a fever dream I had not dared to imagine.
I blinked and looked up at him. Matteo’s expression was calm, unreadable. He sat back in his leather chair, the dim lamplight outlining his sharp features.
His cigar smoke curled lazily in the air, soft and silver against the warm glow of the room.
I should have felt relieved. Or grateful maybe, but sothing about his calmness unsettled .
I asked, finally, my voice quieter than I expected. "Why? Why are you doing this?"
He smiled faintly, the kind that did not reach his eyes. "Let’s call it an act of goodwill. Besides, you are just taking what’s yours. The Kingsleys stole enough already."
I wanted to believe him. I really did, but the problem with Matteo was...he never did anything without reason.
I sat back slowly, watching him. His expression did not change, but the silence between us stretched, heavy and strange.
He noticed the shift in my mood. Of course he did.
He was the kind of man who always noticed everything, every twitch, every flicker in soone’s eyes.
"You don’t trust ," he said quietly.
It sounded less like a question as it was a statent.
I let out a faint, humorless laugh, "Should I?"
That earned a real smile from him, sharp and knowing, "Probably not."
The honesty almost disard . Almost.
"Then why help ?" I pressed again.
"You don’t owe anything. You are neither my family nor my friend. So what is it you want, Matteo?"
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling smoke. The silence that followed was heavier than before.
I could hear faint sounds from the hallway outside. The footsteps of his n, a door closing sowhere, but inside the room, it was just us.
And him thinking.
Long enough for the silence to start biting at .
When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, almost thoughtful, "You are right. I don’t do things without reason."
I stared at him, waiting as he looked down briefly, then back up, locking eyes with , "I want sothing."
The air between us tightened as his words echoed into the room.
My fingers clenched slightly on the armrest, not wanting him to notice the control his words have over .
"Sothing?" I repeated in the sa tone of his.
He nodded slightly, joining his hands together as were in so damn business eting, "Or rather... soone."
I blinked, completely caught off guard, "Soone? Soone who?"
There was sothing about the way he said it that made my stomach twist, "I asked who? Don’t just sit there like a statue." My voice ca out higher than I expected.
He hesitated for the first ti since I had t him, which shocked and gave anxiety at the sa ti. Then, slowly, he said, "Emma."
The na hit like a mini explosion as my breath caught in my throat.
"Emma?" The na ca out like a re whisper.
"Yes." He said simply as if he was just borrowing toy or sothing.
For a mont, I couldn’t move.
Couldn’t think.
That small, fragile na echoed in my chest like a warning.
The little girl with the wide eyes and ssy brown hair. The one who barely spoke, who flinched at sudden noises, who sotis clung to my hand like she was afraid I’d vanish.
The girl Josh had brought to her one day out of nowhere to complete his so-called family.
The little innocent girl who was now more than family to .
The girl who was now so dear to that I would shake mountains for her.
And now Matteo was saying he wanted her.
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