CHAPTER 6 – THE APOLOGY THAT CAME TOO LATE
CHAPTER 6 – THE APOLOGY THAT CAME TOO LATE
The following morning, Dominic waited outside Sterling Horizon Holdings before sunrise.
Employees recognized him immediately.
Some whispered.
Others simply walked past without acknowledging him.
At exactly eight o'clock, a black luxury sedan stopped at the entrance.
Audrey stepped out wearing a tailored ivory suit.
She looked confident.
Composed.
Nothing like the frightened woman who had once begged her husband to believe her.
Dominic took a hesitant step forward.
"Audrey..."
She stopped.
For several long seconds, neither of them spoke.
"I just want five minutes."
"You already had three years."
Her calm voice hurt more than if she had screamed.
"I didn't know about the baby."
"No."
"You never gave me the chance."
Dominic lowered his head.
"I'm sorry."
Audrey looked into his eyes.
For the first time...
She saw genuine regret.
Not regret for losing money.
Not regret for losing status.
Regret for losing her.
"I've replayed that night a thousand times," he whispered.
"If I had answered your calls..."
"If I had stood up to my mother..."
"If I had come to the hospital..."
His voice broke.
"Our baby would still be alive."
Audrey closed her eyes.
"No."
She answered quietly.
"Our baby died because someone chose violence."
She paused.
"And because someone else chose silence."
Dominic couldn't deny it.
Silence had made him guilty too.
"I'll spend the rest of my life making this right."
Audrey shook her head gently.
"You can't."
"There has to be something."
"There is."
Hope flickered across his face.
She looked at him with heartbreaking honesty.
"Leave me in peace."
The words landed harder than any punishment.
"I forgive you, Dominic."
His eyes filled with tears.
"But forgiveness isn't permission to come back."
She stepped around him.
"My future no longer has a place for you."
She walked into the building without looking back.
The revolving doors closed between them.
This time...
Forever.
Later that afternoon, Sophia entered Audrey's office carrying another file.
"The prosecutor called."
Audrey looked up.
"Victoria?"
"They're moving forward with formal criminal charges."
Sophia placed another envelope beside it.
"And there's something else."
Audrey opened it.
Inside was an invitation embossed in gold.
THE HAWTHORNE GLOBAL CHARITY GALA
Hosted by one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the country.
Sophia smiled knowingly.
"They've requested you as the guest of honor."
Audrey frowned.
"I've never met them."
"No."
Sophia replied.
"But they know exactly who you are."
Before Audrey could ask another question, her phone rang.
The caller ID displayed a name she had never seen before.
She answered.
"This is Audrey."
A deep, distinguished voice spoke from the other end.
"Miss Bennett... my name is Edward Hawthorne."
He paused.
"And I believe it's finally time we spoke about the promise your father made to mine twenty-five years ago."
Audrey froze.
Her father had died believing many of his secrets were buried with him.
May you like
Apparently...
One of them had just come back to life.
