The One He Never Held novel · Chapter 16 of 24

Chapter 16: The Vote Moved Up

We walked out together into a cold, washed-out morning.

The driver pushed himself off the hood of the sedan and held out a phone.

"Mr. Deverill. Mr. Sorensen sends his regards."

Damian took his phone back without a word.

"He asked me to tell you the board vote is Monday at nine," the driver said pleasantly. "Your mother holds your father's shares by proxy. She'll cast them as Mr. Sorensen advises."

"My mother signs nothing without asking me."

"She asked Mr. Sorensen." The driver smiled at me. "Good morning, Mrs. Deverill. For now."

He got into the sedan and drove away slowly.

I stood there with my hands in my coat pockets and my heart going hard.

"He watched us all night," I said.

"He watched the door." Damian's jaw was tight. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

I took his hand.

He looked down at it, and then up at me. For a second the whole lot went quiet, and I thought about the lamp and the bed and the way he had slept.

Then we crossed to room nine.

The door still stood open. The bed had been stripped to the mattress, and the window was cracked.

The bookkeeper had been gone for hours.

On the pillow lay a single sheet of paper folded in thirds, with my name on the outside in neat slanting capitals.

JOANNA. PLEASE.

I opened it.

← Chapter 15 · All chapters · Chapter 17 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend