Money Power 17

Emery’s POV

I thought I’d made it clear. I wanted him gone. Not just out of my life but out of my world completely. To let me live here alone, to let me heal in peace. But Landon Remington wasn’t someone who accepted “no” for an answer.

He showed up three days later, standing outside my apartment like a ghost I’d tried to forget. No suit this time. No cool, unreadable gaze that cut deeper than words. He wore a hoodie and jeans, the kind of clothes that made him look smaller, more vulnerable.

And those eyes, dark, tired, and haunted, were something I didn’t expect to see on him. The man who’d walked away from me without a second thought was here, looking broken in a way money had never bought.

I cracked the door open, just a sliver. He didn’t push. He just stood there, waiting.

The next morning, he was back again. Waiting outside like I was the one holding the conversation hostage. I had no choice but to confront him.

“I’ve told you already. Leave me alone. Go live your life somewhere else,” I said, my voice sharper than I wanted. “Just walk away.”

He didn’t flinch. Instead, he took a shaky breath and said, “I can’t. Not this time. Not with the baby.”

I wrapped my arms around my stomach, the weight of it like a shield. “That baby is mine, Landon. Mine to protect. Not yours to control.”

“No, Emery,” he said, his voice raw and desperate. “It’s ours. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. Hell, I don’t even deserve a second glance. But I’m begging you, please forgive me. Forgive the way I treated you. The way I left. I was a coward. I didn’t just walk away from you. I walked away from responsibility. From love. And that was wrong.”

I swallowed hard, the knot in my chest tightening. “You don’t get to ask for forgiveness like it’s a favor. You don’t get to erase years of pain with a few words.”

His eyes flickered, wet with something close to regret. “I don’t expect that. Not now, not ever. But I want to fix this. At least for our child. I can’t undo what I did, but I can try to be here. To be better. If you’ll let me.”

I wanted to scream at him. To push him away like I’d pushed everyone else. But something in his voice, the raw honesty, made my walls tremble.

“You left me to deal with everything alone. You made me feel like I was nothing. That I was disposable,” I said, voice breaking. “I escaped that hell to protect myself, and this baby. How am I supposed to let you in now?”

He took a step forward, hands open like he was trying to reach for something he’d lost.

“Because I’m here. I’m not running anymore. I’m not hiding. I’m ready to do whatever it takes. Not just for me, but for you. For our family.”

I stared at him, the man who once meant everything and who had caused me the deepest pain. Could I trust him? Could I believe he’d changed?

The fear in my chest warred with a flicker of hope.

“I’m scared, Landon,” I admitted. “Scared you’ll disappear again. That this is just another promise you can’t keep.”

He nodded slowly, the weight of it settling on his shoulders. “I don’t blame you. I’m not asking for your trust overnight. I’m asking for a chance. One day at a time.”

I exhaled, the tension between us thick but less suffocating.

“You can stay,” I said finally, “but don’t expect me to forget everything. This isn’t a reset button. This is just the beginning of a long road.”

He let out a breath he’d been holding. “Thank you. That’s more than I deserve.”

After that, Landon found a small rental near the coast. It wasn’t fancy. No expensive suits or cars. No attempts to impress.

For the first time, he wasn’t trying to control the narrative. He just wanted to be close without crowding me.

The messages started coming, carefully measured and quiet.

Let me know if you need anything. No pressure. Just here.

I didn’t always reply, but I read every one. When I finally agreed to let him come to a prenatal appointment, he arrived early, pacing the waiting room like a kid about to take a test.

“You okay?” I asked, watching his leg bounce nervously.

He jumped at my voice, then gave a small, tired smile. “I’ve never done this before.”

“Neither have I,” I said.

His phone buzzed over and over. He ignored it until the fourth time, then sighed and answered.

“Where are you? You missed two calls, and the board is on my case. The press is sniffing around, and your sister is furious.”

“I’m busy,” he said flatly before hanging up. He didn’t look at me. Just leaned back, eyes fixed on the floor like he wanted to disappear.

The nurse called us in. The exam room was small and quiet, the air heavy with anticipation. The doctor smiled. “Ready to hear the heartbeat again?”

I nodded, lifting my shirt. The cold gel pressed against my belly was familiar. Then the doppler came alive, and the steady thump filled the room.

Landon froze. His eyes darted between me and the screen like the sound was breaking him open. “That’s really them?” he whispered.

I nodded. “That’s our child.”

He didn’t move, didn’t blink. Just sat there, absorbing the sound like it was proof that maybe he hadn’t lost everything. The doctor printed some images and left us alone.

I wiped the gel from my skin. Landon stayed silent until his voice, hoarse, finally broke through.

“I almost missed everything. I was a fool.”

“You’re here now,” I said. “That’s what matters.”

He looked at me, eyes glassy with regret and something new… hope.

“Emery, I’m sorry. For all the years I wasn’t there. For the way I left you alone to fight. I don’t expect to make it right overnight, but I swear, I want to try. For you, for our baby.” I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe in something good after all the pain.

“Actions,” I said quietly, “will tell me if you mean it.”

He nodded, and for the first time, it felt like maybe, just maybe, we could start again.