Page 63 of Falling For You

At what cost?

I needed the fresh air.

The autumn air outside had cooled the room, but inside, the atmosphere was still hot and thick with anticipation.

Three of my key investors, their faces harsh with interest and a certain smugness, watched me over the video feed. Their gleaming eyes took in my hotel room with the prospect of a lucrative deal only days away.

They were the kind of men who saw opportunity in every corner of the country, and Buttercup Lake, with its charming small-town appeal, was their latest target.

Thanks to me.

My stomach churned.

I had known this day was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. My laptop sat open in front of me, numbers and projections glowing on the screen. It was easy to demonstrate to them what would happen if we moved forward with the investment.

We were just waiting for Vern to sign.

The potential profits were undeniable. A new resort complex in Buttercup Lake could be the crown jewel of our portfolio. We’d be able to attract tourists from all over the region and transform the sleepy town into a bustling hub of activity.

They already had a growing tourism trend, and this latest project would only bolster the effect.

But my mind wasn’t on the numbers. It wasn’t on the sleek presentations or the land assessments. My thoughts kept drifting back to her.

Violet.

I could picture her now, probably laughing with her siblings or working on some creative project.

She was completely unaware of the tidal wave of change that headed toward her and the lodge her family had built and maintained for generations.

The thought of seeing her face when she realized what was happening made me feel like I was going to be sick. The lodge, with its cozy, rustic charm, held so much history for her family.It could be exactly the kind of place that would get swallowed up by the resort if the land deal went through. And I couldn't bear the thought of being the one to destroy it.

The thought of seeing her face when she realized what was happening made me feel like I was going to be sick.

“Owen,” Tom, the lead investor, said, snapping me back to reality. “Did you hear me?”

Tom was in his mid-50s, sharp-eyed, and habitually sniffing out profitable opportunities with unnerving accuracy. “You’ve been quiet. Everything still on track?”

I swallowed hard, trying to clear the fog in my mind. “Yeah. Everything’s on track.”

The other two investors, Martin and Frank, exchanged looks, clearly expecting more enthusiasm from me. Usually, I’d push hard, closing deals left and right with the confidence that had always set me apart. But today, everything felt wrong.

Tom leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “I gotta admit, Owen, I expected you to be more excited. Buttercup Lake’s looking like a solid investment. The location’s prime. Not to mention, the local businesses haven’t exactly been keeping up with the times. There’s real potential for growth there.”

I nodded slowly without meeting their eyes.

The numbers were there. The facts about Buttercup Lake’s ripeness for redevelopment and the tourism boost that would pump new life into the local economy were as clear as the Wisconsin sky.

But the words lodged in my throat.

Violet’s face kept flashing through my mind. I thought about her smile.

The way she’d made me feel human again.

How proud she was of the little lodge she and her family ran.

And now here I was, sitting in this conference room, planning to turn that same lodge into nothing more than a footnote in a business deal.

I struggled to speak, my words caught in a web of conflicting emotions. “Maybe Buttercup Lake isn’t the right place for this investment,” I finally managed to say.

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