“I’m sorry,” I hear myself say.

“What for? I told you I’ve realized that it was all in my mind. If anything, I’m the one who should apologize to—”

“You’ve apologized enough,” I cut her off. “You know what your problem is, kitten?”

She squints at me with her beautiful baby blues as the afternoon sun shines on her face.

“You don’t ask enough from the world,” I say as I step in front of her, blocking the sunshine so she’d be able to see me clearly when I tell her this important truth.

“Huh?” Megan reacts like that’s the last thing she expects to hear—and maybe it is. Judging by the way she speaks, she still seems to believe that everything is her fault and she’s the one responsible for how messy everything is.

“You heard me. You have such low expectations from the world, that all you wanted was to get back at me by publishing some gossip article on me. Do you know how fast it would be buried by some other piece of celebrity news? Do you really think people care?”

Megan parts her lips, but she doesn’t say a word. The gears in her mind are turning. She’s trying on this new perspective for size.

“Here’s a hint: they don’t care,” I say. “And even if they do, it wouldn’t affect me at all. My shares might dip by a few points and a handful of people might even boycott my shopping centers, but do you see any of those things having any long-lasting impact?”

“No,” she says tentatively.

“Exactly. I’m too big now for my shareholders to concern themselves with gossip. And if you were only going to write about how ruthless I am, that could even be a good thing because it would show that I put my investors first. Did you think of that?”

Megan shakes her head slowly.

“And what’s the deal with the letter that you left me? You were going to pay me back everything I’ve ever paid you for your work? Who does that? You know the richer spouse is the one who’s supposed to pay alimony, right?” I ask.

“But I was secretly spying on you. I was doing some other job, and my work at your office was just some kind of a cover.”

“Yeah, but you did a better job than some of the assistants I’ve had in the past.”

Megan stays quiet this time.

“You know you could’ve asked for some of my assets in the divorce, right?” I ask. “We do have a pre-nup, but it’s not an airtight document. You could’ve easily found a lawyer who’d take on your case for a cut of however much money I settled for. But you didn’t even speak to a lawyer, did you?”

“No,” she says.

“It’s no different from the way you expect so little from your mom. She can give you more. The world can give you more, if you’d just ask for the things you want.”

I can tell that I’m hitting a nerve. I know how Megan feels. I’ve seen it in so many talented people. They can do better, but they don’t have the guts to ask for what they’re worth.

I pause before I add, “I may be able to give you some of the things that you want. Is there anything you want from me, kitten?”

“I just want you to forgive me,” she says as her eyes fill with water.

“Of course I forgive you. I know now that you have good reasons for doing the things that you did. Just do me a favour and stop calling yourself stupid. I know I have a bad reputation, and that exposé on me would’ve sold pretty well. So I can’t blame you for wanting to write a compelling story—you’re a journalist.”

“Really?” Megan asks as tears roll down her cheeks.

“Really what, kitten?” I ask softly as I step forward.

I can’t stand not having her in my arms anymore. I can’t just watch her cry and do nothing. I need to comfort her. More than that, I need to do everything in my power to fix everything for her.

I realize these are the same sentiments that she probably felt as a teenager, when her mom was hurting after losing her business and her husband. She just wanted to fix things, and she thought she could do it by attacking me.

I put my arms around Megan’s shaking shoulders and pull her against my chest. As her tears seep into the fabric of my suit jacket, I stroke her hair gently.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, kitten. I’m sorry I caused you pain.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Ethan,” she says between sobs. “I know now that it wasn’t personal. It was just the decision that made sense to you at the time.”

“Still, I could’ve done more.”

“You needed to do your best to keep your investors happy. You were trying to get Penny back at the time, right?”

“Yeah, I was.” My heart squeezes. She has been perceptive enough and empathetic enough to put herself in my shoes and see things from my perspective. I don’t know why she keeps calling herself stupid. I ask, “So do you forgive me, then?”

“Yes,” she answers quickly.

“You don’t hate me anymore?”

“Not at all.” With red eyes still full of tears, Megan looks up at me. One of these days, those big doe eyes are going to get me into trouble. She can make me do anything when she’s gazing at me like that.

“Kitten, would you consider moving back in with me?”

“You really want me back?”

“Yeah. How else are we going to get on the next edition of gossip tabloids?”

She laughs, even as tears wet her creamy cheeks. “They’re going to freak out.”

“Right? It would be fun.”

“Are you sure you want even more attention from the media right now?” Megan asks, concerned about other people before she thinks about herself, as usual.

“We’ll talk to Eliza and she’ll come up with some kind of a plan. She’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”

“If I’d written that exposé on you, Eliza would’ve been the person to clean up the mess. And now she’s on my side. That’s so weird to think about.”

“Life’s funny that way. Sometimes old enemies become friends,” I say. “Now, since you’re all packed, shall I just take you to our marital home?”

Megan laughs. “Don’t call it that. It’s not even a real marriage, Ethan.”

“Maybe I want it to be,” I say.

Megan’s eyes grow as big as saucers. Her jaw drops.

“I’m not saying we have to decide anything now. I just want you to know that it’s on my mind. You don’t have to say anything. Just tell me if you want to move back into my apartment and make it your home, too.”

“Yes, I want that,” she says as she puts her delicate little hands on my back and pulls me closer.

The corners of my lips tug up to form a smile.

She’s back now, and I’m never letting her go again.

She’s mine. For keeps.