Page 75 of Ignacio

He enveloped her in his arms, rubbing his hands up and down her back in a soothing motion as she quietly sobbed her relief into his chest.

Later, as they lay in bed together, Delta propped herself up on her elbow and looked at Ignacio, who was leaning against the headboard with pillows.

“We haven’t talked about my trip to New York.”

“How did your interviews go?”

“Extremelywell. The radio interviewers all played a teaser of ‘On My Knees’ from the album and were very receptive to the sound. They thought it was sexy, the singing was on point, and ithad a great beat. The meetings at the label were very productive. I was surprised by how receptive they were to my ideas. They’re willing to incorporate my songs into the album,butonly if I can record them right away, which will give them enough time to mix and master the songs so they can be included.”

“So you won’t have to push back the album release date?”

“Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “The schedule will stay the same, but I will have to work extra hard in the coming weeks—which includes working through the holidays.”

“It’ll be worth the sacrifice.”

“Definitely. They’re including my love songs!”

She released a little squeal and bit her lip. For the first time in days, the old spark returned as excitement brightened her pretty brown eyes.

“What are you thinking?” Ignacio asked.

“I feel… free. To celebrate, I’m thinking about dyeing my hair,” she said with a laugh.

Ignacio wound a strand of her soft hair around his finger. “What color this time?”

“I’m not sure. I thought about trying a new shade, but I really liked the pink hair and the purple hair I used to have. I can’t decide between them.”

“I liked the purple phase you went through a few years back,” Ignacio said.

“Then I’ll go with purple.” The smile slowly faded from her face. “I need to have a talk with my father and let him know about the changes, and I need to let him know about a decision I’ve made. I no longer want him to be my manager, Ignacio. I owe a lot to my parents’ guidance, especially my father. If not for him, I wouldn’t have the career I have, but…”

In the ambient light of the room, he saw the way her brow wrinkled in consternation.

“You don’t owe him your life, Delta.”

“I know I don’t, but that doesn’t make what I’m going to do any easier. You grew up in the entertainment industry, and you’ve always been wealthy. Your family is drowning in money. I grew up middle class. My mother was a teacher and my father a lawyer before they left their jobs to help me pursue my career as a singer. The money I make has transformed the lives of my entire family. Telling my father I no longer want him involved in my career isn’t going to be easy, but I’m ready to have that talk because I need to break free. It’s long overdue.”

Ignacio rolled onto his side to face her. “That’s going to be tough.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll come with you, so you don’t have to do it alone.”

She shook her head and gently stroked the stubble on his chin. “Thank you, but you’ve done so much already.”

“And I’m willing to do much more.”

She kissed his lips, humming her pleasure. “I need to do this on my own. Can you understand that?”

“I don’t like your decision, but yes, I understand. When are you going to talk to him?”

“Tomorrow. The sooner, the better.”

“You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

“I’m positive. I can handle this on my own.”

“I’ll allow you to handle the dissolution of the management relationship with your father under one condition.”

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