Page 148 of Lucas

In his eyes, I saw a strength in me. A fire, a resilience, a capacity for greatness. He believed in me. How many people in my life can I say that about?

God, I miss him.

I reach for my phone before I can second-guess myself and dial.

He picks up on the first ring.

“Why are you giving me Gant?” I ask the moment he answers.

“Ava.” He exhales my name like a prayer, sending shivers down my spine. “You got the contract.”

“Why are you giving me Gant?” I ask again.

“Because I want to,” he says. “Because the plan to take down the company fell apart the moment I got to know you. The moment I fell in love with you. And I want you to succeed, even if you don’t love me.”

Fresh tears roll down my cheeks at the raw sincerity in his voice. The ache in my chest expands, stealing my breath. “But why not just give me Pearl Garden? It would have saved the company without all of this.”

“I couldn’t. Believe me, Ava, if it was solely up to me, I would have handed you that project on a silver platter. But I have a board of directors to answer to. They would never understand me giving our crown jewel to a competitor,especially not one in financial straits. It would have been corporate suicide.”

He sighs, the sound heavy down the line. “I know you poured your heart into Gant, Ava. You did everything humanly possible to right the ship in an impossible timeline. None of this is your fault. And I truly, honestly believe that you’re going to rebuild Gant into something extraordinary. With your brilliance, your dedication, your pure stubborn grit, you’re going to set the world on fire.”

My heart swells at his conviction, at the unwavering faith in his voice. “You really think I can do this? On my own?”

“I know you can. You can do anything you set your mind to. And you’ll feel so much prouder, so much more accomplished, knowing you did it under your own steam. Without my name, my influence casting a shadow.”

He pauses, and I can picture him running a hand through his hair, his brow furrowed. “But you can’t bid on projects right now, not without collateral. So I’m fixing that. I’m covering all of Gant’s debts and liabilities. And I’m pledging the full financial backing of Valeur for any bids you want to make going forward. No matter what happens with us, I will always, always have your back. Professionally and personally. That will never change.”

The doorbell rings, and I nearly jump out of my skin.

“Ring! Ring!” Cartman squawks.

“Yes, Cartman, I hear it. You don’t need to announce it.”

“I hear it!” Cartman yells.

“I have to go, someone’s at the door,” I say and end the call.

I open the door, and freeze in place.

Peter Valeur stands on my stoop, looking out of place inhis impeccable three-piece suit. His salt-and-pepper hair is perfectly arranged, his posture straight, but there’s a weariness around his eyes I don’t remember, a slump to his proud shoulders.

“Hello, Ava,” he greets me. “I’m sorry to drop by unannounced. Might I come in? I have some things I need to say, and I’d rather not do it on your doorstep.”

I hesitate for a long moment, my mind spinning. In the months since my wedding to Lucas, I’ve barely exchanged two words with his father. Our interactions have been chilly at best, hostile at worst. Why would he be here now, asking to talk?

My gaze darts to the contract sitting on the coffee table, the pieces clicking into place. Of course. He must have found out Lucas is giving me Gant. He’s here to talk me out of accepting it, to bully me into refusing the deal.

Anger flares in my gut, hot and bright. Drawing myself up to my full height, I fix him with a steely glare. “If you’re here to threaten me or to undermine Lucas’s decision, you can save your breath. I have no intention of rejecting his offer. Gant Construction will be mine. The deal is as good as done.”

To my shock, Peter throws his head back and laughs. “Oh, I like you,” he chuckles, shaking his head. “You’ve got a spine of steel, Ava. Good. You’ll need it in our world.”

I gasp. “Did Lucas ask you to talk to me?”

“No. He doesn’t know I’m here. We had a hard conversation. He didn’t come to our last family dinner.”

He didn’t go? Those dinners are important to him. He loves his family. They’re a big part of his life. I wonder if the conversation has anything to do with what he told me that night.

“I left Lucas. I’m not part of the Valeur family anymore,” I say.