Page 18 of Pucking Secret

Grace furrows her brow in concern. “What do you mean?”

My throat tightens. Just the thought of opening that door makes me feel like I’m choking.

“What if he tries to take Millie, Grace?” The words tumble out in a rush. “He left without a word, and then sent me that letter making it very clear he wanted nothing more to do with me. He’s never acknowledged Millie before, didn’t even say anything about her in the letter, but has he changed his mind and decided he wants her? What if he tries to take her from me?”

If he tries, what can I do to stop him?

Grace’s gaze softens with sympathy. “Stacey, you’re a fantastic mom. Nobody would ever question that, not even Owen.”

“But what if his mom or stepdad does?”

Grace places a gentle hand on my arm. “I’m here for you. I’ll do whatever I can to help. Millie isn’t going anywhere.”

“No, she isn’t.” My voice is firm, harsher than I mean for it to be. I still remember the pain of discovering that Owen was gone and that his house was empty. I don’t want to relive that or put Millie through anything that could hurt her. No one, not evenOwen and his rich stepdad, will take my daughter from me or break her heart.

Grace sighs and shakes her head. “Look, the guy’s an asshole for never bothering to find you again. As much as I hate to say it, you might just need to talk to him about it face-to-face and deal with the situation right away. ”

I swallow, my heart pounding. “I’m not ready for that.”

She nods, her expression sympathetic. “That’s okay. You can take your time. You deserve that much. Still, you’re going to be working for the same team. Running into each other is inevitable. How are you going to handle that?”

Grace is right, and the idea of having to run into Owen over and over again has a cold sweat breaking out along my forehead. I have to deal with him… I simply have no other choice. This residency is too important to mess up, and I let Owen upend my life once already.

I’m not going to let him do it again.

CHAPTER SEVEN: HOUSEWARMING

OWEN

The day weighs heavilyon my shoulders, but I’m glad to return to my minimalist, modern apartment, with its dark hardwood floors and single leather couch. Moving boxes are stacked in the empty dining area just off the kitchen, waiting to be sorted and emptied. It’s the opposite of the ridiculous penthouse Gerald tried to push on me. He thought it was a better fit with our “family image,” all for the sake of the brand he’s crafted around us. I couldn’t stand the thought of it. Every damn detail of my life has already been carefully managed and orchestrated by my stepfather, and the penthouse would’ve been just one more piece on his meticulously controlled chessboard.

No, I wanted something that felt like mine, even if it’s a lonely little one-bedroom on the quieter side of the city, far from the spotlight he always tries to force on me.

I toss my keys on the kitchen counter and let the emotions of the day wash over me. Holy shit… I can’t believe she’s here in Denver. Stacey. My Stacey. The moment I laid eyes on her, everything came rushing back—the feel of her skin against mine, the sound of her laugh, the warmth of her smile. She was beautiful when we were teenagers, but seeing her today…she’s blossomed. When we were younger, she was slender and delicate-looking. Now, she’s gained luscious curves and there was a worldliness in her gaze that hadn’t been there before. What kind of life has she lived since I last saw her?

I sink onto the couch, raking a hand through my hair, and close my eyes as memories resurface. In high school, Stacey and I had been inseparable. I’d envisioned my whole future with her.

Gerald had other plans.

He’d just announced out of nowhere that he and Mom were getting married, and we were all moving to Canada. No discussion. No consideration for the life he was ripping me away from, or the love he was forcing me to leave behind.

I’d fought, of course. Demanded that they let me stay behind, if nothing else.

“It’s decided. You’re going to Canada to train with the best. Cut ties with every distraction here.”

I knew Stacy was the “distraction.” When I’d pushed back on that exact issue, he didn’t even blink. My mom had stepped between us in tears and begged me to be reasonable, saying Gerald could give us a good life. I hadn’t been able to tell her no, no matter how badly I’d wanted to. In the end, I’d given in and stormed upstairs to pack and call Stacey… only to realize I’d left my phone downstairs.

Gerald had snatched it from the counter, and by the time I returned to get it, it was too late. He never gave it back, even when I saw the screen light up his palm with a missed call from Stacey. When I confronted him on this, asking for a chance to tell her, he was cold and final.

“New life, new number,”he’d said, and that was that.

I was a kid. What could I do? Gerald was determined to have his perfect little family that he could throw in his brothers’ faces. He’d been married before my mom, but wasn’t able to have children himself. That fact, and his divorce, hadn’t dulledhis ambitions any. He’d just readjusted his plans so he could get what he ultimately wanted—an heir to maintain his control and succession of power, and now he wants a grandchild to do the same.

When I got to Canada, I put all my feelings into a letter for Stacey, every damn word I wished I’d had the chance to say before I left. I poured everything into that letter, and then I sealed it up and tossed it in the outgoing mail.

She never wrote back. I never heard from her again. And by the time I got a phone, her number was disconnected.

My chest tightens as I picture her today, her face impassive, her gaze steady and unyielding. She acted like I was just some new guy on the team. Part of me feels betrayed. I’d rather she scream at me and call me a bastard for leaving than have her act like I meant nothing to her at all.

---