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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: FAMILY TIES

OWEN

The Vancouver estate is as imposing and soulless as ever. It’s all sharp edges and gleaming surfaces, the kind of place built to impress rather than to live in. The long driveway is lined with perfectly trimmed hedges, so precise they look almost artificial. The sprawling front lawn is more manicured than a golf course. Gerald always did like things pristine — no room for imperfection, no room for anything real. Can’t say I miss being around him all the time.

The house itself is massive, a monolith of glass and steel perched on the hillside. The floor-to-ceiling windows reflect the surrounding evergreens and the glittering waters of the inlet, making the house look like it’s both a part of the landscape and entirely above it. This place has always been a monument to Gerald’s ego, not a home. It’s meant to show off his power. His money. His influence. That’s the thing about Gerald. He’s more concerned about how he’s perceived than actually making a home.

Well, that’s just fine. I’m done being part of this bullshit.

Taking a deep breath, I step out of the car, the cool air biting against my skin. The plan is simple: Talk to my mom first, without Gerald around. Get her on my side before I face him. If I can even call it a plan. It feels more like a desperate gamble.

When I walk inside, the scent of polished wood and lilies greets me, as always. My mom’s voice calls from the sitting room, startling me. I thought I’d have to find her — not that she’d be right there as I entered.

“Owen? Is that you?”

It takes me a second to respond. “Yeah, Mom. It’s me.”

She appears in the doorway, her face lighting up with a bright smile. She’s dressed in a Chanel pantsuit with pearls around her neck and her graying hair pinned up into a chignon. Even though she’s just spending time at home, she’s dressed to the nines, always having to look her best for Gerald.

“What are you doing here? Is everything okay? When you called...” She trails off, her tone hesitant. “Is this about the engagement?”

I take a deep breath and nod. “Among other things. We need to talk.”

Her worry deepens as she gestures for me to follow her into the sitting room. Once we’re seated, I take a moment to gather my thoughts.

“Mom,” I start, my voice firm, “I need to be completely honest and upfront with you.”

Her brow furrows, but she doesn’t interrupt.

“I’m done with this family,” I say, my chest tightening with every word. “I’m done with Gerald.”

Her lips part slightly, but no words come out. I press on.

“I love you,” I say, my voice softening. “I’ve always wanted to protect you, to make sure you were happy, but Gerald has taken so much from me. My home, the woman I love, and … and …” I take a deep breath. “And he’s taken seven years with my daughter, Mom.”

Her eyes widen. She leans forward. “What do you mean, daughter? You have a daughter? Are you telling me I have a granddaughter?”

I nod, smiling softly as I think of my little girl. Digging my phone out of my pocket, I pull up the picture of Millie and me at her skating performance, and show it to Mom.

“Her name is Melissa Ann, but she goes by Millie. She’s six years old. Stacey discovered she was pregnant at the same time we moved to Canada, and she tried to tell me back then but…. Gerald found out first. He lied, and hid things to make sure I never knew about my daughter. I just found out. I just met her. And only because by some miracle, I ended up signed with the Night Hawks, the same team Stacey works for.”

My mom gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “Owen...”

“I’ve been a coward,” I admit, my voice breaking, my vision blurring slightly with tears. “I went along with his demands for too many years now, but I’m done. I’m not letting him control me anymore. I’m not letting him keep me from my daughter or Stacey, and I won’t let him use Millie as his pawn. He’s not going to force her to be his heir like he tried to force me to be his son.”

Tears well up in her eyes, as well, and she reaches out to take my hand. “Owen, I had no idea. I didn’t know. If I’d known — ”

“It’s not your fault,” I cut her off gently. “But I need you to understand that I can’t do this anymore. I’m walking away from all of it. Gerald, the Weston name, the expectations. All of it.”

Silence follows my declaration. I feel like I can finally breathe now that I’ve told her how I really feel about Gerald, but I can’t tell what she’s thinking. Mom lowers her gaze and seems to consider my words carefully for several long moments. A part of me starts to worry when the silence stretches a bit longer, questions I’ve barely been willing to consider taking hold. What if she chooses to stay with him? What if she somehow takes his side in all this? Finally, she looks back up at me with a soft, sad smile.

She squeezes my hand, her voice trembling. “You’re right.”

My heart relaxes.

“Gerald has gone too far.” She shakes her head sternly. “And if what you’re saying is true, his behavior is unforgivable.” She pauses, her expression hardening in a way I’ve never seen before. “The truth is, his family has not been happy with him for a while. They’re fully aware of his ambitions and are sick of his scheming. Besides, it’s already too late for him to produce the first heir - your step-cousin is pregnant, but everyone is keeping it secret so Gerald doesn’t find out. It helps that she’s been traveling for so long so we haven’t actually seen her in person in months. The family has tolerated him for your sake, Owen, but if they find out what he’s done...”

