Page 36 of A Billionaire's Second Shot

“Take all the time you need,” he says softly. “I’ll be here.”

He steps back, giving me space, and I watch as he retreats to the other side of the room. My heart feels heavy, but there’s a flicker of something else, too. Something that feels dangerously close to hope.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Levi

The penthouse feels unnervingly quiet. The tension between Tania and me is palpable, like a live wire stretching across the room. She sits by the window, her back to me, staring out at the city lights. Her shoulders are stiff, her posture rigid, and I know that the folder Jenna gave her still sits on the coffee table, its contents now out in the open.

The scandal. The deal. The choices I made that led us here.

I should’ve told her sooner. I should’ve trusted her with the truth before it became another weapon Damon or anyone else could use against me. But the idea of reopening that chapter of my life, of letting her see the worst parts of me, had felt unbearable.

“Tania,” I say softly, breaking the silence.

She doesn’t turn, doesn’t acknowledge me, but I know she’s listening.

“I owe you the truth,” I continue, stepping closer but keeping enough distance to give her space. “About the merger. About everything.”

Her shoulders tense, but she still doesn’t look at me. “Why now, Levi? Why not before? Why did you wait until I found out this way?”

“Because I was a coward,” I admit, my voice trembling slightly. “I thought that if I kept it buried, it wouldn’t matter. That we could move forward without it hanging over us.”

She finally turns, her eyes filled with hurt and something I can’t quite place. “But it does matter. It always mattered.”

I siton the edge of the couch, running a hand through my hair. “The merger was... messy,” I begin, my voice low. “The family who owned the company was struggling. They needed the deal as much as I did, but I didn’t handle it the way I should have. I pushed too hard, took too much, and when the dust settled, they lost everything.”

Tania watches me, her expression unreadable. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to continue.

“I convinced myself it was just business,” I say. “That they knew the risks, that I wasn’t responsible for what happened after. But deep down, I knew better. I knew I could’ve done more to protect them, to make it fair.”

Her brows knit together, and I can see the question forming in her eyes before she even asks it. “Was that why you let me go? Because of the merger?”

“It wasn’t just the merger,” I admit, my throat tightening. “It was what it said about me. About the kind of man I was becoming.”

I let out a shaky breath,my hands clasped tightly together. “When we broke up, you said I prioritized my work over you. And you were right. But it wasn’t just about the work. It was about the choices I was making, the things I was willing to sacrifice to build my empire.”

I glance at her, my chest aching at the sight of her tear-streaked face. “I didn’t want to drag you down with me. I thought... I thought I was doing the right thing by letting you go.”

Tania shakes her head, her voice trembling. “You didn’t give me a choice, Levi. You decided for both of us.”

“I know,” I say, my voice breaking. “And it’s the biggest regret of my life. Because the truth is, I let you go not because I didn’t love you, but because I did. And I was afraid of what I was becoming.”

She presses a hand to her forehead, her breathing uneven. “Why didn’t you just tell me this back then? Why did you make me feel like I wasn’t enough?”

“Because I was scared,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “Scared of failing you. Scared of being vulnerable. Scared of letting you see the parts of me I was ashamed of.”

The silencebetween us is heavy, the weight of my words settling like a storm between us. I don’t know what I expect her to say, but when she finally speaks, her voice is quiet, almost hesitant.

“You made a mistake,” she says, her gaze locking onto mine. “But you should’ve trusted me enough to let me in. You should’ve given me the chance to fight for us.”

“I know,” I say, my chest tight. “And I’m so sorry, Tania. For everything. For not being the man you deserved back then.For not telling you sooner. For making you feel like you weren’t enough, when you’ve always been more than enough.”

Her eyes glisten, and for a moment, I think she might look away. But then she steps closer, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “I don’t know if I can just... forgive all of this, Levi. It’s not that simple.”

“I’m not asking for simple,” I say, standing to face her. “I’m asking for a chance to show you that I’ve changed. That I’m not the man I was.”

She studies me, her expression unreadable. “This isn’t just about words, Levi. I need to see it. I need to feel it.”

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