Chapter 10\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ridley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
I strode purposefully toward the executive suite on the top floor of the Preston Hotel. Tonight\u2019s meeting with the Evans Group would finalize months of negotiation, though my mind was already on the next three projects in Sterling Design\u2019s pipeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I rounded the corner toward the elevator bank, a small figure darted behind a large potted plant. The glimpse was brief\u2013just a flash of a small figure and\u00a0<\/p>\n
a familiar grey sweatshirt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oliver?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I paused, scanning the lobby. Nothing. Oliver should be at his outdoor exploration camp, not downtown Chicago. I must have been mistaken, though that\u00a0<\/p>\n
silhouette had been remarkably similar to my youngest son\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The elevator arrived, and I pushed the troubling thought aside. Business first.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The brief meeting with the Evans Group was drawing to a close. We had covered the essential points, and I was preparing my concluding remarks when a\u00a0<\/p>\n
knock at the door interrupted us. A security guard stood in the doorway, his expression signaling urgency.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Sterling, may I have a word?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I glanced at the Evans representatives. \u201cGentlemen, I believe we\u2019ve addressed the key points. My team will draft the agreements for your review by Monday.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After efficiently ushering them out with practiced courtesy, I turned to the security guard in the now\u2013empty room. He lowered his voice. \u201cSir, we thought we have seen young Master Oliver in this hotel.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A cold certainty settled in my chest. I had been right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he alone?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Yes, sir. He appears to be moving near Suite 412.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded sharply. \u201cTake me there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we descended in the elevator, irritation tightened my jaw. Oliver had been testing boundaries lately, but this was beyond acceptable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHas he entered any rooms?\u201d I asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNot that we\u2019ve seen, sir, but there\u2019s been some\u2026 unusual activity in Suite 412.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Elaborate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guard shifted uncomfortably. \u201cThe General Manager of Wilson Group booked the suite. Our staff reported hearing disturbances. When they inquired, Mr. Brad Wilson insisted everything was fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We approached Suite 412, and the sounds became immediately apparent\u2014a woman\u2019s muffled protest, a man\u2019s aggressive tone. Without hesitation, I rapped sharply on the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3:48 pm M\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 10\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGet lost! Brad Wilson\u2019s slurred voice shouted. \u2018I said no interruptions!\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knocked again, harder this time. When no response came, I turned to the security guard. \u2018Open it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hesitated. \u201cSir, we don\u2019t have-\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my hotel,\u2018 I said coldly. \u201cOverride the lock. Now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The electronic lock disengaged, and I pushed the door open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The suite was in disarray\u2013furniture displaced, empty glasses scattered. Brad Wilson stood in the center, hastily tucking in his shirt, his face flushed with\u00a0<\/p>\n
alcohol and adrenaline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes quickly searched for Oliver, finding no trace of my son.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, in the far corner, I saw her\u2013the woman from yesterday\u2019s collision at the design show. Her blouse was torn open, and her hair was disheveled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Sterling, Wilson sputtered, suddenly pale. \u201cThis isn\u2019t-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGet him out,\u201d I ordered, my voice deadly quiet. \u201cAnd inform the Wilson Group that all collaborations with Sterling are terminated, effective immediately.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The security team moved quickly, flanking Wilson, who attempted justification.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Sterling\u2026 This was just a misunderstanding\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you stay here any longer, not only will Sterling Group stop working with Wilson,\u201d I cut him off, \u201cbut I\u2019ll personally ensure every major developer in\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chicago knows exactly why.\u201d I stepped closer. \u201cNow get out of my hotel.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wilson\u2019s face contorted with anger, but self\u2013preservation won out. As security escorted him out, I instructed them to permanently revoke his access.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With Wilson removed, I turned my attention to the woman. She remained in the corner, arms wrapped protectively around herself, eyes wide with residual\u00a0<\/p>\n
fear and uncertainty. Something twisted uncomfortably in my chest at her vulnerability.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I remembered how my heart had skipped when I first saw her. Something about her felt different from the wealthy socialites I\u2019d grown to despise. And the\u00a0<\/p>\n
subtle fragrance when she bumped into me, the feel of her waist when I steadied her\u2013these sensations lingered. In eight years, she was the first woman who\u00a0<\/p>\n
hadn\u2019t repelled me, though I couldn\u2019t understand why.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slowly approached her, my eyes falling to the exposed skin below her collarbone where her blouse had been torn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked at me like a frightened animal, her voice trembling as she said, \u201cMr. Sterling\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coming back to my senses, I removed my suit jacket. She stepped back slightly in fear. I held the jacket out to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Ms. Wright, correct?\u201d I kept my voice deliberately neutral.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She nodded once, her gaze still wary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I held out my jacket. \u201cFor coverage.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a moment\u2019s hesitation, she accepted it, slipping her arms into the sleeves that dwarfed her small frame. The sight stirred something unexpected\u2013a protective instinct I rarely experienced outside of interactions with my children.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3:48 pm DM\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 10\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you injured?\u201d I asked, clinically assessing her condition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d Her voice was steady despite everything, which I found oddly impressive. Thank you for intervening.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded, maintaining distance. \u201cWhy are you here?\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I was scheduled to meet with Emily Parker, Wilson Group\u2019s design liaison. Her eyes flashed with a mixture of embarrassment and defiance. I had no idea it\u00a0<\/p>\n
would be\u2026 him instead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I studied her face, searching for deception but finding none. \u201cAnd my son? Have you seen a small boy, about six?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Confusion crossed her features. \u201cNo, I haven\u2019t seen any children here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I frowned, glancing around the suite again. Where was Oliver then?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI should go,\u201d she said quietly, beginning to remove my jacket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep it for now.\u201d The words left my mouth before I could analyze them. I reached out, my fingers circling her wrist to stop her movement. The contact sent\u00a0<\/p>\n
an unexpected current through my palm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She froze, looking down at where my hand touched her skin, then up to my face. Something passed between us\u2013recognition, perhaps, or some deeper\u00a0<\/p>\n
connection I couldn\u2019t name and didn\u2019t welcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I released her wrist immediately, disturbed by my own reaction. \u201cSecurity will ensure you reach your destination safely.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, we stood in charged silence. I found my gaze lingering on her, noticing that despite her shock, her tightly pressed lips and the line of her jaw\u00a0<\/p>\n
revealed a stubborn refusal to surrender.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Sterling?\u201d Her voice stopped me. \u201cThank you again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded once without turning, unwilling to examine why her gratitude affected me. \u201cSecurity will assist you, Ms. Wright.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I stepped into the hallway, I was struck by the bizarre realization that I still needed to locate my wayward son. Still, part of my mind remained fixed on the woman in the suite behind me a woman I\u2019d encountered four times in as many days, most times in unusual circumstances.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t believe in coincidences. And I certainly didn\u2019t believe in instant connections with strangers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So why did I feel as though I\u2019d known Cedar Wright far longer than our brief encounters would suggest?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Sky Remembered the Touch of Our Uninished Goodbyes by Lysa Orion Rehn 10 Chapter 10\u00a0 Ridley\u2019s POV\u00a0 I strode […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-zero-stars-for-daddy-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30409"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30409\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}