Page 140 of Shattered Melodies

“I quit,” I said, the words coming out before I’d even fully processed the thought.

My father blinked, clearly caught off guard. “What?”

“You heard me,” I said, my voice growing stronger. “I quit. I’m done. I want no part of this… this corruption.”

He laughed, but it was a harsh, ugly sound. “Don’t be ridiculous, Liam. Where are you going to go? What are you going to do? Play guitar on street corners?”

I felt a smile spread across my face, cold and satisfied. “Actually, I’ve got that covered. But you don’t need to worry about that. What you need to worry about is what’s coming next.”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Instead of answering, I pulled out my phone and dialed Leon’s number. It rang twice before he picked up.

“It’s done,” I said simply. “He’s all yours.”

I could practically hear Leon’s grin through the phone. “Excellent work, Liam. We’ll be right up.”

I hung up and turned back to my father, who was looking more confused and angry by the second. “Liam, what the hell is going on? Who was that?”

Before I could answer, there was a knock at the door. It opened to reveal Leon and Derek, both wearing expressions of grim satisfaction.

My father’s face paled as he recognized Leon. “Clark? What are you doing here?”

Leon stepped into the office, Derek close behind. “Hello, Richard. I think it’s time we had a little chat about the future of your company.”

I watched as the realization dawned on my father’s face. The fake contract. The pointed questions. My sudden resignation. It all clicked into place.

“You… you set me up,” he said, his voice a mix of disbelief and fury. “My own son…”

I felt a pang of guilt, but I pushed it down. “I did what I had to do, Dad. Someone had to stop you.”

Leon and Derek moved further into the room, effectively boxing my father in. Leon turned to me, giving me a curt nod. “Thank you, Liam. We’ll take it from here.”

I nodded back, relief and exhaustion washing over me in equal measure. It was done. For better or worse, it was done.

As I turned to leave, my father’s voice stopped me. “Liam,” he called out, his tone desperate now. “Son, please. Don’t do this. We can work something out.”

I paused at the door, looking back at him. For a moment, I saw not the corrupt businessman, but the father who had taught me to ride a bike, who had cheered at my piano recitals. But then I remembered all the lies, all the manipulation, all the lives he had ruined.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” I said softly. “But it’s too late for that.”

And with that, I walked out, closing the door on my old life and stepping into a life where could finally breathe.

I pulled up Jimmy’s number and hit dial.

“Liam?” Jimmy answered on the second ring. “Everything okay?”

“Better than okay,” I said, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. “I need a favor, Jim. Can you arrange a flight to Oakwood Grove for me? As soon as possible?”

I could practically hear Jimmy’s eyebrows shooting up. “Oakwood Grove? Your father?”

“It’s done,” I said, my voice sobering for a moment. “All of it. I’ll fill you in on the details later, but right now, I just need to get home.”

There was a pause, and then Jimmy chuckled. “Home, huh? Sounds like a lot has changed. Alright, I’m on it. I’ll text you the details as soon as I have them.”

“Thanks, Jimmy,” I said, feeling a rush of gratitude for my friend. “Oh, and one more thing?”

“Yeah?”

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