Chapter 10
541words
"Sorry to interrupt, Ms. CEO, but your investor's here in three minutes."
"Investor? You didn't tell me we had a meeting today."
"I wanted to surprise you," he said, winking playfully.
When I walked into the conference room, I froze. Sitting there were partners from one of the country's top venture capital firms and my parents.
"Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?"
"Zachary invited us," Mom said, pulling me into a tearful hug. "He said today was a big day for your new venture."
It turned out Zachary had been talking to my parents behind the scenes, showing them a year's worth of performance reports to prove their daughter had made the right choice.
I'd been so busy building the company that I hadn't seen them in over a year. I held them tight, soaking in that sense of safety I'd missed.
"There's something else," Dad said, handing me an envelope. "The one you always wanted."
Inside was an old photograph. It was the six-year-old me at the science museum, eyes shining with dreams. On the back, he had written: "To my little scientist. May you always reach for the stars."
Tears streamed down my face. In my previous life, I'd given up everything for Maxwell—my career and my ambitions. And I had also let my dad down. This time, I'd gotten it right.
I knew, without a doubt, that I wouldn't die alone in a hospital bed again. I had my loving parents, Yvonne, a friend who always had my back, and Zachary, my most unwavering supporter. They were my foundation.
"Thank you," I whispered to Zachary, though I wasn't sure what I was thanking him for.
I wasn't even sure whether I meant the opportunity, the reunion with my parents, or the fact that he had walked into my life at all.
"I'm not done yet." He took my hand gently and turned to face the investors. "Before we talk about funding, there's something more important I need to do."
My heart stopped as Zachary dropped to one knee. "Jocelyn, will you let me be your partner for life?"
A stunned silence filled the room.
I saw my parents' encouraging smiles and Yvonne wiping away happy tears. And in Zachary's eyes, I saw that unconditional, wholehearted love I'd spent my entire first life begging Maxwell for and never got.
A rush of heat shot through my whole body as if my mind had been flooded with dopamine. If happiness needed a definition, this was it.
"I have one condition," I said, my voice shaking. "I want 51% controlling shares."
"It's all yours," he said with a smile, holding out the ring. "My heart has always been your wholly owned subsidiary."
This time, there was no hesitation, doubt, or fear because I knew this wasn't the tragedy of my past life repeating itself. Instead, this was the beginning of my new life.
"Deal." I held out my hand as the man who loved me without reservation slid the ring onto my finger.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, wrapping us in its bright, warm embrace. The ghosts of my past life were finally gone, and I was truly reborn.
