Chapter 23: Honest Confessions
347words
I caught his hand, pressing it against my cheek. "You saved me. Again."
"My parents died in a fire," he said quietly. "I was at a friend's house. By the time I got home, there was nothing left."
"Your assistant told me," I confessed. "I'm so sorry, Jack."
He shook his head. "What you don't know is why I targeted Michael Davis in the first place."
I propped myself up on one elbow, suddenly alert. "What do you mean?"
"Davis Industries acquired my father's company through fraud. The stress triggered my father's heart condition. When our house's electrical system—recently 'upgraded' by a Davis subsidiary—malfunctioned, my parents had no chance."
Understanding dawned. "Your revenge predates mine."
He nodded. "I've spent fifteen years building my company, gaining power, waiting for the perfect moment to destroy him. Then I found you in the ocean."
"We're more alike than I realized," I said softly, fingers tracing the contours of his face.
"Maybe too alike," he replied, capturing my hand and pressing a kiss to my palm. "Watching you run into that fire… I realized something. Revenge has consumed half my life. I don't want it to consume what's left."
I understood immediately. "You're having doubts about our plan."
"Not about taking Davis down," he clarified. "He deserves everything coming to him. But afterward… I want something more than vengeance. I want a future."
The word hung between us, full of possibility.
"I've been thinking the same thing," I admitted. "What happens when this is over? Who am I without this mission?"
Jack's fingers intertwined with mine. "Whoever you want to be. But I'm hoping… you might want to be with me. For real this time."
Before I could respond, his phone rang—our security team with urgent news.
"Mia Brown is downstairs," he reported. "She's demanding to speak with you."
Reality crashed back, our moment of vulnerability abruptly ended.
"She knows who I am," I said grimly. "It's time to deal with her."
