Chapter 34
All of her what-ifs and doubts about Callum vanished into thin air as she was only left with one: if he would hurt her, then she would make sure he would never touch her again.
The barrier she has put down is now slowly being pulled down by her, as she is now willing to try it with him. To show him her real life, which she already did reveal, and to give him the chance that she knew Callum deserved.
Give yourself a chance to heal too, Ciara. This is the right time to let yourself bloom with the love you think you’ve lost. Claim it. But this time, make sure to express it proudly and loudly.
And I hope that I will be able to make him happy too. I would be able to tell him how much I love him as I let him prove to me that he is willing to change as well.
We h
have a lot of differences to work on. We are both flawed, and we have our own share of mistakes that we should hold ourselves accountable for. This time, we are both willing to embrace each other’s flaws and learn from our mistakes.
Callum took the handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped her tears carefully. Ciara looked at him as she remembered the gentleness Callum had shown her back in the days when he voluntarily went with her to the province and met her pretend
parents.
“I have a question,” she said.
“What is it?”
That time when… you invited me to a party, and I declined it. Why did you go with me instead of being with your friends?”
Callum immediately remembered it as his expression changed.
“Oh that one. I actually purposely invited you to the party because I wanted to be with you. I don’t really care about the party. I just used it as an alibi. That’s why when you declined, you’ve given me another reason to come with you instead to where you want to go that day.”
Ciara’s eyes widened. She really does not see that coming in the past, as she painted him a playboy in her mind who only wants to get on her pants and who enjoys the attention of the girls.
“I have a question, too. If you are a Sullivan, then…. who are those parents you introduced to me?”
Ciara sighed.
“That day when you asked me about myself and I told you things just to satisfy your curiosity, I wasn’t really enrolled in the university I told you about. You said you were enrolled there, so I needed to transfer to school and just stand by it. And when I told you about my family, I just made it up and decided to also buy a land to show you the life I told you, which I lied
about.”
Callum’s eyes widened. “You’ve bought that land?”
Ciara nodded. Callum realized he shouldn’t be surprised anymore knowing that she was a billionaire all this time, but to know that she just bought that land for the reason that she lied about her life and she needed to stand with it is just beyond his imagination.
“And those parents you’ve met were actually my personal driver and my personal…..maid“
Callum’s eyes widened in disbelief. Ciara twisted her lips because she had a lot to say about what she had done in the past, and she just told him the most basic one: the beginning of how she built a bridge for him so he could easily climb to her.
“Is that all or there’s a lot more?”
1/2
Chapter 31
Ciara nodded slowly. Callum sighed and closed his eyes for a while as if he were bracing for the biggest tsunami to hit him all at once after the wind.
“Tell me the craziest thing you’ve done in the past,” he asked while his eyes were still closed.
“That client whom you want to work with was actually my brother’s employee. That’s why I ask for a little help to approve whatever you want with him.”
Callum immediately opened his eyes as he looked at Ciara with pure fascination, and at the same time, he looked so betrayed.
“I thought you were going to say you landed on the chopper all the way from Paris and headed to your parents’ land because I was there?” he asked, his eyes widening in pure shock.
“You knew about the private jet?”
“Yes. I’ve seen it land. And minutes later, 1 smelled the familiar scent from Paris that I would always smell. You even smelled croissants at that time too.”
Ciara’s jaw dropped, and she closed her eyes and laughed a little
“And what the fuck? The client? The one I wanted so badly? All along, I thought it was your luck the moment I mar but was it literally you doing wonders behind my back?” He sounded disappointed but amused at the same time.
“Well, it was your own hard work. I just gave you the opportunity, which I know you deserve because you are good
“What else? Because I feel like there’s more.”
“Most of our company’s clients were…”
Callum shut his eyes and rested his head against her shoulder.
“Oh, you did not,” he whispered.
Ciara pursed her lips. “I’m starting to realize right now how crazy I was for you during those times. I think I’m obsessing over you, isn’t it?”
Callum lifted his head and looked at her.
“I don’t deserve that obsessed Ciara from the past.”
Ciara arched her brow. “Well, I am not telling you all of this to tell you that I want you to repay all of the things I’ve done because I did that on my own will and you have zero accountability for it. I am just saying it to let you know that despite the coldness you told me, the selfishness, and the self-centered woman that I painted in your mind, or what you assumed, behind it was Ciara, who would do everything for you, Callum. I just can’t express it loudly, but I have been silently rooting for your success since day one. And silently showering all the love I think you deserve.”
Callum sighed as he slowly pulled her waist and hugged her again.
“You have no idea how I wanted you so much more than you know. But I don’t have any idea that you’ve wanted me more than I want you, you liule sly…
Ciara bit her lower lip as she tried to stifle her smile while Callum gently rubbed the skin of her back that was shown because of her dress.
“And you are so gorgeous tonight, Ciara. You aced the launch of your new business. I knew you had that business in mind…”
“You inspired me in the past, actually. I’ve seen how passionate you are and I want to learn from you of work with you. I tried being interested in business, too”
23
15:41 Fri, May 31 AM
Chapter 34
Callum chuckled as he buried his face against her neck.
“Oh damn it. You are turning the on with all of this information you revealed,” he said and sighed frustratingly as he sucked her skin lightly.
“Callum! Don’t leave a mark on my skin!” She hissed and slapped his arm.
“Let’s start over, please. Can we? I really want to pursue you so badly, Ciara. If only you knew how serious I am. I already did what you said. And even though you didn’t reveal to me that your daughter is mine, I am willing to be her father too,” he pleaded.
Ciara suddenly remembered her daughter. She suddenly felt bad knowing that Cara suddenly changed her mind and she didn’t want to meet her father anymore. She doesn’t know what happened, but Cara seems less interested in knowing Callum anymore.
“Actually, the name of our daughter, which I used as the brand, was actually a combination of our names. Callum and Ciara. Cara,” she explained carefully.
Callum sighed like hearing it melt him as he squeezed her.
“I’d spend more time with you and our daughter. I’ll make it up to both of you. I promise.” he whispered wholeheartedly.
Ciara was like floating into cloud nine. She knew that it was one of the best decisions she had ever made. She could fe
sincerity, and she was completely letting themselves enjoy the second chances they had given each other.
She missed Callum. She might just endure it for many years as she tried to move on and focus on being a mother, but he held her again, when he touched her, when she felt his warmth, she knew that she was silently longing for him.
God knows how she wanted to rest in his arms and go home to what she used to call home that abandoned her.
Yes, Callum. Let’s start all over. And this time, I promise, I will not hold back.
Ħ
