Page 114 of Crossing Lines

“Yeah…” The word scrapes out of me, half-breath, half grief. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe there’s nothing left to salvage when it comes to Mom. But right now, I have to choose something I’ve never chosen before.

Myself.

I have to love myself enough to see this for what it is—not loyalty, not duty, but a cycle. One built on manipulation, guilt, and need. And I deserve more than that. More than scraps and silence and apologies that never come.

I let myself lean into Evren and press my cheek against his chest. For the first time, I start to let go. Let the weight of years slide off my shoulders, piece by piece, like armor I no longer need to wear.

All because Evren taught me what real love is like.

Chapter 29

Evren

The next morning, Zeki and I settle into our chairs in my office, ready for our meeting with Mick and Ben. I’m worried about Nina—about the way her mom keeps tightening the screws, bleeding her dry. She says she’s done, and I believe her. But she’s still hurting, and I hate that I can’t fix it. And while my heart’s tangled up in her, my mind keeps circling back to Glam Pop and to Harold. I need to figure out what’s really going on before it blindsides me.

“You ready for this?” Zeki asks.

“Yes, this has gone on long enough. I want you to pay close attention to how both Ben and Mick react to the news.”

“Will do.”

Nodding, I begin the video conference with Mick and Ben.

“Evren,” Mick says, mouth pulled into a tight line,clearly displeased I haven’t gotten back to him before now. “I hope you’re calling about good news.”

“I’m not sure if it’s good or not, but I do have news.” I pause, letting him sweat it out. “I actually have two things I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Okay?” Ben asks.

“As you know,” I say, “we can’t move forward and close the deal because of the outlandish demand you’ve made. Now, I’ve tried to find other solutions and workarounds, but you’re not willing to compromise on a jacket that has no bearing in the sponsorship conversation. It doesn’t add up, and to be honest, I’m starting to wonder if there is someone else behind the scenes giving you a push?”

“What?” Ben visibly pales. “Someone else? Like who?”

“You tell me,” I say.

“Where’s this coming from?” Mick demands. “Are you seriously asking if I let someone else—anyone else—tell me how to run my deals?”

“Well,” I say, “your insistence about the jacket doesn’t make sense. So, again, you tell me.”

“Dad,” Ben says, “this is?—”

“Enough,” Mick says sharply. “I make my own calls and I’d never let someone else influence my decisions. That’s not how I do business.”

“Right,” Ben says, “there’s no one pulling our strings. I understand your question about the holdup, and to be honest, I have the same one.”

Mick whips his head to face Ben, disbelief written all over his face.

“It’s enough,” Ben says. “We don’tneedthe jacket. The new line that Nina created is exactly what we want.”

“It’s not,” Mick says. “We need the jacket. We need Stella to be the face of our brand.”

“No, we don’t.”

“Yes—”

“Do you really want Stella?” I interrupt. “Or is it about Nina?”

“What does Nina have to do with this?” Ben asks.

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