Michael's POV
I stared at Reagan, and something shifted in what I saw before me. This wasn't the defiant boy who usually pushed back against everything I said. This wasn't another one of his calculated moves to get what he wanted.
Reagan looked genuinely broken. Defeated in a way that caught me off guard.
He wasn't putting on an act. He wasn't trying to manipulate me. For once in his life, he was being completely honest about needing something from me.
And that something was my support. Not as his employer, but as his father.
The realization hit harder than I expected.
"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "She can stay. But not more than a month."
The relief that flooded his face was immediate and overwhelming. He looked like the child I remembered from long ago, before everything became complicated between us.
"Thank you," he breathed, stepping forward to wrap his arms around me in a quick embrace.
