"Sometimes, redemption doesn't begin with an apology —
but with the courage to fight for what truly matters."
*****
(Brayden's POV)
There are lies we tell the world.
Lies about being fine, about moving on, about not caring anymore.
But the heart never lies.
No matter how hard you try to bury it, it always finds a way to surface.
I'm no different.
Every time I see Brianna smile at another man, something inside me twists and burns.
It's not jealousy—at least not the kind I used to know.
It's something deeper.
A grief that has lingered far too long.
A reminder that once, I had something precious—and I let it slip through my fingers.
I walked out of her restaurant that afternoon with my fists clenched, my jaw locked tight.
Anger, guilt, and regret wrestled inside me like uninvited guests.
I wanted to blame her for being cold.
For moving on.
For acting like I was just another shadow from a chapter she'd already torn out.
But the truth was…
I was angrier at myself—for giving her a reason to stop believing in me.
I was halfway to my car when a soft voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Uncle, are you going home already?"
I turned around.
There she was — Ella. Her hair a little messy, cheeks tinged with a soft blush. She stood bathed in the afternoon light streaming through the car window, and for a second, the world simply stopped.
I crouched down so I could meet her gaze. "Uncle has some things to do, sweetheart. I have to go."
Her brows furrowed slightly. "What kind of things?"
"Work," I replied, smiling faintly.
"Oh…" She tilted her head, thinking hard. "Why are adults always busy working? Is work really that important?"
Her innocent question hit harder than she could ever realize.
I chuckled softly and ruffled her hair. "Yes, sweetheart. If we don't work, we can't earn money."
She blinked up at me with wide eyes. "So… money's really that important, huh?"
I hesitated. My voice softened. "Money's important, yes… but it can't buy happiness, Ella."
Her lips parted slightly as if she was trying to understand.
And maybe, for a moment, she did.
Before she could answer, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
Tian. Always at the worst timing.
I stood and sighed. "Uncle has to go now, sweetheart."
"Who's calling you?" she asked curiously.
"My assistant. He says I need to go back to the office quickly."
Without hesitation, she ran to open the car door for me.
"Please get in, Uncle."
I smiled wider, warmth tugging at my chest. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"You're welcome." She beamed proudly, the same way Brianna used to when she'd do something kind.
Just as I was about to close the door, her small voice came again—soft, honest, disarming.
"Be careful, Uncle. Good luck at work. Because… even if you don't have money, I'm still happy when you're here."
I froze.
Completely.
Her words—pure, unfiltered—slipped past every defense I had left.
That little girl had no idea how deep she'd just struck.
I could barely breathe.
Ella…
She was the light I didn't know I needed.
The living proof that the love I once lost had somehow given me another reason to live.
She didn't know who I really was yet.
But one day… she would.
And I swore to myself, when that time came, she would be proud to call me father.
*****
As I drove back to the office, her words echoed endlessly in my head.
Maybe the universe was trying to tell me something—
that love wasn't about possession.
It was about presence.
About showing up, even when it's uncomfortable, even when it hurts.
By the time I reached the building, night had already settled in.
The city lights shimmered through the rain-slicked windows, casting fractured reflections across my windshield.
I took a deep breath before stepping out, straightening my suit as if I could also straighten the chaos in my chest.
But chaos, it seemed, had been waiting for me.
The moment I entered, tension hung thick in the air.
Tian met me halfway, his expression grim.
"Sir… we have a problem."
And he wasn't exaggerating.
Minutes later, I was standing in the conference room surrounded by panicked voices and furrowed brows.
Our biggest property project—the one meant to anchor our entire expansion plan—was collapsing.
The land certification was fake.
Fake.
We'd built a skyscraper on air.
"Who the hell approved this?" I demanded, voice cutting through the noise.
No one answered.
Only shifting gazes, trembling hands, and excuses waiting to be spoken.
And then the final blow:
one of the key staff members—the man who handled the land acquisitions—had fled with company funds.