“I don’t care about his family,” I say, my voice sharp. “I care about Millie and Stacey… and I care about you, Mom. I want you in my life, and in my daughter’s life, but not if Gerald is still in yours.”

For several moments, she doesn’t say a word and I can’t fully read her expression. At length, she releases a sigh and nods. “I understand, Owen. I really do. I’m so sorry, honey. Truth be told, I rushed into a marriage with Gerald all those years ago because I knew you needed a man in your life, and we needed some financial support. But I should have seen how miserable Gerald made you long before now. Honestly, I think I knew and just didn’t want to believe it, which only makes everything worse.”

“Mom, it’s okay…”

“No, it’s not,” she firmly says. “Your happiness has always come first for me, and I’m sorry if I haven’t done a good job showing you that. You have been so good to me, son, and it’s time that I do what I should’ve done a long time ago and stand up to Gerald. I don’t want you to worry… I’ll handle it. I’ll talk to his siblings. Gerald won’t be able to stand on his own without their support, and then he won’t have any power to wield over you and your new family.”

Happiness overwhelms me. I wasn’t certain how she would react to all this, and a small part of me worried that she would stand staunchly on Gerald’s side, but she’s not. She’s choosing to stand with me. To support me and defend me. After all these years of trying to protect her, I see now that she’s stronger than I gave her credit for. She’s able to face the truth of who Gerald really is, and is willing to walk away from him.

It’s everything I’d ever hoped for.

I shake my head. “I still have to face him, Mom. I have to do this myself.”

She gives me a small, sad smile. “You do what you have to do, then. Let me take care of the rest, Owen. I won’t let him hurt you anymore or keep me from my granddaughter.”

Relief washes through me. This was much easier than I anticipated. Have I been underestimating my Mom all these years? Assuming she was weak and would go to any lengths to keep Gerald?

Yet, here she is, choosing me.

I lean over and press a kiss to her cheek. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” she murmurs.

I meet her gaze, and in a firmer tone, ask, “Now where’s Gerald?”

I walk into Gerald’s office, my heart pounding with a mix of fury and resolve. The massive space is as ostentatious as he is — leather chairs, dark wood paneling, and a massive desk that screams “control.” He’s sitting there, like a king on his throne. Today, I’m not bowing.

He barely looks up when I enter.

“Owen,” he says, his tone clipped. “Your mother mentioned you were flying in for a visit. I hope you’re here to explain why you’ve been acting like a fool.”

The disdain in his tone is nothing new. It’s the same voice he’s used on me throughout his marriage to my mother. Whenever I failed to meet his impossible standards, whenever I dared to have an independent thought. For years, I let that voice control me, twist me into someone I didn’t even recognize.

Not anymore.

I cross to his desk and slap my hands down on its surface. “I’m here to look you in the eye and tell you one more time that there will be no wedding. I’m done, Gerald. I’m not your son, I’m not a Weston, and I’m not coming back to Canada. Ever.”

The words roll off my tongue so easily, it’s as if they’ve just been waiting for me to speak them into existence. I’ve imagined this moment a thousand times, playing out just how I’d tell Gerald to fuck off out of my life. The reality is so much more satisfying than I could’ve anticipated, especially when I see his reaction.

He’s so angry he barely sputters out his next words. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” I say, my voice steady. “I’ve put up with your bullshit for years, but it ends now. I’m cutting all ties, Gerald. You don’t own me, and you don’t get to control my life anymore.”

He regards me for a moment before releasing a cold chuckle and shaking his head.

“Don’t be an idiot,” he says dismissively. “Stop wasting my time with this nonsense. You know your duty - marry Elise and produce me an heir. A legitimate one. Simple enough.”

I grit my teeth and shake my head. “No, Gerald. I’m fucking serious. I’m walking away from you and all your bullshit today, and I’m never coming back.”

His face darkens, and he stands, leaning across the desk. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying? What you’re throwing away? Everything you have, everything you are, is because of me!”

I laugh bitterly. “No, Gerald. Everything I have, I earned despite you, and everything I am? That’s because of Stacey and Millie. They’re my family — not you.”

At the mention of Millie, his expression shifts, a sly smirk spreading across his face. “Ah, yes. The little brat. I suppose she’s why you’ve gone soft. Tell me, Owen, where’s the letter?”

I narrow my eyes. “What letter?”

He pulls open a drawer and slams a piece of paper onto the desk. “The fake letter I sent to Stacey, of course. The one that should’ve opened her eyes to what a mistake you are. As opposed to this weak, pitiful one you tried to send.”

I snatch the paper up, my blood boiling as I scan the page. It’s the letter I wrote for Stacey…the one I thought that she was supposed to have received instead of the trash she got. Gerald’s had it all this time?

