The media got off my back.

As if they’d never been interested in me in the first place, they disappeared.

But my mom kept calling me—over and over.

I pitied her because everything happened so fast. One moment, her oldest son was getting married to the finest woman in the world. And then everything changed. Her son was painted as a jerk and a heartbreaker. I thought about telling her the truth, but I thought that would just make her more upset.

From what I read in the tabloids, it seemed like people had responded to Titan’s manipulation. She’d put her reputation on the line when she pulled that stunt. The narrative could have gone quite differently, but she managed to control a situation that was out of her control.

She never ceased to impress me.

Her intention was bluntly obvious. It was her last attempt to make amends with me, to earn my forgiveness after she betrayed me and fed me to the wolves. She was willing to look like the fool so I could walk away unscathed.

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t mean something to me.

She’d called me a few times, but I never answered. Every time I let those calls go to voice mail, I felt the pain rise in my chest. My hand ached to take the call, but my stubbornness always steadied it.

I missed her.

I missed us.

But I still hadn’t reached out to her, unsure exactly what I wanted. Distance had made my heart grow fonder, and my stubbornness only lasted so long. Now I wanted what we lost. I wanted that unbreakable loyalty we used to have. I never flinched when I had her back. She didn’t flinch when she had mine.

I wasn’t heartless, and I understood the predicament she was in. Falling in love had clouded her judgment in a way I’d never seen before. Titan wasn’t relying on that enormous brain of hers anymore. She was thinking with her heart—for once. Whether Diesel was the right choice or not, I understood her decision. In any other situation, I would have respected it.

But not after she betrayed me.

Only now my focus had been strained. I found myself wanting to call her to share news with her. I found myself missing the person I used to share my life with. I confided everything in her, showed her my true colors because I knew I would be accepted for exactly who I was. There wasn’t a single thing I could say that would make her look at me differently. That was true friendship, true loyalty.

I would never find that again.

So maybe I should end the war and pick up the damn phone.

“Sir?” My assistant spoke through the intercom. “Mr. Vincent Hunt is here to see you.”

Vincent Hunt? Diesel’s father? I’d never spoken directly to Vincent, but I knew exactly who he was—and not just because of his relation to Diesel. He was a gladiator of the corporate world, building an empire that intimidated everyone. He brought a new definition to the word successful. I also knew how vicious he was. According to Titan, he didn’t restrain from doing evil things—even to his own son.

“Sir?”

Taken aback by her announcement, I forgot to respond. “Send him in.” I wasn’t doing anything productive anyway, and I was curious to know what this man wanted. He went to Titan to turn her against Diesel. Perhaps that’s why he was there now—to turn me against both Titan and Diesel.

I already knew I couldn’t take any deal he offered. I couldn’t betray Titan…no matter how good the deal was. No matter what she did to me, I would always remain loyal to her. She was a good person with a bigger heart than she cared to admit. She would never hurt me on purpose—and I knew that.

Vincent Hunt walked in a moment later, looking even bigger in my office than he did from across the room. In a crisp suit custom made just for him, he walked to the chair facing my desk, his intimidating stare directed on me. He bypassed a handshake and took a seat. His beefy size reminded me of Diesel’s musculature. They were both large men, and I was on the leaner, ripped side of the spectrum.

I held his gaze, unflinching.

He did the same to me.

The stare lasted for a while, neither one of us speaking first.

Finally, he said something. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Not in person, but your reputation precedes you.” That included the good as well as the bad. From what Titan described, he seemed to be a dictator with serious control issues. If he felt slighted, he wouldn’t stop until he got his revenge. He was petty, spiteful.

He crossed his legs and placed his large arms on the armrests of the chair, looking imposing as he took up most of the chair. For a middle-aged man, he looked as healthy as a horse. He retained his physique as time enhanced his beauty, and he appeared to be fifteen years younger than he truly was. That was how I hoped to look when I reached his age.

Vincent took another long pause before he spoke again. Silence didn’t affect him.

Didn’t affect me either.

“I’ve gotten to know Titan recently, and she’s a very impressive woman. You don’t know me, but that’s a bold statement for me to make. You see, nothing impresses me anymore. I’ve seen it all, heard it all. But she has something the rest of us lack. She’s scrappy, gritty, but elegant at the same time. You’re a lucky man to have such a big piece of her heart. I know her love isn’t romantic because I see the way she looks at my son, but that doesn’t make it less powerful. You’re sitting on your ass doing nothing when you could be spending your time in a much better way. That doesn’t impress me.”

I’d expected to be pitched, but instead, I got a lecture. This was the first time I’d ever met this man face-to-face, and he gave me his two cents on a matter he knew nothing about. It was bold, but it was also effective.

“I made the mistake of holding on to my anger for the past ten years. I banished my son from my life when I could have fixed the issue instead. Now I’m groveling on my knees trying to earn his trust again. If I could go back in time, I would have done things much differently. I wish I could get back all that time that I lost. Instead, I held on to my stubbornness and pride. Look where that got me.” He tilted his head slightly as he focused his gaze on my face. He stared at me like he could see me through me despite the fact that I was a solid wall of man. “Don’t make the same mistake I did. Titan has done everything she can to earn your forgiveness. She’s out of ideas. Now it’s up to you. You can do nothing and let time pass until a decade of silence has gone by, or you can get your friend back.” He rose from the chair as if the conversation was over. He walked to the door. “It was nice meeting you, Thorn. I hope we meet again…under better circumstances.”