Chapter 13 - THE FINAL EXIT: WATCHING THE PAST FADE INTO THE NEON LIGHTS
Ava Brooks didn't even wait for Ryan to walk back to her by the cheese table.
The moment she saw him standing there alone, rejected and humiliated in front of the city’s elite literary community, she turned on her heel, pushed past the glass double doors, and stormed out into the cool Las Vegas night.
Ryan lingered for another thirty seconds, his eyes sweeping across the sparkling room one last time, taking in the success, the elegance, and the absolute, unbridgeable chasm that now separated his ruined existence from my thriving empire.
Then, with his head bowed low and his shoulders curled inward, he turned and followed her out the door.
I watched them leave through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the gallery.
They walked down the sidewalk side-by-side, yet maintaining a foot of empty space between them—two former best friends who had discovered the hard way that playing husband and wife was a lot easier in a fairy tale than it was in reality.
My brother Noah materialized beside me, handing me a fresh glass of sparkling water, his dark eyes tracking Ryan and Ava’s departure with quiet satisfaction.
“Did the stray dog try to beg for table scraps?” Noah asked, a faint smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
“He tried,” I smiled, clinking my glass against Noah’s. “Then he remembered he didn't have a ticket to the banquet.”
Noah laughed, wrapping a strong arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. “Come on, CEO. Your authors are waiting for their speech, and the New York reps want to discuss your east coast expansion.”
I looked out over the crowded gallery once more, taking in the bright lights, the vibrant energy, and the beautiful future I had built with my own two hands.
On Valentine’s Day, I had issued them a marriage license.
May you like
By morning, I was gone.
And looking back, walking away into the desert night was the absolute best decision I had ever made.
