“Because I met someone whose life was changed because of my father. His own father was taken from him, and I saw the pain it caused him. I wished I could take it all away. If I could, I would.”

I looked at the camera, making sure my seriousness came through.

Warren, this is for you.

“And to Warren King,” I said, keeping my voice as strong as possible. “I was wrong to slander you back then. I didn’t know just how awful he was, and I was hell-bent on taking you down with us. You didn’t deserve it. If not for you, who knows how many more people could have died? I’m sorry… for everything.”

37

WARREN

I watched in awe as Addi not only changed her tune about her father but also went public with his misdeeds.

She fucking apologized to me. She recognized what it meant to me to have my father taken away.

Seeing and hearing her apology was worth more than the billion dollars she’d bled from me back then. It was worth… everything.

She acknowledged me. What I did. Even if the consequences were painful for both of us.

She understands what I did.

I sat up in the balcony again, at the back this time, watching the interview on my phone. Then I replayed it.

Something I hadn’t felt in a while filled my chest.

I’m proud.

Proud of Addi for speaking up. And proud… of myself. Over the years, doing the same thing over and over again had me jaded. The money was good, but nothing was worth more to me than saving the people from an unjust and sometimes downright evil boss.

And now the world knows.

Once I took over, whatever the men did always came out. People have put two and two together when it comes to what I did, even if I never outright said it. But I’d never been as open as Addi was being about it.

I wished I could leave the auction and bring her back home. Show her just how much I wanted her. Prove to her that what we had was so much more than a contract.

But this fucking auction.

I looked up at the stage, where one of the girls was just walking off as they reached the final bid. The lights shut off. I hadn’t been paying attention at all.

At one point, I think I heard Maxwell’s voice, but I had been too busy with Addi’s interview to even look up from my phone.

One more. One more and I can go. As soon as I could, I would rush out of here and back to her where I belonged. And I would do whatever it took for her to see us.

But when the lights came back on, there was someone on the stage I never expected to see.