LOGINShannon slowly reached for the door. "I'm tired. Go home."He quickly placed a hand against the door before she could close it. "Please. Just talk to me, we'll figure this out. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you."She looked at his hand then back at him. "I've already moved on."The words stole the air from his lungs. "...No.""Yes.""You don't mean that.""I do.""You can't.""I can and I have."Panic flashed openly across Rowan's face. "Shannon... I love you."She closed her eyes briefly. Those words, once upon a time, they would have meant everything now they simply hurt. "You should've remembered that before you forgot me."She gently pushed his hand away from the door then, without another word she closed it.Click.Rowan stared at the wooden door in silence. "Shannon?"No answer.He knocked softly. "Please."Nothing.His knock became firmer. "Shannon."Still nothing. Then he began pounding on the door. "Open the door. We need to talk Shannon. We have to let all g
A tear rolled quietly down her cheek. "...Dad..." Her voice barely existed anymore. She looked toward the photograph Kennedy had secretly slipped into her bag before she left.The picture of her mother, the woman who looked almost identical to her.Shannon reached over and picked it up with trembling fingers. "I'm sorry..." Another tear landed on the photograph. "I should've stayed, I should've believed you."She closed her eyes tightly. The memories refused to leave her alone. Kennedy standing outside the mansion reminding her to call every day, Kennedy insisting she take the bank card, Kennedy awkwardly smiling when she accidentally called him "Dad.", Kennedy promising... "I'll wait".She had left because she'd wanted answers, because she'd believed she could fix everything, because she'd believed Sean would listen, instead everything had fallen apart.She covered her face with both hands. "What if..." The words came out broken."What if I'd just stayed one more day?"What if she'd
Sean watched her go. His body wanted to move, wanted to stop her, wanted to explain, but his mind was complete chaos.Kennedy Miles, Shannon's father? Edward Vale, his own father.None of it made sense.The front door opened then closed. The sound echoed through the mansion.Aria looked between the closed door and Sean. "...You're not going after her?"Sean remained standing exactly where he was, his eyes still fixed on the door. "No."Aria frowned. "What do you mean no?"Sean finally sat down heavily on the sofa. Everything suddenly felt too much. "Everything's a mess." He rubbed both hands over his face. "She needs time."Aria blinked. "And you?"Sean let out a tired breath. "I need time too."Silence filled the room.Then Aria asked the question he'd been avoiding. "...What if..."Sean looked up."...what if Kennedy Miles really is her father?"The question hung in the air.Sean opened his mouth then closed it again because for the first time since Shannon had spoken those words he
The words exploded out before she could stop them. Sean stared at her and she continued, tears beginning to gather. "I told you he let me leave!""He was your enemy.""He wasn't mine anymore!"Sean took another step toward her. "I wasn't going to gamble with your safety." His voice remained controlled. "You got caught in the middle of my business with Kennedy Miles." He pointed toward the television. "So I handled it so nothing like this ever happens again.""You handled it?" She looked at the burning estate on the screen. "You call this handling it?"Sean's expression hardened slightly. "I protected you.""No." Shannon shook her head violently. "You didn't. You never even asked me. I told you to let it go, I told you he was letting me leave. Did you even stop for one second..." Her voice cracked. "...to think about why?"Sean remained silent.She stepped closer. "So desperate to protect me that you never thought to ask me what actually happened."Sean's patience finally began slippin
Aria stormed toward them with both hands planted dramatically on her hips. She looked between the two of them before pointing an accusing finger. "I leave the house for two days and you both disappear!"Sean calmly handed his jacket to one of the staff. "We didn't disappear.""You absolutely disappeared!"Aria walked straight up to Shannon before dramatically grabbing both her shoulders. "You abandoned me."Shannon laughed. "We did not.""You did!" She turned toward Sean. "And you!"Sean raised a brow. "What?""You are the worst brother on this planet."Sean looked completely unbothered. "I've been called worse."Aria gasped dramatically. "You planned this."Sean looked at her blankly.She pointed between Sean and Shannon. "You insisted I stay a few days with Mom and Dad. You said..." she deepened her voice in a poor imitation of him, "'Spend more time with them.'"Shannon immediately burst into laughter.Aria pointed triumphantly. "See, you only wanted an alone time with Shannon."Se
Kennedy's fingers stopped. After several long seconds, he slowly lowered his hand. "No."The single word was almost a whisper.Sean would live, not because Kennedy's hatred had faded but because his daughter had asked him for time. He would honor that for now.Kennedy opened his eyes again. The flames reflected in them, brighter than ever. His estate was gone, his men had fallen, his home had become smoke and as he stared across the burning grounds, the grief that had lived inside him for twenty seven years twisted into something even darker.He turned away from the window. "Prepare a new base."His men immediately straightened."We've lost a house." His voice was calm again. "But we haven't lost the war."Without another glance back, Kennedy walked deeper into the building. Behind him, black smoke continued rising into the afternoon sky, a silent monument to a rivalry that had just crossed a line from which neither man could ever truly return.Meanwhile, Sean stood outside the burnin
Kennedy closed his eyes briefly then nodded.Immediately Shannon looked away because now memories were flooding her mind. Sean cooking, Sean driving her to work, Sean calling her his woman, Sean carrying her when she cried, Sean promising he'd always be there.Sean.Sean.Sean.And now somehow she
Sean finally grabbed the metal tray beside the bed and hurled it across the room.The crash echoed then silence followed.Sean stood there breathing hard. His injured body trembling, his fists clenched, his jaw locked. "How.""How."Victor didn't answer because there was no good answer.Sean dragge
Kennedy held her tightly like he was afraid she would disappear if he let go.Meanwhile Shannon simply stood there allowing it because honestly she was tired so tired. Just when she thought she had finally escaped the worst of her life, just when she thought Sean had walked into her life for a rea
Miles had trusted Vale. Trusted him with contracts, with investments, with everything and in the end he lost it all, every single thing. By the time he understood what had happened, his empire was gone, his money was gone, his future was gone and while he was desperately trying to save what remain







