PART 7 — The Beginning of Something Else
I didn’t reply to the message.
Not yet.
Instead, I walked to the window.
The street outside looked normal again. Quiet houses. Normal lights. Nothing that said anything dramatic had just happened.
But everything had changed.
I wasn’t the daughter waiting to be chosen anymore.
I wasn’t the backup plan.
I wasn’t the emergency fund.
I was the person who said no—and didn’t collapse after it.
Ryan came to stand beside me.
“So what now?” he asked.
I thought about it.
Then I said the only honest answer I had.
“Now… we see how far they’re willing to go.”
And for the first time—
I wasn’t afraid of finding out.
The most important part is just ahead — click NEXT »»
