Page 129 of Surfer's Paradise

Greg Taylor—a billionaire investor, a man who could change the trajectory of her entire career—wanted her work to mean something bigger.

For once, she didn’t feel like an imposter.

For once, she felt seen.

She hesitated, then set her fork down, her fingers pressing against the linen napkin in her lap.

“I don’t usually talk about my past,” she admitted, voice low, careful.

Greg didn’t push.

He just waited.

She swallowed. “My dad… is serving a life sentence.”

Greg’s expression didn’t shift, but she felt the weight of his silence.

“For killing my mother,” she continued, her voice level but distant.

Greg exhaled slowly, setting his wine glass down.

Rosie forced herself to meet his gaze.

“He hurt me, too.”

Something flashed across Greg’s expression—brief, controlled, but undeniably real.

Rosie’s chest felt tight.

She hadn’t told many people. Not like this.

Her fingers curled into her lap, pulse hammering.

What she didn’t say—what she never told anyone—was that Isaac Rayleigh saved her life.

Isaac was the one who stopped her father.

Isaac was the only reason she made it out alive.

Greg’s voice was low, steady. “I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, blinking against the burn behind her eyes. “Don’t be.” She lifted her chin. “I’m still here.”

Greg studied her for a long moment, then nodded once.

A flicker of understanding passed between them.

They both knew what it meant to survive.

The waiter arrived with the next course—dry-aged filet mignon, finished with a rich demi-glace, served alongside black truffle mashed potatoes.

Rosie picked up her fork.

She took a breath.

And for the first time in a long time—she felt like she was finally moving forward.

Chapter 24

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