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“I was on holiday. A last fling before coming back to reality. This is my reality, and Caleb Frazer is my nemesis. He wants to destroy everything I’ve worked for. He and his damn company. Don’t let him fool you. They don’t care about me or the community. Whatever their company line states. I’m the underdog. If I was so important, someone would have come to see me or at least replied to one of my emails.” I stop and sigh. “Yes, he’ll pretend to give me a bone, and what then? We both know I’llnever be able to afford their rent or to refurbish another studio. It’s over, Samuel. There’s nothing left. It took me four years of dancing for those…” I run a hand through my hair, not wanting to bring up the past. “Living on air to save up for what I have.”

I bite my lip and sigh.

“I just want to go home. I really do have a class in an hour.”

Samuel pulls me in for a hug, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.

“Don’t give up. Promise me,” he says.

Although I’m not sure Samuel knows what he’s asking. All my life, I’ve held a belief that things will get better, that something will change. But that belief is waning as time goes on.

CHAPTER 9

CALEB

“Can someone please explain to me what thehellis going on?” I ask.

Most of those who attended the meeting have left. There are only a few stragglers left talking to members of my team.

Wes comes up, his phone pressed to his ear.

“I don’t care, Caleb wants answers.” There’s a pause. “And so do I,” Wes says, disconnecting.

“Where’s Finnigan?” I ask, looking around. If anyone can answer the question, the bloody landlord can.

“He’s gone. Left as soon as the meeting ended,” Jeff, the man who chaired the meeting says, coming up to stand next to me.

“Get him on the phone,” I say. “I want a meeting with him, in my office, either later today or first thing tomorrow morning. I do not like being blind-sided, gentlemen.”

I feel the glances passing between the men surrounding me but damn it. This is not how I do business.

Wes steps forward. “Her name is April Wilson. She owns a dance school on Sunny Down. It’s on the edge of the development site.”

“Wes, I’m aware of Sunny Down’s position. I know the bloody site inside and out. I’ve been staring at development plans and schematics for over a year. What I want to know is how the hell we’ve missed this?”

I run a hand through my hair. I want to yell at someone but know it will achieve nothing. Bloody hell, this is not what I need today. And seeing her again, hearing her voice—this is not how I wanted us to reconnect.

Shit! All this time and she was right under my nose.

Wes stops and looks at me strangely.

“Sorry.” I take a deep breath. “Go on.”

“Doug just informed me that the building was locked up the week we reviewed the area. The landlord claimed she was moving out, and it wouldn’t be an issue. Told him she had new premises.”

“Did no one check with her?” I ask.

“They couldn’t. As I said, the premises were locked up, and the tenant was absent. The landlord got a key from the neighbour to enable us to view it. Doug has just said he was surprised because the building was in good repair inside, but the landlord’s story was plausible.”

“Well, clearly, that is not the case,” I say, knowing I’m stating the obvious. “Did no one follow up when she got back?”

“Caleb, it’s one woman,” Wes says, a frown marring his brow. “If her tenancy agreement is up, then we’ve done nothing wrong. We’ve purchased all the property as vacant possession. It’s a landlord issue.”

I stare at the man who’s been by my side since the beginning. “That’s not how we do business, or have you forgotten?”

Wes steps back as if I’ve struck him, and I know I’m being unreasonable. But seeing her again has left me flustered. She talked about her business, what it meant to her, how hard sheworked to get it off the ground, and now here I am about to destroy it…albeit unknowingly.

“Were they the protestors?” I ask.