Page 55 of Lucas (The Valeur Billionaires #2)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

AVA

I take the envelope from the courier at the door and sign for it.

“What do you think, Cartman? Will Lucas be here again tomorrow morning?” I slump onto the couch.

He’s not giving up. He waits here every morning just to wish me a good morning. It’s been weeks. The urge to run to him and kiss him is getting harder by the day.

It takes every ounce of my willpower not to run into his arms, to his strong embrace, to breathe in his familiar scent. My heart aches with longing, the love for him burning like wildfire in my veins.

I still love him, I’m still hopelessly in love with him, but I also can’t forget how his duplicity made me feel. Like a fool. The memories douse the flames, leaving nothing but smoldering embers of hurt and betrayal. How can I ever trust him again after that ?

I open the envelope and pull out a stack of papers, my breath catching as I realize what they are.

It’s a contract.

My pulse races, and my mouth goes dry. What is this? Some sort of trick? Another manipulation?

I flip to the end. It’s already signed by Lucas.

I scan the main points. He’s transferring full ownership of Gant Construction to me. No hidden conditions or fine print. No catch.

I read it again, then a third time, convinced I must be misunderstanding. But there it is, laid out in black and white. He’s handing me my family’s legacy, the company I’ve poured my heart and soul into. The company he’d sworn to destroy.

I peek inside the envelope and find a note, which I pull out.

Ava,

Your dreams are my dreams. Whether that means constructing skyscrapers or building dog houses, I’m willing to move heaven and earth to see you achieve them.

I’ve let you down. I’ve broken your trust in the worst possible way, and I’ll regret that until my dying breath. But please, never doubt my love for you. It’s the one true thing in my life, the one certainty in a world of shadows and lies.

Whatever you need, I’m here. Even if you can’t forgive me, even if you’ve stopped loving me, I will never stop loving you. I will never stop fighting for you.

Take Gant and make it everything you’ve ever dreamed it could be. Conquer the world, and I’ll be standing on the sidelines, cheering you on every step of the way.

I’m so proud of you, Ava. Of the woman you are. You’re a force of nature, unstoppable and magnificent. And I’m honored to have been a part of your journey, even if only for a little while.

Be happy. Be brilliant. Be you.

All my love, always,

Lucas

Tears are streaming down my face by the time I finish, blurring the words into illegible smudges. I press the note to my chest, a ragged sob tearing from my throat.

I’m not sure of anything anymore. My dreams, my identity, my place in this world—it’s all a tangled mess, a puzzle missing half its pieces. Without the Gant name, without my father’s guiding hand, who am I? What do I even want?

All I know for sure is that I want Lucas. I miss him with an intensity that steals my breath, that wakes me in the night aching and empty. Life without him is just an existence, not a life at all.

And the crazy thing is, I’m not even angry about his original plan to take down Gant.

If I’m brutally honest with myself, I’m not sure I would have done anything different in his shoes.

He thought I was part of my father’s schemes, a willing accomplice to his fraud and corruption. Why wouldn’t he want to take us down?

No, what hurts, what keeps me up at night, is the way his confession made me feel at the end.

Like I was nothing. A fool, a joke, a pawn in a game I didn’t even know I was playing.

No one has ever made me question my worth like that before.

It cut me to the bone, shattered my confidence and my sense of self.

But even as I wrestle with the doubts and the fears, I can’t ignore the flip side of the coin. Because as much as Lucas made me feel worthless, he also made me feel priceless. Cherished. Adored. Like I could take on the world and win.

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 in his 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.

“Did you sign divorce papers?”

“Um...no.”

“Then you’re part of the family. May I come in, please?”

I’m quiet for a moment before moving from the doorway. “Okay. Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you.” He strides into the living room and examines the photos on the walls.

I cringe as if I’m under a magnifying glass and let out a relieved sigh when he sits. I take the chair facing him and cross my legs.

“First, I need to apologize. I made a mistake, and believe me, it costs me in blood and tears to admit to my mistakes,” he says with a self-deprecating chuckle, “but I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did.

I’m ashamed of myself. You are a Valeur and every member of our family will always be welcome in my home.

I’m sorry I made you feel like you weren’t. ”

“Why are you saying this now?” My voice trembles.

“As I said, Lucas and I had a difficult conversation, but one thing was clear to me. He loves you very much, and if there’s one thing I believe in in this life, it’s love.

His mother and I had a love bigger than life.

She was my life and gave it meaning. When she died, a part of me died with her.

Still, I’ll never regret the part she had in my life while she was with me.

I want that for my children, and I want you to be the one there for Lucas. ”

I bite my lip. “But I’m Michael Gant’s daughter.”