Page 109 of Teach Me to Fly

Reign’s lips curve into a half smirk. “Oh, we will.”

Chapter 40

Reign

My father's office at Imperium hasn’t changed in years. It still smells like old varnish and espresso, and it still has that same mahogany furniture, and heavy curtains that are pulled halfway shut.

I sit in the leather chair across from his massive desk, hands clasped on my lap. Lando’s beside me, perched on the armrest. He’s wearing a cropped sweater—bright cherry red, clashing with the heavy mahogany furniture—but it suits him.

Our father is standing behind his desk, reading over a thick packet of renovation notes. His silver pen scratches occasionally on the paper, but his eyes don’t lift to meet mine. I take this time to really look at him and notice how much I look like him. We have the same bone structure and white-blond hair, though his is shot through with silver now. His eyes are darker than mine—steel instead of ice. I clear my throat, and he finally glances up.

“We need to talk.”

His brow lifts. “If this is about Wendy’s last-minute costume changes, I already approved it.”

“It’s not about that.”

Lando shifts beside me, sensing the tension pulling at my shoulders.

My father narrows his eyes. “Then what is it?”

I inhale slowly. “I’ve decided.”

His face tightens just a fraction. “Go on.”

I meet his gaze. “Opening night will be my last performance.”

Lando’s head snaps toward me. “Wait, what?”

I keep my eyes on our father. “I’m stepping back from dancing. For good.”

Silence drops into the room like a guillotine.

My father straightens behind the desk. “This is a joke.”

“It’s not.”

“You’re not even twenty-six. Do you know how many dancers would kill to have your body, your training, your stage presence?—”

“And I’ve given this company everything,” I interrupt. “My time, my body, hell even my sanity. But I’m not in love with the stage anymore, and I won’t keep performing just to preserve your legacy.”

Lando blinks, stunned into silence. My father looks like he’s about to explode.

“You want to just… what? Walk away?”

“No.” I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I still want to run Imperium, but not as a principal dancer.”

He glares. “Then what the hell do you want to do?”

“Compose. I want to build something more with Imperium, create from the other side of the curtain. My heart’s not in the spotlight anymore.”

He scoffs. “You think I built this company on heart?”

I give a bitter laugh. “No. You built it on control.”

His jaw clenches. “So, you’re done dancing, fine. But running this company is a different beast entirely.”

“I know, that’s why I’m not doing it alone.” Lando’s head turns to me slowly. “I want to run Imperium with Lando.”

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