A SECOND CHANCE AT FOREVER Chapter 64: CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

KYLE

“This,” Lorenzo Valenti said, his Italian accent smooth yet deliberate, “is the beginning of something powerful.”

The weight of his words settled over the conference room. Outside, the Manhattan skyline stretched against a pale evening sky, but inside, all eyes were fixed on the documents spread across the sleek glass table.

Valenti and his team had landed in New York early this morning, stepping off their private jet with the kind of effortless confidence that came from years of running an empire. We hadn’t wasted time. Mark's effort on winning them all came down to this—one final meeting to seal the deal.

And now, here we were.

I met his gaze evenly, my fingers resting against the table’s cool surface. “That’s exactly why we’re sitting here, isn’t it? You don’t waste your time on companies without promise.”

A glimmer of amusement flickered in his sharp, dark eyes. “That is true.” He gestured to his side, where his legal team sat with thick files open before them. “We’ve reviewed every detail of your proposal. The numbers check out. The strategy is solid. You want this expansion, and you need the right backing to make it happen.”

I nodded once. “And you want a foothold in the U.S. market. A partner already rooted in the industry, one with enough influence to make the transition seamless.”

Lorenzo smirked. “A mutually beneficial arrangement, then.”

His head of legal, a middle-aged man with steel-gray hair, cleared his throat. “As per the final agreement, Valenti Industries will take a twenty-percent stake, while Blackwood retains full operational control. The funding for the expansion will be transferred within seventy-two hours, and the partnership will take effect immediately upon signing.”

Lorenzo tapped a finger against the contract. “Everything is in order, yes?”

I exchanged a glance with my lawyer before nodding. “It is.”

“Perfect.” Lorenzo twirled the pen between his fingers, then pressed it against the paper. With a swift, confident motion, he signed his name, the ink drying almost instantly.

He slid the contract toward me, his gaze filled with satisfaction. “Your turn, Blackwood.”

I didn’t hesitate. I took the pen and signed.

The moment the final stroke was made, a quiet beat passed—then, the tension in the room melted into something more celebratory.

Lorenzo leaned back, a pleased grin spreading across his face. “Congratulations, Blackwood. You just made the smartest decision of your career.”

I smirked, shaking his outstretched hand. “And you just secured the best partner for your expansion.”

Lorenzo let out a deep laugh, clapping a hand over mine before releasing it. His team exchanged nods with mine, the air thick with the weight of what had just been finalized.

The Valenti deal.

The deal that would shift everything.

The deal that made it official—I was done with Atlas.

Pulling out from her support had been a risk, but now? Now, my company stands stronger than ever. With Valenti’s resources backing us, we were stepping into a new era.

The meeting wrapped up soon after, the final handshakes exchanged, the last pleasantries spoken. One by one, the Valenti team gathered their documents, slipping them into sleek leather cases before making their way out. My own team followed suit, murmuring amongst themselves as they exited the conference room, leaving me alone in the aftermath of the deal.

The silence that followed was thick, but I welcomed it.

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing a hand over my jaw as I exhaled. This was what I’d worked for—every calculated risk, every move I’d made to cut ties with Atlas and carve my own path had led to this moment. 

Turning my chair toward the floor-to-ceiling window, I let my gaze sweep over the Manhattan skyline. From here, the city stretched endlessly, a kingdom of glass and steel. Ruthless. Unforgiving. Exactly the way I liked it.

Power wasn’t just about expansion. It wasn’t just about money or influence. It was about control.

And there was still unfinished business.

Reaching into my desk drawer, I pulled out my burner laptop—a nondescript, matte-black device untraceable to anyone but me. Flipping it open, I bypassed the layers of encryption with practiced ease, accessing a folder buried deep within the system. My eyes skimmed over the latest intel, fingers tapping against the trackpad.

Then my phone rang.

I glanced at the screen. Ryan.

I hesitated for half a second before answering. “Yeah?”

“Still breathing?” he drawled.

“Barely.”

A low chuckle came from the other end. “Good. You’re coming over today.Jack’s coming too. Dominion Elite, Five o’clock. No excuses.”

I arched a brow. “You give orders now?”

“Only when I know you’ll follow them,” Ryan retorted. “Besides, it’s been a while. Since Whitaker’s death got ruled as natural, there’s been nothing but radio silence from you.”

My fingers drummed against the desk. Had it been that long? Ever since Ryan called to tell me the cops had closed the file on Whitaker’s death, I hadn’t checked in. No cops. No loose ends. No mess. It should’ve been a relief, but the past two days had felt like a goddamn blur.

Two days since a lunch that blew over my face.

Two days since I found myself standing in Ashley’s kitchen at 3 AM, peanut butter knife in hand.

Two days since she nearly cracked my skull open with a frying pan.

Two days since I caught her staring at me longer than she should’ve—cheeks flushed, lips parted, before she forced herself to look away.

Ryan’s voice pulled me back. “You still there?”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Five o’clock.”

“Good. Try not to overthink it, Blackwood. It’s just a drink.”

Just a drink.

Maybe that was exactly what I needed. A distraction. Something to shake the relentless thoughts of a certain redhead with hazel eyes who had managed to take up permanent residence in my head.

I dropped the call and leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly. My mind was still half-stuck on the deal I’d just closed, the numbers, the strategy—but it didn’t take long before it drifted back to her.

Because for the past two days, she’d been there. Filling every quiet moment. Stealing into my mind when I least expected it.

And if I wasn’t careful, she’d never leave.

With a low curse, I raked a hand through my hair and reached for my phone, intending to clear a few emails before heading out. But as soon as I unlocked the screen, a notification popped up.

Social media.

I nearly rolled my eyes. I despised social media—too much noise, too much posturing. But as much as I hated it, I couldn’t deny that it was the world’s biggest goldmine of information. People shared everything with little to no regard for who might be watching. It was almost too easy to stay informed.

I tapped the notification, intending to dismiss it, but my finger slipped, opening the app instead.

A shaky video began auto-playing. Two people arguing. The footage was grainy, filmed from a distance, but something about it caught my attention.

I was about to exit—until I saw a familiar flash of red hair.

My stomach clenched.

I looked closer, my grip tightening around the phone as the video continued. The voices were muffled, but the body language said enough. The tension. The way the lady loomed too close, her posture aggressive.

The way she stood her ground.

Ashley.

Fuck!

Adrenaline shot through me. I didn’t think. Didn’t hesitate.

The video was still playing when I grabbed my keys and strode out the door, already heading for the venue.