Chapter Ten: Small Steps

In the days that followed, Khloe went back to her routine.

But something was different.

Brief messages. A good morning from Jacob. A good night from her.

Small steps. No pressure.

Sometimes he’d show up with coffee outside the restaurant. Never asked to come in. Just handed it to her and smiled.

She spent the whole day thinking about it.

One night, he sent her a message.

“Last night, I dreamed of the day you took me to meet your grandmother. I just wanted her to know I wasn’t pretending. It was the first time in a long time I felt part of something real.”

Khloe answered with a heart emoji.

It was still too soon for a new beginning.

But it wasn’t too late to reconnect.

Then everything changed.

Khloe was setting silverware when she heard a commotion.

Customers leaned over tables. Eyes fixed on the TV.

On the screen: a press conference.

At the center: Jacob.

She turned up the volume.

“Today, I’m presenting all the evidence gathered over two months of quiet investigation,” he said. “Evidence that clearly shows embezzlement and fraud by my former partner, Marcos Ramirez.”

A stir went through the press room.

“While I was away, a lot was said. Accusations were made. Some believed I had run off. But I disappeared so I could finally see what no one would let me see.”

He placed his hand on a stack of documents.

“The company I built with my father will not fall because of one man’s greed. And I will not stay silent anymore.”

Khloe stood there frozen.

Pride. Surprise. And an ache that still lingered.

She knew that man.

The man who didn’t run. Who stood his ground.

And despite everything, he was still the same Jacob who washed dishes with her at two in the morning.

That night, she found an envelope under her door.

“Maybe I’ve done everything in the wrong order. First I lied. Then I ran. Then I tried to fix it. But now all I want is to truly explain myself. Not as a businessman. As a man. Can I meet you at our place tomorrow at 4 p.m.? If you don’t come, I’ll understand. But if you do, I promise not to run again. —Jay.”

She took a deep breath.

She knew that meeting was inevitable.

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