Page 33 of Kisses and Paperclips

Because even now…

I wouldn’t know how to reach for her.

Not like that.

Not even as a courtesy.

She burned down a family.

And built a kingdom in the ashes.

My mother’s gaze swept the room until it snagged on me. And for just a second, She faltered.

Not just like she remembered who I was. But like she remembered what she left behind.

The air in the boardroom turned viscous as my mother’s voice softened, her words unraveling at the edges like the hem of a well-worn dress.

“Though I’ve loved every part of this journey…”

Her hand fluttered to her collar, fingers dancing across silk before stilling. A nervous tell I hadn’t seen since childhood.

“...the time has come for me to step down as CEO.”

Silence pooled like spilled ink.

Across the mahogany table, Serena’s pen clicked once in the quiet. Our gazes collided, electricity arcing between us before she wrenched hers away. Her shoulders squared, bracing against some invisible impact only she could see.

My mother drew herself up, spine straightening like a soldier preparing for battle.

“This isn’t a decision I make lightly,” she said, her voice gaining strength. “But it’s necessary. For the company’s future.”

Then, her eyes found mine, right on the word future.

The room tilted.

Suddenly, I was twelve again, standing barefoot in the hallway, watching taillights disappear down the driveway.

Her lips parted, the words falling like a gavel:

“I’ve chosen my son… Julien.”

The announcement detonated through the room.

A chair screeched.

Someone gasped sharp, sucking sound, and the rest blurred into white noise.

Me.

After twenty years of silence… she chose me.

My vision tunneled, pulse hammering against my temples.

Across the table, Serena’s mask slipped, revealing something raw and wounded beneath.

The realization struck like a physical blow.

She was hurting.

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