I would give anything to beat the shit out of him right now, but the consequences aren’t worth it. I won’t give him another ounce of ammunition to use against me.

“You son of a bitch,” I hiss, slamming my fist onto the desk. “Why did you switch my letter?”

“You should be thanking me,” he sneers. “If it weren’t for me, your life would’ve been ruined. You would’ve stayed the same pathetic, trashy little boy I took in all those years ago when I married your mother. That whore and her little bastard would’ve just held you back…”

Enraged, I lunge across the desk, but before I can get a hold of him, the office door bursts open, and my mom strides in.

“Enough!” her voice rings out, sharp and commanding. She glares at Gerald, her chin held high.

“Margaret, stay out of this,” he snaps.

“No, Gerald. I’ve stayed out of it for far too long,” she says, pulling her phone from her purse. “I recorded every word of this conversation. Do you think your siblings will be happy to hear how you’ve manipulated and threatened this boy for years? How you’ve destroyed real lives for your own gain? What do you think will happen to the precious Weston name if this ends up in the press?”

He pales, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he stares at her in total shock. I’m rather stunned myself…I haven’t seen Mom this fired-up and assertive in years.

“Just…just hold on a second,” he stammers. “There’s no need to get my siblings involved in this.”

Gerald’s cockiness and entitlement melts away at the possibility of having to face his older brothers. He’s always been intimidated by them. Has always been trying to prove he’s better than them, even though everyone knows that couldn’t be further from the truth. Gerald knows that everything he has is because of the generosity of his brothers. If they cut him off and kick him out of the family’s company, he’ll have nothing. Seeing him so vulnerable here — seeing him in such shock — makes me feel an emotion I’ve never felt for him before: pity.

“You stole seven years from me with my granddaughter,” Mom continues, her voice breaking. “That’s so cold-hearted, I can hardly believe I married a man like you. I’ve stood by you for years, but this time, you’ve gone too far. I’m done.”

“Done?” he sputters. “You’re done? What, are you going to leave me, Margaret? Are you forgetting that our prenup states that if you walk away from this marriage, you get nothing!”

“Oh, I remember,” she snarls. “And I don’t care. Keep your money, Gerald, if your siblings let you. I don’t want it, and I don’t want you. My lawyer will be in touch.”

“Margaret!”

Ignoring him, she turns to me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Let’s go, Owen.”

I nod, grabbing the letter from the desk as we walk out of the office together, leaving Gerald behind once and for all. He sits there, hunched over his desk, stunned and completely alone.

The drive to the airport is quiet. My mom grips the steering wheel, her gaze steady on the road ahead, but there’s a softness in her expression that wasn’t there before. She seems more relaxed. More at ease. Like a weight has been lifted from her.

As she pulls up to the drop-off area, she parks the car instead of letting me out at the curb.

“I want a proper goodbye,” she says, giving me a small smile.

I step out and grab my bag from the backseat. When I turn around, she’s already standing there, her hands shoved into the pockets of her coat. She looks small, but strong. I’m not worried that she’ll go back to Gerald. Her mind is made up, and I’ve never been so proud of her.

I pull her into a hug, holding her tight. “You sure you’ll be okay? You can come with me now, if you’re worried?—”

She leans back and pats my cheek, her eyes glistening. “I’ll be more than okay, Owen. Don’t you worry about me. I’m going to stay in a hotel while I tie up the loose ends up here, but once that’s done… I was thinking I might join you in Colorado. If you don’t mind, that is.”

My throat tightens, and for a moment, I can’t speak.

“Are you kidding?” I finally manage to choke out. “I’d love that, Mom. Millie’s going to lose her mind when she finds out her grandma’s moving close by.”

Her face softens, and she brushes stray hair out of my eyes, just like she used to when I was a kid. “I’d like to get to know her. And Stacey again. I’ve missed so much already. It’s time to start making up for it.”

I nod, my heart swelling. “You’re going to love them both, and they’re going to love you, too.”

“How could I not love them? Especially Millie. I bet she has some of your father in her, just like you do. He was the only man I ever really loved, and he would be so damn proud of you, Owen.” She cups my cheek and smiles at me before stepping back and crossing her arms against the chill in the air. “You just take care of what you need to on your end. I’ll handle things here and let you know when I’m ready to head down.”

I grab her hand and give it a squeeze. “Thanks, Mom. For everything. For finally standing up to him. For standing up for me.”

She smiles, but there’s a tinge of sadness in her eyes. “I should’ve done it a long time ago, but I’m here now. I’m proud of you. You’ve become the man I always knew you could be.”

I don’t trust myself to speak, so I just nod and head toward the terminal, turning back once to see her standing there, watching me go. She waves at me and I give her a small wave back.

As I step into the airport, I can’t stop the smile spreading across my face. Millie, Stacey, and now my mom… they’re my family. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep us all together from now on.