The air turned to lead.
My blood ran cold.
That night stretched endlessly.
Calls. Meetings. Lawyers.
Every sentence felt like a wound reopening.
I'd spent years building this empire brick by brick, and now it threatened to crumble overnight.
As the office emptied and silence finally reclaimed the space, I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling.
The fluorescent light hummed softly above me, almost mocking in its stillness.
And through it all, only two faces haunted me—
Brianna's and Ella's.
*****
Hours later, I found myself sitting on my apartment balcony, the city glowing beneath me.
The coffee in my hand had gone cold, but the memories burning inside hadn't.
Brianna's eyes when she looked at me earlier—sharp, wounded, distant—
they kept replaying, over and over.
We were adults now.
We should've learned to fix things without destroying each other.
But maybe… some lessons take a lifetime to learn.
I pulled out my phone, my thumb hovering over the screen.
Part of me screamed not to.
The other part—the one that missed her—won.
> "Good evening, Anna. This is Brayden.
I want to apologize for earlier today.
I didn't mean to upset you.
I just wish you'd pay more attention to your daughter… instead of others."
Send.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Minutes into a quiet eternity.
Nothing.
The silence was louder than any argument.
I poured myself a drink, turned on soft jazz to fill the emptiness—
but my gaze never left the screen.
And then—
Ping!
> "I forgive you. But if you interfere in my life again, I'll make sure you never see Ella anymore."
Her words sliced through me like glass.
Brianna wasn't the same woman I once knew.
The girl who once whispered instead of yelled—gone.
The woman standing before me now was unshakable, unyielding.
Stronger than I ever gave her credit for.
And yet, I couldn't stop smiling bitterly.
Because she was still the same in one way—
she still cared enough to answer.
My fingers hovered again, reckless but steady.
> "I won't interfere again…
as long as you agree to be my wife."
I could feel her anger through the silence that followed.
And strangely, it comforted me.
A few seconds later, her reply came, as sharp as expected:
> "Don't be ridiculous! Who would even want to marry you?!"
I chuckled under my breath.
> "Not yet.
But I'll make sure you do.
After all… you're already the mother of my child, aren't you?"
This time, no reply came.
Only the heavy silence that said more than words ever could.
*****
Before I could stop myself, I hit the call button.
The dial tone stretched endlessly before her voice finally came through—tight, exasperated, beautiful.
"Hello? What do you want?"
"Nothing," I said softly. "I just… missed your voice."
"Brayden, you're insane!"
"Yeah," I murmured with a faint laugh. "Crazy about you."
"Enough! If you don't have anything important to say, I'll block your number!"
"Alright. Then just answer one thing—how's Ella?"
The silence on the line grew heavier.
"She's asleep," she said at last.
"That fast? It's only eight."
"She gets tired easily."
"Oh. What about her mommy? What time does she sleep?"
Her sigh was audible. "Why do you care? That's none of your business!"
I smiled faintly, imagining her frown.
"You weren't this fierce before."
"The old Brianna's gone," she replied quietly.
"Now there's only the new one—stronger, wiser, and not foolish enough to fall for your words again.
So if you're here to hurt me, Brayden…
I'll make sure you fail this time."
Then—click.
The call ended.
The silence afterward was deafening.
I leaned back, phone still in my hand, city lights flickering beyond the glass.
For the first time in years, I truly felt defeated.
But beneath that defeat, something stronger began to stir.
I wasn't going to give up.
Not this time.
Brianna might have locked every door to her heart,
but I'd keep knocking—
not to break her walls,
but to prove that I could finally protect what I once destroyed.
She once fought for me with everything she had.
Now, it was my turn.
For Brianna.
For Ella.
For the family we both lost along the way.
Because only they could calm the storms inside me.
Only they could bring my heart home.
That night, I prayed—not for forgiveness,
but for another chance.
A chance to make things right.
A chance to turn all the wrongs into something worth saving.
And maybe…
just maybe, that's where redemption truly begins.